Centre Notifies Kandla, JNPA, Paradip and Mundra as Mega Ports

According to the Indian Ports Act, 2025, four ports have been declared as mega ports in India by government. This was done by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways by way of notification dated September 25, 2026. The four mega ports include Deendayal Port (Kandla), Jawaharlal Nehru Port (Nhava Sheva), Paradip Port and Mundra Port. The declaration has been made in accordance with the standards notified under Section 73 of the Act. It should be noted that mega-port is just another classification and not a type of port.

Mega 4 Ports Announced by India

The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways declared the four ports as mega ports through Gazette Notification No. S.O. 5303(E), dated 25 September 2026. The notification was done pursuant to sub-sections (2) and (3) of Section 73 of the Indian Ports Act, 2025. This act came into force on the date of its publication in the official gazette.

These four ports are as follows,

Port Prior to Mega Port Classification

The uniqueness of Mundra port is that out of the four ports declared as mega ports, it is the only one classified as a port other than major port prior to the mega-port classification.

Definition of Mega Ports under the Indian Ports Act, 2025

Under Section 73 of the Indian Ports Act, 2025, there is a legal provision that enables a port to be defined as a mega port. The criteria for a port to qualify as a mega port may be established by the Central Government which may notify such major ports or other ports as mega ports. A port shall continue to maintain its original classification notwithstanding its designation as a mega port.

The detailed eligibility criteria were notified by the Ministry on July 30, 2026 after consulting the State Governments. This is applicable to major ports and ports other than major ports.

A port qualifies if, in the previous fiscal year, it meets either of the following criteria,

• Bulk port: 150 million metric tonnes (MMT) cargo throughput.
• Container port: 7.5 million Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (MTEUs).
• Port dealing with both containerized and bulk cargoes follows the methodology of converting containerized cargoes into MMTs.

Validity of Mega Port Notification

The notification in the month of July 2026 states that the validity of being a mega port is five years from the date of notification. Even after the cargo handling capacity drops below the prescribed threshold during the five-year period, a port’s status of being a mega port will remain the same. However, the status of the port is re-evaluated after five years.

Furthermore, it is also mentioned in the criteria that a port may be declared to be a mega port within 90 days of meeting the threshold.

Cargo throughput means the cargo handled during the financial year, including the EXIM and coastal cargo. It includes all types of cargo whether bulk, break bulk, liquid, dry, or containerised cargo.

Indian Ports Act, 2025: Section 73

The Indian Ports Act, 2025 is the primary legislative statute pertaining to the current legal regime of India’s ports. The India Code describes it as Act No. 27 of 2025, passed on August 21, 2025. It came into force on April 1, 2026.

Section 73 is related to “Notification of mega port” and its relevant provisions are,

• Section 73(1): Criteria set by the Central Government for mega port.
• Section 73(2): Major ports eligible to be notified as mega ports.
• Section 73(3): Ports eligible to be notified but not major ports.
• Section 73(4): Classification as mega port doesn’t change the major/non-major status of the port.

This point is significant for Mundra Port as it was classified as a mega port without being a major port under the Act.

Four Mega Ports Notification

Deendayal Port (Kandla)

Located in Gujarat, Deendayal Port is a major port which is known for its historical name Kandla Port. It is one of the four ports which have been notified as a mega port as per Section 73.

Jawaharlal Nehru Port

Located at Nhava Sheva in Maharashtra, Jawaharlal Nehru Port is a major container port. It comes under the administration of Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA). Jawaharlal Nehru Port is one of the four ports to be considered as a mega port notification.

Paradip Port

Located in Odisha, Paradip is the only mega port out of the four to be situated on the eastern coast of India. Paradip Port got the notification as a mega port along with Deendayal, Jawaharlal Nehru, and Mundra ports on September 25, 2026.

Mundra Port

Located in Gujarat, Mundra is the only mega port out of the four ports which was not a major port earlier but an ‘other port’. Indian Ports Act allows both major ports and other ports to become mega ports if they meet certain criteria.