Chennai: Chennai Port Authority crossed the 50 million tonnes (MMT) cargo handling mark for the financial year 2025-26 on Feb 12, achieving the milestone 18 days ahead of last year, officials said on Thursday.The port reached the same level on March 1 in the previous financial year, and the early target this year reflects improved operational efficiency and higher cargo throughput, according to an official release.Container traffic showed notable growth, with the port handling 1.67 million TEUs ((Twenty-foot Equivalent Units) up to Feb 11, surpassing last year’s total of 1.56 million TEUs, a rise of just over 7%.Of the 50 MMT handled so far this fiscal, containers accounted for 32.27 MMT, crude cargo 13 MMT, fertiliser 0.358 MMT, and other cargo 4.36 MMT.Officials said the performance comes despite stiff competition from neighbouring major and private ports. The authority attributed the growth to digitisation drives and process rationalisation measures aimed at improving transparency and ease of doing business.The port chairman thanked trade bodies, users, stakeholders, and employees, expressing confidence that cargo volumes will continue to grow through the rest of the financial year.
