The Ministry had set a target of $400 billion exports to be achieved by FY22, but major ports have recorded a higher value of $413 billion exports within 10 months of that fiscal. In FY23 as well export target through major ports was set at $720 billion and it has been achieved too.
In FY23, major ports handled around 790 mt of cargo, which is the highest ever cargo handled and a 10% increase year-on-year.
In the April to June 2023 period, Major ports saw a 1.74% increase in cargo traffic to 200.3 million tonnes (mt), which is a considerable growth over 197 mt in the same quarter a year ago. Between 2014 and now, capacities across major ports have more than doubled to nearly 1,600 mt.
In terms of the World Bank Logistics Performance Index, India climbed 16 positions in the last eight years — from 54 to 38, out of 139 countries surveyed. In the international shipment category, India moved up the ranks to 22, from 44 in 2018. The average container dwell time in India is now just three days; in comparison it is four days in the UAE and South Africa; in the US it is seven days; and in Germany it is 10 days. The turnaround time in Indian ports like JNPA is just 0.9 days (22 hours), which is better than advanced countries like the US, Germany, Canada and even Australia.
