Paradip Becomes First Mega Port on India's East Coast
Paradip Port in Odisha was designated a Mega Port on 25 September 2026 under Section 73 of the Indian Ports Act, 2025, by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways after an assessment of structural and operational benchmarks. It is the only east-coast port with the status; the other three are Deendayal (Kandla), Mundra in Gujarat and Jawaharlal Nehru Port at Nhava Sheva. Paradip handled a record 156.45 million tonnes of cargo in FY 2025-26, up 4.02% year-on-year, moving coal, iron ore, fertilisers and crude oil for eastern and central India. Susanta Kumar Purohit chairs the Paradip Port Authority.
Paradip Port is in Jagatsinghpur district, Odisha, at the mouth of the Mahanadi | Deendayal Port is at Kandla, Gujarat; Jawaharlal Nehru Port is at Nhava Sheva, Maharashtra | The Indian Ports Act, 2025 replaced the Indian Ports Act, 1908