JNPA Container Throughput Hits Record 834,697 TEUs in September 2026

Summary

Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority handled a record 834,697 TEUs in September 2026, up 28.63% year on year and its second straight monthly high. First-half FY27 volumes rose 17.61% to 4.66 million TEUs, led by sharp gains at Nhava Sheva Freeport Terminal and Bharat Mumbai Container Terminals, while rail volumes stayed flat.

Article

Navi Mumbai: JNPA container throughput reached an all-time monthly high of 834,697 TEUs in September 2026, according to the port’s latest performance report. The figure is 28.63% higher than the 648,907 TEUs handled in September 2025 and edges past the previous record of 831,956 TEUs set in August 2026.

Total cargo handled during the month rose 18.39% to 9.90 million tonnes from 8.36 million tonnes a year earlier.

How did JNPA perform in the first half of FY27?

For April-September 2026, India’s largest container port handled 4,661,517 TEUs, an increase of 17.61% over 3,963,515 TEUs in the same period of 2025-26. Total cargo rose 13.36% to 56.26 million tonnes from 49.63 million tonnes.

Container cargo accounted for almost all of the growth. Container tonnage climbed 16.09% to 52.28 million tonnes in the half year, while bulk cargo fell 13.41% to 3.98 million tonnes. In September alone, bulk volumes dropped 17% to 0.73 million tonnes.

The first-half container volume already equals about 57% of the port’s full-year total for 2025-26.

Which terminals drove the growth?

Nhava Sheva Freeport Terminal (NSFT) was the standout performer. It handled 134,193 TEUs in September, more than double the 65,330 TEUs a year earlier and a terminal record that beat its August high of 123,876 TEUs. Its first-half volumes rose 123.46% to 707,242 TEUs.

NSFT is a 50:50 joint venture between CMA Terminals and JM Baxi Ports & Logistics, which won a 30-year concession in 2022 to modernise JNPA’s oldest terminal and began operating the upgraded facility in early 2023.

Bharat Mumbai Container Terminals (BMCT), operated by PSA International, remained the port’s largest terminal. It handled 301,573 TEUs in September, up 46.86%, and 1,582,117 TEUs in the half year, up 19.74%.

Gateway Terminals India, the APM Terminals and CONCOR joint venture, handled 211,157 TEUs in September, up 12.59%, and 1,187,822 TEUs in the first half, up 7.37%.

DP World’s two terminals showed mixed results. Nhava Sheva International Container Terminal (NSICT) recorded 99,582 TEUs in September, down 6.31%, with first-half volumes falling 8.22% to 603,254 TEUs. Nhava Sheva India Gateway Terminal (NSIGT) handled 85,375 TEUs, up 4.66%, and 562,591 TEUs for the half year, up 2.62%.

What happened to rail volumes?

Rail traffic did not keep pace with the overall surge. JNPA handled 577 container rakes in September, down 5.56% from 611, although rail TEUs rose 2.53% to 100,682. For the first half, rakes fell 5.23% to 3,446, while rail-borne containers were nearly flat at 590,004 TEUs, up just 0.30%.

As a result, rail’s share of the port’s container volumes eased to about 12.7% in the first half from roughly 14.8% a year earlier. The trend is notable given the completion of the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor, whose final 102-km link to JNPA saw trial runs on March 31, 2026.

How does this compare with earlier records?

The port’s monthly peaks have risen rapidly this year. JNPA’s previous monthly high before the current financial year was 747,060 TEUs in March 2026, which itself topped 737,682 TEUs recorded in January 2026.

In 2025-26, JNPA handled a record 102 million tonnes of cargo, including 8.17 million TEUs. Container volumes grew 11.94% that year, compared with 7.30 million TEUs in 2024-25.

Why does it matter?

The September record underlines JNPA’s central role in India’s EXIM trade, as the country’s merchandise exports post strong growth this fiscal. The sharp ramp-up at NSFT shows how added terminal capacity is being absorbed quickly, while flat rail volumes suggest landside evacuation capacity will remain a key focus for the port and its terminal operators.

FAQs

How many TEUs did JNPA handle in September 2026?

JNPA handled 834,697 TEUs in September 2026, its highest ever monthly throughput and 28.63% more than in September 2025.

What was JNPA’s container throughput in H1 FY27?

The port handled 4,661,517 TEUs between April and September 2026, up 17.61% year on year.

Which terminal grew the fastest?

Nhava Sheva Freeport Terminal, operated by a CMA Terminals and JM Baxi joint venture, more than doubled its first-half volumes to 707,242 TEUs.

Which is JNPA’s largest terminal by volume?

Bharat Mumbai Container Terminals, operated by PSA International, handled 1,582,117 TEUs in the first half of FY27.

How did rail traffic perform at JNPA?

Rail-borne containers were nearly flat at 590,004 TEUs in the first half, while the number of rakes fell 5.23% to 3,446.