Thousands of crores of rupees are earned every year from the major ports of the country. In such a situation, the question often arises that who is the owner of these ports? Have they been sold to private companies or are they still controlled by the government? The government has given detailed information on this entire issue in the Parliament. The government has made it clear that 12 major ports of the country are completely under the central government. The earnings of these ports have increased continuously in the last five years and in the financial year 2025-26, they received a revenue of more than Rs 26,582 crore.
Many terminals are being operated on the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model, but the ownership of the ports remains with the government. In response to a question asked in the Rajya Sabha, Union Ports, Shipping and Waterways Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said that all 12 major ports including Chennai, Cochin, Deendayal, Jawaharlal Nehru, Kamarajar, Murmugao, Mumbai, New Mangalore, Paradip, Syama Prasad Mukherjee, VO Chidambaranar and Visakhapatnam are under the Central Government.
Among these, Kamarajar Port is a wholly owned company of Chennai Port Authority. Whereas the remaining 11 ports operate under the Major Port Authorities Act, 2021. The government also clarified that no major port has been privatized in the last 10 years. The land and main port assets are still owned by the respective port authorities and the Government of India.
- All the 12 major ports of the country are owned by the central government.
- No major port has been privatized in the last 10 years.
- Revenue of Rs 26,582.77 crore was received from major ports in 2025-26.
- Many terminals were developed on PPP model, but the ownership rights are with the government.
Which are the 12 major ports of the country?
According to the government, there are 12 major ports in the country – Chennai Port, Cochin Port, Deendayal Port, Jawaharlal Nehru Port (JNPA), Kamarajar Port, Murmugao Port, Mumbai Port, New Mangalore Port, Paradip Port, Syama Prasad Mukherjee Port, V.O. Chidambaranar Port and Visakhapatnam Port. These ports are operated by the respective port authorities, while the government maintains policy and administrative control.
Were ports privatized?
The government clearly said in Parliament that no major port has been privatized in the last 10 years. Yes, many terminals and berths have been developed under the PPP model. This means that private companies build, operate and maintain some terminals, but the port’s land and core assets remain with the government. This work is done through open and competitive bidding process.
Earning of Rs 26 thousand crores (Getty Image)
In which ports PPP model was implemented?
According to the government, in the last 10 years, Jawaharlal Nehru Port, Paradip Port, Visakhapatnam Port, Syama Prasad Mukherjee Port, Mumbai Port, Deendayal Port, Murmugao Port, V.O. Many terminals in Chidambaranar Port and other major ports have been developed on PPP model. Whereas no new PPP terminals were developed in Chennai and Cochin Port during this period.
| serial number | Port | 2021-22(Cr) | 2022-23(Cr) | 2023-24(Cr) | 2024-25(Cr) | 2025-26(Cr) |
| 1. | Deendayal Port Authority | 2,140.59 | 3,142.59 | 3,104.23 | 3,140.51 | 3,437.25 |
| 2. | Mumbai Port Authority | 1,979.37 | 2,295.00 | 2,557.52 | 2,830.83 | 3,318.74 |
| 3. | Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority | 2,681.14 | 2,895.11 | 3,149.18 | 3,918.84 | 4,356.34 |
| 4. | Murmugao Port Authority | 457.66 | 486.00 | 585.87 | 563.16 | 607.95 |
| 5. | New Mangalore Port Authority | 743.26 | 882.73 | 1,013.58 | 1,102.98 | 1,121.88 |
| 6. | Cochin Port Authority | 759.12 | 827.24 | 964.43 | 998.73 | 1,091.15 |
| 7. | V.O. Chidambaranar Port Authority | 654.53 | 820.49 | 1,121.91 | 1,205.72 | 1,254.96 |
| 8. | Chennai Port Authority | 1,164.97 | 1,357.20 | 1,369.08 | 1,552.27 | 1,516.47 |
| 9. | Kamarajar Port Limited | 850.82 | 1,009.22 | 1,081.44 | 1,160.19 | 1,272.13 |
| 10. | Visakhapatnam Port Authority | 1,609.86 | 1,862.10 | 2,334.18 | 2,448.87 | 2,585.85 |
| 11. | Paradip Port Authority | 1,895.73 | 2,255.22 | 2,658.18 | 2,756.86 | 2,893.62 |
| 12. | Syama Prasad Mukherjee Port Authority | 2,734.44 | 2,985.48 | 3,419.46 | 3,169.08 | 3,126.43 |
| 17,671.49 | 20,818.38 | 23,359.06 | 24,848.03 | 26,582.77 |
How much did you earn in five years?
According to government data, the earnings of major ports of the country have increased continuously in the last five years. In the financial year 2021-22, these ports received revenue of Rs 17,671.49 crore, which increased to Rs 20,818.38 crore in 2022-23. After this, it increased to Rs 23,359.06 crore in 2023-24 and Rs 24,848.03 crore in 2024-25. At the same time, in 2025-26, major ports earned revenue of Rs 26,582.77 crore, which is the highest in the last five years.
If we look at port wise figures, Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA) earned the highest with Rs 4,356.34 crore. After this, Deendayal Port Authority earned revenue of Rs 3,437.25 crore, Mumbai Port Authority earned Rs 3,318.74 crore and Syama Prasad Mukherjee Port Authority earned Rs 3,126.43 crore.
What will the government do next?
The government said that it will continue to promote the ‘Landlord Port Model’. That is, the ownership of the ports will remain with the government, while as per the need, the private sector will be given participation in the development, operation and modernization of the terminals. This will help in increasing capacity, attracting investment and improving services. The government also assured that all PPP projects will be awarded through a transparent and competitive bidding process, so that public interest is protected.
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