<p data-path-to-node="5">Entering a differentiated growth phase, India’s port sector is set to rely heavily on containerized cargo as its primary operational engine through FY28. According to a research report by <b data-path-to-node="5" data-index-in-node="207">Motilal Oswal Financial Services</b>, container volumes are projected to expand at a robust <b data-path-to-node="5" data-index-in-node="295">7–9% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) between FY26 and FY28</b>, supported by strong domestic consumption, expanding manufacturing, and rising containerization across industries.</p><p data-path-to-node="6">While overall port industry cargo volumes are forecasted to grow at a moderate 4-5% over the medium term, private terminal operators are positioned to capture a disproportionate share of total market expansion.</p><h3 data-path-to-node="8"><b data-path-to-node="8" data-index-in-node="0">Diverging Commodity Streams Favor Integrated Private Operators and Brownfield PPP Monetization</b></h3><p data-path-to-node="9">The research underscores significant structural shifts across primary bulk and containerized cargo categories:</p><ul data-path-to-node="10"><li><p data-path-to-node="10,0,0"><b data-path-to-node="10,0,0" data-index-in-node="0">Private Majors Outperforming the Market:</b> Leading private operators including Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (APSEZ) and JSW Infrastructure are projected to sustain volume growth <b data-path-to-node="10,0,0" data-index-in-node="185">2 to 3 times faster than the broader industry average</b>. Growth will be driven by aggressive organic capacity expansions, strategic acquisitions, and bundled end-to-end intermodal logistics offerings.</p></li><li><p data-path-to-node="10,1,0"><b data-path-to-node="10,1,0" data-index-in-node="0">Shifting Commodity Mix:</b> Containerization and coastal movements are altering traditional bulk port ratios. Thermal coal traffic is expected to post a <b data-path-to-node="10,1,0" data-index-in-node="149">2-4% compounding decline</b> as domestic mining ramps up and renewable energy adoption accelerates. Petroleum, Oil, and Lubricants (POL) will see modest <b data-path-to-node="10,1,0" data-index-in-node="298">2-4% growth</b>, while iron ore is expected to recover at <b data-path-to-node="10,1,0" data-index-in-node="352">5-7% CAGR</b>, driven by coastal transport to domestic steel plants.</p></li><li><p data-path-to-node="10,2,0"><b data-path-to-node="10,2,0" data-index-in-node="0">Policy Tailwinds and NMP 2.0:</b> Government asset monetization under National Monetisation Pipeline (NMP) 2.0 has identified <b data-path-to-node="10,2,0" data-index-in-node="122">44 brownfield port infrastructure projects&nbsp;</b>including terminals, berths, and jetties for Public-Private Partnership (PPP) concessions. The framework aims to unlock <b data-path-to-node="10,2,0" data-index-in-node="285">₹1.2 trillion in capital between FY26 and FY30</b>, aligning with Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047 targets to scale national port capacity from 2,800 MTPA to 10,000 MTPA.</p></li><li><p data-path-to-node="10,3,0"><b data-path-to-node="10,3,0" data-index-in-node="0">Major vs. Non-Major Port Baseline:</b> The forecast follows an operational FY26 where India’s major state-run ports handled <b data-path-to-node="10,3,0" data-index-in-node="120">915 MMT</b> (up ~7% YoY), led by strong POL (+16%) and coal (+21%) surges. In contrast, non-major ports grew by a modest 1.4% YoY to <b data-path-to-node="10,3,0" data-index-in-node="249">753 MMT</b>, though fertilizer imports saw a sharp 52% rebound.</p></li></ul>