India’s port cargo record raises a question about where ships still wait

A port can handle more cargo because it became more efficient, because traffic moved from a rival, or because demand grew until the same assets were used more intensively. India’s major ports recorded 915.17 million tonnes in FY 2025–26, 7.06% higher than the previous year. The milestone matters. A decision to build another berth or improve an inland connection requires evidence about where users now lose time and what it costs them. Ports Ministry, FY 2025–26 major port traffic · UNCTAD, Review of Maritime Transport 2025, chapter II

Throughput measures a flow

The April release compares total traffic at major ports with an annual target of 904 million tonnes. The scope matters. The figure covers the major ports in the release, and tonnes are a weight measure across cargo types. A tonne of coal, a tonne of steel and a tonne inside a container can make different demands on cranes, storage, access roads and scheduling. The traffic result establishes scale. Port performance depends on handling and waiting time by cargo type and on the supply of connections to the hinterland. Ports Ministry, FY 2025–26 major port traffic

A ship’s turnaround can fall if loading becomes faster. The container may then spend another day at a terminal waiting for collection. An exporter needs its cargo loaded before a sailing cutoff and its supplier or warehouse to manage the intervening time. A facility can improve one step while the bottleneck moves to a rail slot, a gate queue or the paperwork needed before a truck can leave. Measure the whole trip to learn where investment will matter.

Queues make average capacity misleading

Suppose a terminal can handle 1,000 identical units a day and receives an average of 900. If arrivals are exactly regular, the spare 100 is enough. If 1,200 units arrive on one day and 800 on the next, the first day leaves a backlog of 200 and the second day clears it. The two days have the same average as a steady 1,000 units per day. In a real port, bad weather, late vessels and staggered truck arrivals can produce a more persistent queue. A plan based on annual throughput divided by annual nominal capacity ignores the shape of daily demand.

The users’ costs can be large before the annual number looks strained. An extra day for a shipment worth ₹2 crore carries roughly ₹6,575 in financing cost at 12% a year, before detention fees, storage charges and production effects. A factory that runs out of a single input can lose much more. This is why the 90th percentile of transit time can be a better indicator for investment than the average.

Choose the investment after locating the wait

The strongest case for building capacity ahead of demand is that port projects take time. A facility that waits until congestion is obvious can lose business for years. Overbuilding has a real cost too, particularly if the new berth relies on rail or road capacity that is still missing. Scenario planning can identify the early works that remain useful across traffic paths, including a shared connection or better appointment system. Evidence of repeated queues at the same berth would strengthen the case for dedicated capacity there.

It is also worth comparing shipper choices across nearby ports. A terminal can lose an important service even while annual tonnage rises because bulk traffic fills the difference. Report scheduled container calls, cancellations and the destinations a shipper can serve directly. A port that improves those links can make the entire supply chain more dependable.

Report anchorage wait, berth service time, container dwell, gate queues and inland departure reliability separately. Split them by cargo type and busy periods. A cheaper scheduling change that reduces delays can buy time before a large civil works decision. If delays remain after those changes and are concentrated where physical capacity is tight, investment is easier to defend. Higher throughput is a milestone. Less time and capital tied up per shipment is the return a shipper can use.