India's Ports, Ships and Seas
India's Trade Travels by Sea
Why most of India's trade moves through its ports, how long its coastline is, and why maritime efficiency matters for the whole economy.
India has a coastline of over 7,500 kilometres (recalculated in 2024 to around 11,000 kilometres using updated methods).
Trade by sea
About 95 percent of India’s trade by volume and around 70 percent by value moves by sea, according to government figures.
What moves
- Crude oil and LNG imports.
- Coal and iron ore.
- Containers carrying manufactured goods.
- Fertilisers and edible oils.
Why it matters
Efficient ports mean:
- Lower costs for exporters and importers.
- Faster delivery for factories.
- Competitiveness in global trade.
Geography’s gift
India sits along major east-west shipping routes between Asia, the Middle East, Europe and Africa, giving it potential as a maritime hub.
Components for a phone assembled in Chennai arrive by container ship. The finished phones leave by another ship. Port delays at either end would raise costs and slow delivery.
Air carries high-value, light goods; the vast majority of volume goes by sea.
- About 95 percent of India's trade by volume moves by sea.
- Oil, coal, iron ore and containers are key cargoes.
- Efficient ports lower costs and raise competitiveness.
- India sits along major global shipping routes.
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