Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port Records 5.1% Cargo Growth in April–October, Container Traffic Up 8%

Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port, Kolkata handled 40.527 million tonnes of cargo during April–October 2026, a 5.10% increase over the same period last year. Container traffic rose 7.98% to 587,399 TEUs, with Kolkata Dock System recording a 15.83% surge in October alone. The port also received its first shipment of quick lime from the UAE at Haldia, a new cargo category for the steel industry.

<p class="ds-markdown-paragraph" style="margin: 16px 0px; color: rgb(15, 17, 21); font-family: quote-cjk-patch, Inter, system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Open Sans", "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port, Kolkata has reported a 5.10% year-on-year increase in cargo handling for the April–October 2026 period, with total throughput reaching 40.527 million tonnes compared with 38.562 million tonnes in the corresponding period of the previous financial year . The growth was driven by both dock systems under the port's jurisdiction, with Haldia Dock Complex handling 29.752 million tonnes (up 5.28%) and Kolkata Dock System contributing 10.775 million tonnes (up 4.58%) .<a href="https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2332026&reg=48&lang=2" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" aria-label="7" style="color: rgb(57, 100, 254); transition: box-shadow 0.2s cubic-bezier(0.4, 0, 0.2, 1); border-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border-width: 2px 3px; margin-left: -3px; margin-right: -3px; text-decoration: none; position: relative;"></a><a href="https://www.maritimegateway.com/syama-prasad-mookerjee-port-kolkata-handles-40-52-mmt-cargo-records-5-1-growth-in-april-october-2026/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" aria-label="23" style="color: rgb(57, 100, 254); transition: box-shadow 0.2s cubic-bezier(0.4, 0, 0.2, 1); border-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border-width: 2px 3px; margin-left: -3px; margin-right: -3px; text-decoration: none; position: relative;"></a><p class="ds-markdown-paragraph" style="margin: 16px 0px; color: rgb(15, 17, 21); font-family: quote-cjk-patch, Inter, system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Open Sans", "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Container traffic recorded a stronger performance than bulk cargo. The port handled 587,399 TEUs during April–October 2026, an increase of 7.98% over the 543,982 TEUs recorded in the same period last year . Kolkata Dock System handled 454,310 TEUs, up 7.51%, while Haldia Dock Complex processed 133,089 TEUs, recording a higher growth rate of 9.64% . The October figures were particularly notable, with Kolkata Dock System alone handling 64,224 TEUs, a 15.83% increase over October 2025 .<a href="https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2332026&reg=48&lang=2" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" aria-label="7" style="color: rgb(57, 100, 254); transition: box-shadow 0.2s cubic-bezier(0.4, 0, 0.2, 1); border-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border-width: 2px 3px; margin-left: -3px; margin-right: -3px; text-decoration: none; position: relative;"></a><a href="https://www.maritimegateway.com/syama-prasad-mookerjee-port-kolkata-handles-40-52-mmt-cargo-records-5-1-growth-in-april-october-2026/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" aria-label="23" style="color: rgb(57, 100, 254); transition: box-shadow 0.2s cubic-bezier(0.4, 0, 0.2, 1); border-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border-width: 2px 3px; margin-left: -3px; margin-right: -3px; text-decoration: none; position: relative;"></a><p class="ds-markdown-paragraph" style="margin: 16px 0px; color: rgb(15, 17, 21); font-family: quote-cjk-patch, Inter, system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Open Sans", "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">The port's chairman, Rathendra Raman, attributed the container growth to operational improvements rather than favourable market conditions alone. The induction of additional cranes for vessel operations by both private berth operators and the port itself, along with the deployment of a floating crane for container handling at Diamond Harbour anchorage, helped attract more cargo and reduce dead freight on vessels . These are the kind of incremental operational fixes that determine whether a port can convert available demand into actual throughput.