Madurai: V O Chidambaranar (VOC) Port, located in Tuticorin, handled 35.97 million tonnes of cargo during the April 2025–Jan 2026 period, a 6% rise compared with 33.94 million tonnes handled during the same period the previous fiscal.The port also claimed to have handled its highest-ever cargo of 4 million tonnes in a single month in January 2026, bettering the previous record of 3.95 million tonnes handled in March 2024. In the first 10 months of FY26, the port witnessed significant growth in cargo handling across major commodities, with industrial coal recording growth of 12.78%, construction materials 92.10%, rock phosphate 12.65%, fertilisers 40.12%, fertiliser raw materials 11.51%, and edible oil 17.52%, according to a statement. The port recorded a 9.40% increase in container traffic, with the two container terminals handling 7,16,105 TEUs, compared with 6,54,590 TEUs handled in the year-ago period. Susanta Kumar Purohit, Chairperson of the VOC Port Authority, said the port would continue to prioritise infrastructure development, ease of doing business, digitisation and green initiatives to reinforce its position as a key driver of maritime trade and economic growth in the region. The port’s performance in FY26 was boosted by strategic infrastructure enhancements, including additional harbour mobile cranes, operationalisation of North Cargo Berth-III, induction of the fourth high-power tug, and expanded cargo storage facilities, which improved cargo-handling efficiency and ship turnaround time.
