As cargo surges, bottlenecks shift beyond India's port gates: Experts

With cargo volumes rising steadily, industry experts say India's next logistics challenge lies beyond ports, requiring stronger hinterland connectivity and multimodal evacuation systems

Even as India’s ports improve capacity and operational efficiency, a recent congestion incident at the country’s largest container gateway, Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA), has highlighted a new challenge: moving cargo efficiently beyond the port gates.

 

Recent disruptions at JNPA were marked by severe delays in container evacuation amid shortages of drivers and trailers, leading to long truck queues and cargo congestion outside the port, even as terminal operations remained largely functional.

 

The disruption at JNPA was less a consequence of inadequate port capacity than of bottlenecks in the hinterland logistics ecosystem, according to transporters, logistics companies, and industry experts. These include shortages of trailer drivers, congestion on approach roads, delays at container freight stations (CFSs) and empty container yards, inadequate parking facilities, and heavy dependence on road transport.

 

“The recent congestion at JNPA appears to be primarily a landside logistics issue rather than a port-capacity constraint,” said Vijay Agrawal, managing director (MD) and sector lead for infrastructure at Equirus Capital. He said terminal operations remained normal, while container evacuation lagged due to trailer and driver shortages, reflecting a logistics infrastructure struggling to keep pace with cargo growth.

 

This comes at a time when India’s trade volumes continue to rise. India’s major ports handled a record 915.17 million tonnes of cargo in 2025-26 (FY26), while JNPA handled a record 7.94 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in calendar year (CY) 2025. Experts say the growth is shifting pressure from ports to evacuation infrastructure.

 

Kailas Pingle, president of Maharashtra Rajya Motor Malak Sanghatana, a state-level trade union and welfare association representing commercial vehicle owners, said vehicles arriving at empty container yards often remain on standby for up to six hours, and sometimes even a day, instead of the ideal turnaround time of less than two hours.

 

He credited the congestion to driver shortages, inadequate facilities for drivers, and operational inefficiencies at empty container yards and CFSs. “Drivers do not get basic facilities. There are no proper hospitals in the port area, not even decent canteens. Things have not changed since the port’s inception. That is also a reason why drivers are not coming here,” Pingle said.

 

An executive at an import CFS said the large number of privately operated empty container yards and limited parking had resulted in long queues. Driver shortages in May pushed import cargo pendency to 12-15 days before conditions began easing, the executive said. A driver said that travelling 7 kilometres could take three hours due to congestion and damaged roads.

 

JNPA did not respond to Business Standard’s queries until the time of going to press.

 

According to Suresh Kumar R, MD at Allcargo Terminals, India has already invested extensively in world-class port infrastructure, and the next phase should focus on strengthening the logistics ecosystem through multimodal connectivity, rail infrastructure, modern CFSs, inland container depots, and intelligent traffic management systems.

 

Industry participants said the pressures are not unique to JNPA. Based on Allcargo Terminals’ experience of operating CFSs across major gateway ports, including JNPA, Mundra, Chennai, and Kolkata, the recent congestion was largely concentrated at the major west coast ports, particularly JNPA and Mundra. A key contributing factor was the disruption to global shipping schedules arising from the geopolitical situation in West Asia.

 

At the same time, an executive at the Mumbai Port Authority, which operates a state-owned port in South Mumbai, said there were no congestion issues at the port because around 80 per cent of its operations are offshore and vehicles are allowed only at night owing to the port’s proximity to residential areas.

 

Industry experts, however, cautioned against viewing the JNPA incident as evidence of inadequate port infrastructure. According to Anurag Gupta, partner (transportation and logistics consulting) at Deloitte India, the challenge today lies in strengthening the evacuation chain connecting ports with the hinterland, as delays in inland movement reduce operational flexibility even when berth infrastructure remains adequate.

 

According to Akshay R Shetty, equity research analyst at Mirae Asset Sharekhan, road transport currently accounts for nearly 20,000 TEUs a day at JNPA, compared with around 2,000 TEUs moved by rail, making trailer and driver availability critical. Increasing rail evacuation through improved Dedicated Freight Corridor connectivity could gradually reduce dependence on road transport over the coming years, he said.

 

While ports across India do experience periodic congestion during periods of high demand, the recent situation at JNPA was the result of a unique convergence of global and local factors rather than a broader pan-Indian trend.

 

Aditya Shah, executive director of logistics firm V-Trans (India) and chief executive officer (CEO) of V-Xpress, said customers had experienced delivery delays and higher logistics costs because of extended waiting times and slower cargo evacuation. However, according to Kuljit Singh, partner and national infrastructure leader at EY India, greater rail connectivity and the development of Vadhavan Port would help ease long-term evacuation constraints.

 

Other experts Business Standard spoke to called for broader operational streamlining. Dhruv Taneja, founder and global CEO of MatchLog Solutions, said stronger coordination across ports, shipping lines, transporters, and container yards is needed. According to Yash Parekh, director of Parekh Global, roads, rail, and evacuation systems must keep pace with cargo growth.

 

Industry stakeholders also believe greater technology-led coordination across ports, shipping lines, transporters, CFSs, and container yards will be critical to improving throughput and reducing empty container movements.

 

Next port of call

• Cargo wave: Major ports handled 915.17 mt in FY26; JNPA moved 7.94 million TEUs in CY 2025
• New chokepoint ashore: Driver shortages, CFS delays, and road congestion slowed evacuation
• Roads carry the load: JNPA moves 20,000 TEUs/day by road versus 2,000 TEUs/day by rail
• West coast strain: JNPA and Mundra faced congestion amid shipping disruptions
• Charting next course: Rail links, multimodal networks, and digital coordination