Because India is a massive peninsula surrounded by the ocean on three sides, sea trade is the absolute backbone of its economy. Over 95% of India's international trade by volume is handled through maritime shipping.
When it comes to handling shipping containers, the busiest and largest port in India is the Jawaharlal Nehru Port (JNPT), also known as Nhava Sheva.
Busiest Container Port: Jawaharlal Nehru Port (JNPT) / Nhava Sheva.
Location: Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra.
Market Share: Handles over 50% of India's major container cargo.
Busiest Port by Total Volume: Deendayal Port (Kandla) in Gujarat.
JNPT is located in Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra, on the eastern shore of the Arabian Sea. Commissioned in 1989, it was built specifically to relieve the massive congestion at the older, historic Mumbai Port. Today, JNPT is an absolute juggernaut of international trade. It handles more than 50% of all the containerized cargo that enters or leaves India.
Before it was officially named Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (after India's first Prime Minister), it was simply known as Nhava Sheva. This name comes from the two small local villages—Nhava and Sheva—that were originally located on the land where the massive port complex was built.
There is a slight nuance in geography exams:
The busiest and largest container port in India is the Jawaharlal Nehru Port (JNPT), also known as Nhava Sheva.
It is located on the eastern shore of the Arabian Sea in Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra.
By total volume of all cargo types (including bulk oil and coal), the Deendayal Port (Kandla) in Gujarat is the busiest.
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