Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA) has climbed seven positions to rank 21st globally in the first half of 2026, according to Alphaliner's review of the world's top 30 container ports. As reported by the port authority, this improvement represents a significant jump from 28th position in 2025, marking JNPA's sustained focus on operational efficiency and enhanced service capabilities. The ranking comes amid a period of significant global trade disruptions in the first half of 2026, triggered by the US-Iran conflict, when JNPA implemented proactive measures to facilitate cargo movement and manage additional operational requirements.
The seven-position rise reflects JNPA's sustained focus on operational efficiency, faster cargo evacuation, improved vessel handling, and enhanced multimodal connectivity over the past year. According to the port authority's statement, these capabilities were particularly tested during global trade disruptions in H1 2026 arising from the US-Iran conflict, when JNPA introduced proactive measures to facilitate cargo movement and manage additional operational requirements. JNPA recorded a 13.6% growth in container throughput compared with H1 2025, demonstrating the port's operational strength and ability to maintain EXIM cargo movement continuity during disruptions.
JNPA handled approximately 2.99 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of containers and 36.62 million tonnes of total cargo from April 2026 to July 2026, as reported by the port authority. These figures represent higher by 14.37 per cent and 11.95 per cent, respectively, compared with the corresponding period in the previous financial year, demonstrating the port's operational strength and ability to handle global trade disruptions effectively.
The port, based near Mumbai, currently maintains a cargo-handling capacity of 10.1 million TEUs per year and is on course to stretch its existing infrastructure to handle up to 12 million TEUs over the next few years. JNPA currently operates five container terminals — NSFT, NSICT, NSIGT, BMCT and APMT — besides a shallow water berth for general cargo operated by NSDT. The port also has liquid cargo facilities and a coastal berth supporting maritime connectivity and coastal cargo movement. Spread across 277 hectares, JNPA operates a multi-product Special Economic Zone equipped with modern infrastructure to support export-oriented industries and promote trade and investment. The port is also developing Vadhvan Port, an all-weather, deep-draft greenfield port in Maharashtra, which is planned to become India's 13th major port.
JNPA Chairperson Gaurav Dayal, IAS, attributed the achievement to the collective efforts of terminal operators, stakeholders and the entire port community. "Their combined efforts have strengthened JNPA's capacity to provide dependable and effective cargo-handling services, especially in tackling the intricacies of worldwide trade interruptions throughout the year. We will build on this momentum to further elevate JNPA's ranking as one of the top container ports in the world," Dayal stated. The latest ranking further underlines JNPA's growing stature in global maritime trade and its role as a key gateway for India's EXIM trade, positioning the port for continued growth in the competitive international container port landscape.
