Throughput at major ports in India grew 12 percent in the April-to-January period, according to figures released by the Indian Ports Association.
The country’s 12 major ports, six each on the west and east coasts, handled 424 million metric tonnes of cargo during the period, up from 379 million metric tonnes in the same period a year earlier.
Kandla emerged as the largest cargo hub with throughput of 53.38 million metric tonnes.
Total volume at the Port of Jawaharlal Nehru, the country’s busiest container hub, increased to 45.32 million metric tonnes, up 24 percent from 36.56 million metric tonnes.
Container traffic at Nehru surged to a record 3.33 million TEUs, up 24 percent from a year ago, while volume in January totalled 357,976 TEUs. Based on current growth trends, traffic is expected to reach four million TEUs in fiscal 2007-08, from 3.3 million in 2006-07, against the target of 3.5 million TEUs set by the Ministry of Shipping.
In fiscal 2006-07, major ports handled 5.44 million TEUs, compared with 4.6 million TEUs the previous year.