Smaller ports hit as vols dip; major ports sail on efficiency

In a reversal of trend, the major ports in the country have outpaced the non-major ones in cargo growth during the first six months of the current fiscal year. During April-September 2015, while cargo traffic at all ports increased by 1.1 per cent, major ports reported an increase of 4.1 per cent. Non-major ports, however, reported a decline of one per cent over the corresponding period in 2014-15.

While in 2014-15, the cargo traffic of Indian ports had increased by 8.2 per cent to 1,052.2 mt, traffic at non-major ports has risen at a faster rate than at major ports. According to K Ravichandran, Senior VP and Co-head, Corporate Ratings, ICRA,’This is mainly attributed to the decline in cargo volume of coal imports, iron ore, and other cargo at non-major ports. Only container traffic grew by 9 per cent. This has led to a decline of 1 per cent.’