<a href="https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2332026&reg=48&lang=2" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" aria-label="7" style="color: rgb(57, 100, 254); transition: box-shadow 0.2s cubic-bezier(0.4, 0, 0.2, 1); border-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border-width: 2px 3px; margin-left: -3px; margin-right: -3px; text-decoration: none; position: relative;"></a><p class="ds-markdown-paragraph" style="margin: 16px 0px; color: rgb(15, 17, 21); font-family: quote-cjk-patch, Inter, system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Open Sans", "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">A new cargo category was introduced at Haldia during the period. The vessel MV ASIAN HONOR arrived on 1 November 2026 from Dibba, UAE, carrying 8,133 tonnes of quick lime and hydrated lime in bags . Quick lime is a critical input for the steel industry, used to clean steel, remove impurities, and form slag. The introduction of this cargo is expected to help the port attract more industrial traffic and support steel producers in eastern India .<a href="https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2332026&reg=48&lang=2" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" aria-label="7" style="color: rgb(57, 100, 254); transition: box-shadow 0.2s cubic-bezier(0.4, 0, 0.2, 1); border-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border-width: 2px 3px; margin-left: -3px; margin-right: -3px; text-decoration: none; position: relative;"></a><p class="ds-markdown-paragraph" style="margin: 16px 0px; color: rgb(15, 17, 21); font-family: quote-cjk-patch, Inter, system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Open Sans", "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">For the eastern Indian logistics ecosystem, SMP Kolkata's performance is a reminder that the port remains a significant gateway despite the dominance of western ports in container traffic. The port serves the industrial belt of West Bengal, Jharkhand, and Bihar, and its cargo mix includes coal, iron ore, steel, and increasingly, containerised goods. The 5.1% growth rate is modest compared with the double-digit increases recorded at JNPA and Adani Ports, but it reflects a steady expansion of capacity and operations rather than a surge driven by transshipment or specific commodity cycles.<p class="ds-markdown-paragraph" style="margin: 16px 0px; color: rgb(15, 17, 21); font-family: quote-cjk-patch, Inter, system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Open Sans", "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">The port has been investing in infrastructure and operational reforms to improve its competitive position. The deployment of additional cranes, the use of floating cranes at anchorage, and the digitisation of documentation through the 'One Port, One Process' initiative are part of a broader effort to reduce turnaround times and increase throughput . A proposed twin tunnel beneath the Hooghly river to connect the port with national highways, bypassing city traffic restrictions, is a longer-term project that could address the landside connectivity constraints that have historically limited the port's growth.<a href="https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2332026&reg=48&lang=2" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" aria-label="7" style="color: rgb(57, 100, 254); transition: box-shadow 0.2s cubic-bezier(0.4, 0, 0.2, 1); border-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border-width: 2px 3px; margin-left: -3px; margin-right: -3px; text-decoration: none; position: relative;"></a><a href="https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/logistics/more-cargo-for-smp-kolkata/article71601084.ece#1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" aria-label="29" style="color: rgb(57, 100, 254); transition: box-shadow 0.2s cubic-bezier(0.4, 0, 0.2, 1); border-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border-width: 2px 3px; margin-left: -3px; margin-right: -3px; text-decoration: none; position: relative;"></a><p class="ds-markdown-paragraph" style="margin: 16px 0px; color: rgb(15, 17, 21); font-family: quote-cjk-patch, Inter, system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Open Sans", "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Looking ahead, SMP Kolkata's ability to sustain its growth will depend on whether the industrial demand from its hinterland remains supportive and whether the operational improvements can continue to offset the inherent disadvantages of a riverine port with draft limitations. The quick lime shipment from the UAE is a small but symbolic addition to the cargo mix, indicating that the port is actively seeking new commodity flows rather than relying solely on traditional bulk cargoes. For the eastern region's shippers, the port's steady performance provides a reliable alternative to road transport for long-haul cargo, even if it does not compete with the western gateways for transshipment volumes.

Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port Records 5.1% Cargo Growth in April–October, Container Traffic Up 8%

Haulage Times Daily Intelligence