Indian ports today are not just gateways for cargo – they are development anchors, driving regional growth, empowering industries, generating employment, and shaping the nation’s destiny. This transformative role is rooted in India’s maritime heritage. During the Chola era, ports like Nagapattinam and Kaveripattinam were thriving centres of trade and culture, linking India with Southeast Asia and spreading language, art, and culture across the seas.
Chennai Port carried forward this legacy. What began in 1639 with the establishment of Fort St George as a modest trading outpost evolved into a man-made all-weather harbour by 1881, when the construction of protective breakwaters transformed the storm-battered coast of Madras into a safe and reliable maritime gateway.
Over the decades, strategic expansions such as the Jawahar Dock for bulk cargo, the Bharathi Dock for crude oil handling, and the commissioning of India’s first container terminal in 1983 have turned Chennai Port into a key driver of regional commerce and industrial growth, anchoring South India’s trade and logistics ecosystem.
Now entering its 144th year, Chennai Port is charting a new era of growth through five strategic verticals – Port Modernisation, Connectivity Enhancement, Sustainability, Coastal Community Development, and Global Trade Linkages.
Ports today are no longer just berthing points for ships - they are integrated logistics ecosystems. India has already made great progress – logistics costs, once around 14% of GDP, have dropped to 7.97%, as per the DPIIT-NCAER 2025 report – a testament to our improving efficiency.
Chennai Port is leading this transformation through key connectivity projects. The 20.93 km Chennai Port-Maduravoyal elevated corridor, with separate tiers for port-bound and city traffic, will provide a signal-free link to national highways by 2028, reducing congestion and cutting transit times. Complementing it, India’s first operational greenfield Multi-modal Logistics Park coming at Mappedu by 2026 will have warehousing, cold-chain, and container handling facilities, enabling seamless intermodal connectivity.
Under the Port Modernisation vertical, warehouses are being developed for sensitive cargo like cold-rolled steel coils, alongside open paved yards for project cargo such as wind turbine blades.
The Cruise Terminal is being upgraded to promote tourism. The buffer parking yard has reduced trailer transit times by eliminating congestion along EMRIP Road. An indigenous Vessel Traffic Management System, developed with NTCPWC, IIT Madras, is improving navigation safety. Since 2023, Chennai Port has also emerged as a bunkering hub on the east coast, with a dedicated berth supporting cleaner marine fuels. Under its Sustainability vertical, Chennai Port is advancing green initiatives in line with the
Harit Sagar Guidelines, including a 500 kW rooftop solar plant and an additional 2 MW rooftop solar project under implementation. Shore power supply has been introduced for naval vessels and port crafts, reducing emissions during berthing. Chennai Port is modernising the fishing harbour with an investment of Rs 116 crore with upgraded landing facilities, ship lifting facility, and hygienic auction halls to empower fishermen and Chennai’s blue economy.
Beyond its coastline, the Chennai-Vladivostok Eastern Maritime Corridor is set to redefine India’s trade connectivity, offering a route that is 45% shorter than the Mumbai-Saint Petersburg link and reducing transit time by up to 16 days. By linking India’s east coast with Russia’s far East, the corridor expands Chennai Port’s global trade reach and anchors India’s presence in the Indo-Pacific vision of shared growth.
Implementing such large-scale transformation requires collaboration between governments, industry, academia, and global partners. The India Maritime Week to be held from October 27-31 at NESCO, Mumbai embodies this spirit. With participation from over 100 countries and investment commitments worth nearly `10 lakh crore, IMW will catalyse partnerships that accelerate Chennai Port’s modernisation journey.
As India sails towards Maritime Vision 2047, Chennai Port stands as a symbol of continuity. Much like the tides it commands, its story flows from the past to the future carrying forward the promise of trade, prosperity, and progress for South India and beyond.
Connectivity projects
Chennai Port is leading this transformation through key connectivity projects. The 20.93 km Chennai Port-Maduravoyal elevated corridor, with separate tiers for port-bound and city traffic, will provide a signal-free link to national highways by 2028, reducing congestion and cutting transit times. Complementing it, India’s first operational greenfield Multi-modal Logistics Park coming up at Mappedu by 2026
(The author is an IAS officer, Deputy Chairperson of Chennai Port Authority and Managing Director of Maritime India Foundation)
