CM Majhi Hails Paradip Port's 'Mega Port' Status Under New Act
Synopsis
Paradip Port in Odisha has been designated India's only eastern-coast Mega Port under the Indian Ports Act, 2025. CM Mohan Charan Majhi hailed the milestone as a boost to investment, logistics, and Odisha's maritime economy, crediting PM Modi and Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal for the recognition.
Key Takeaways
Paradip Port has been designated a 'Mega Port' under the Indian Ports Act, 2025 — the only such port on India's eastern coast.
The port is located in Jagatsinghpur district, Odisha , and handles bulk cargo including coal, iron ore, and petroleum products .
CM Mohan Charan Majhi credited PM Narendra Modi and Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal for securing the designation.
The Mega Port status is part of a tiered performance-based classification framework introduced under the Indian Ports Act, 2025 , building on the Sagarmala Project (2015) and the Major Port Authorities Act, 2021 .
The designation is expected to strengthen Odisha's capacity to attract industrial investment and improve multimodal logistics connectivity.
Paradip's elevation positions it as a key node in India's strategy to develop the eastern seaboard as a trade gateway to Southeast Asia .
India's eastern seaboard just got a new anchor. Paradip Port in Odisha has been designated a 'Mega Port' under the Indian Ports Act, 2025 — making it the only Mega Port on India's eastern coast and a landmark moment for the state's maritime ambitions. Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi welcomed the distinction on Saturday, 26 September 2026, calling it 'a proud moment for every Odia.'
The Only Mega Port Facing the Bay of Bengal
The designation is not a ceremonial title. Under the new Indian Ports Act framework, Mega Port status signals a performance-based categorisation that comes with implications for investment priority, logistics integration, and multimodal connectivity. Paradip, situated in Jagatsinghpur district on Odisha's coast, handles bulk cargo including coal, iron ore, and petroleum products — making it one of the most strategically loaded ports on the country's eastern flank.
That Paradip is now the sole eastern-coast port to carry this designation puts it in a class of its own along the Bay of Bengal littoral — the stretch increasingly viewed as India's commercial gateway to Southeast Asia.
From Sagarmala to the 2025 Act: How This Moment Was Built
The policy architecture behind this recognition stretches back over a decade. The Sagarmala Project, launched in 2015, set the template for port-led coastal development and the creation of economic zones along India's coastline. The Major Port Authorities Act, 2021 then replaced the colonial-era 1963 Port Trusts Act, granting ports greater operational autonomy. The Indian Ports Act, 2025 now layers a tiered classification system on top — with Mega Port status reserved for facilities demonstrating robust capacity, infrastructure depth, and operational throughput.
Paradip's elevation under that framework is, in effect, the culmination of a decade-long federal investment in eastern coast infrastructure.
What CM Majhi Is Betting On
Chief Minister Majhi framed the recognition squarely in terms of economic opportunity — investment attraction, logistics strengthening, and job creation for Odisha's people. He expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for 'visionary leadership' and to Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, the minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways, for pushing the designation through.
The CM linked the port's new status to the broader 'Viksit Bharat' vision — the central government's flagship development framework targeting a developed India by 2047. For Odisha, a state that has historically exported raw materials but sought to move up the value chain, Mega Port status offers a platform to attract industries that depend on competitive coastal logistics.
Stakeholders in Odisha's steel, aluminium, and energy sectors — all heavy users of bulk cargo movement — stand to benefit directly from any infrastructure upgrades that follow the designation.
Eastern Seaboard, Rising Stakes
The broader context matters here. India's National Logistics Policy targets a sharp reduction in logistics costs as a share of GDP, and integrating major ports into multimodal freight corridors is central to that goal. The eastern seaboard, long in the shadow of the western coast's Jawaharlal Nehru Port and Mundra, is steadily asserting itself — and Paradip's Mega Port tag is a concrete signal of where federal priority is pointing.
Capacity expansion projects and fresh investment proposals under the updated port legislation are now widely anticipated, as is the possibility of state-level maritime summits to convert the recognition into on-the-ground momentum.
Paradip has long been a workhorse. Now, officially, it is something more — and Odisha intends to make that count.
Point of View
The announcement is politically valuable: it lets a BJP state government claim a tangible infrastructure win tied directly to the Modi government's Viksit Bharat narrative, just as Odisha seeks to shed its image as a raw-material exporter and attract downstream industry. The timing also reinforces the Centre's deliberate pivot toward the eastern seaboard, where trade routes to Southeast Asia are growing in strategic and commercial weight. Whether the designation translates into measurable capacity additions and investment inflows will be the real test of its significance.
NationPress
26 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Mega Port under the Indian Ports Act, 2025?
Under the Indian Ports Act, 2025, Mega Port is a performance-based tier of classification for ports that demonstrate substantial cargo-handling capacity, advanced infrastructure, and operational strength. Paradip Port in Odisha is the first and only port on India's eastern coast to receive this designation.
Why is Paradip Port important for Odisha?
Paradip Port is Odisha's primary maritime gateway, handling bulk cargo such as coal, iron ore, and petroleum products. Its Mega Port designation is expected to attract industrial investment, improve logistics connectivity, and create economic opportunities across the state.
Who is responsible for the Mega Port designation of Paradip?
The designation falls under the jurisdiction of the Union Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, headed by Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal . Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been credited by CM Majhi for the broader policy direction enabling the recognition.
What is the Sagarmala Project and how does it relate to Paradip?
The Sagarmala Project, launched in 2015, is a central government initiative to promote port-led development and coastal economic zones. Paradip has been a key beneficiary of the project's eastern-coast investments, which laid the infrastructure groundwork for its Mega Port designation.
What does Paradip Port's Mega Port status mean for trade with Southeast Asia?
Paradip's location on the Bay of Bengal makes it a natural departure point for trade routes to Southeast Asia. Mega Port status is expected to accelerate integration with multimodal freight corridors, supporting India's National Logistics Policy goals and boosting eastern seaboard commerce.
