Quick answer: Jawaharlal Nehru Port, commonly called JNPT or Nhava Sheva, is a major container port at Sheva in Uran taluka, Raigad district. Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority, or JNPA, administers the port under a landlord model, with private operators running its container terminals. It is a secured working port, not a sightseeing spot. Public walk-in access is not available.
JNPA is the port authority. Customs at the port is a different body, the Jawaharlal Nehru Custom House (JNCH), which belongs to the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs. JNPA’s contact page sends queries about the AD code, OTDI and ICEGATE to JNCH, not to the port authority. This page explains the port: where it sits, its terminals, how roads and rail reach it, the JNPA SEZ and who can visit. If you are an importer or exporter who needs an IEC, an ICEGATE account or the customs steps, use the IEC registration and JNPA clearance guide.
Reading the numbers. One standard 20-foot container is one TEU (twenty-foot equivalent unit) and a standard 40-foot container is two, so TEU throughput is not the number of containers. This page keeps four things apart: the port (the physical facilities), JNPA (the authority that runs it), TEU capacity (what a terminal can handle in a year, a potential) and TEU throughput (what was actually handled in a stated period).
JNPT or JNPA: what is the port called?
JNPA’s website calls the body the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority. The older name was Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust, which is where JNPT comes from. The Major Port Authorities Act, 2021 applies to the “Jawaharlal Nehru (Nhava Sheva)” major port and repealed the Major Port Trusts Act, 1963 (see the Gazette text of the Act, copy hosted by PRS Legislative Research). JNPA’s SEZ page still shows “Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust” as the trade name on its GST registration, so JNPT, JNPA, Nhava Sheva and JN Port all turn up for the same place. Nhava Sheva is the locality. “JN Port” is JNPA’s own short form.
Where the port is
The port is at Sheva, in Uran taluka of Raigad district, on the eastern shore of Mumbai harbour. JNPA’s contact page gives its administrative office as Admin Building, Sheva, Uran, Raigad 400 707. That is an office address, not automatically a terminal gate, so confirm the gate you need before anyone travels.
JNPA’s overview page describes the port as being “in Navi Mumbai”, and “Navi Mumbai” is also used in regional descriptions of the area. Whether a given address counts as Navi Mumbai depends on the boundary you mean. The areas in Navi Mumbai guide explains how Uran town, Uran taluka and CIDCO’s Navi Mumbai project area differ, and What is Navi Mumbai? covers the wider picture. In letters and forms, use the Sheva, Uran, Raigad address that JNPA publishes.
JNPA at a glance
| Item | What JNPA says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Commissioned | 26 May 1989 | JNPA overview page |
| Model | Described as the country’s first 100% landlord major port. JNPA owns the land and private operators run the terminals. | JNPA overview page |
| Container terminals | Five: NSFT, NSICT, GTI, BMCT and NSIGT (named in full below) | JNPA terminals page |
| Other facilities | A coastal berth, a shallow-water general cargo berth run by Nhava Sheva Distribution Terminal Pvt. Ltd. (NSDT), and liquid cargo berths | JNPA overview page |
| Administrative office and helpline | Admin Building, Sheva, Uran, Raigad 400 707. Helpline 1800 22 8282, 8 AM to 8 PM. | JNPA contact page |
The five container terminals
Each figure below is a stated capacity, not what the terminal handled. The source is named against each one, and the figures are not added together.
| Terminal | Operator | Capacity as stated | Where it is stated |
|---|---|---|---|
| NSFT: Nhava Sheva Free Port Terminal | Nhava Sheva Free Port Terminal Pvt. Ltd., a joint venture of J. M. Baxi and CMA Terminals | 1.8 million TEUs | JNPA terminals page |
| NSICT: Nhava Sheva International Container Terminal | DP World (listed by DP World as DP World Nhava Sheva International Container Terminal) | 1.2 million TEUs full capacity | DP World infrastructure page |
| GTI: Gateway Terminals India, also known as APM Terminals Mumbai | JNPA describes it as a joint venture of APM Terminals and CONCOR | 1.8 million TEUs a year, labelled design capacity | JNPA terminals page. APM Terminals’ Mumbai page names the terminal but does not give a capacity. |
| BMCT: Bharat Mumbai Container Terminals, branded PSA Mumbai | Bharat Mumbai Container Terminals Pvt. Ltd., part of PSA | 4.8 million TEUs a year after Phase 2 | PSA Mumbai terminal page and PSA news release of 4 September 2025 |
| NSIGT: Nhava Sheva (India) Gateway Terminal | DP World | 0.9 million TEUs full capacity. JNPA’s terminals page lists 0.8 million TEUs as design capacity. | DP World infrastructure page; JNPA terminals page |
- BMCT. PSA’s news release records the Phase 2 inauguration on 4 September 2025, with 4.8 million TEUs of annual capacity and 2,000 metres of continuous quay. PSA’s terminal page repeats the capacity and quay length. Phase 1 opened earlier, and JNPA’s history page records the fourth container terminal being inaugurated in 2018. That is the ceremony date, not the date a berth first handled ships.
- NSICT history. JNPA’s history page records NSICT as India’s first privatised container terminal, commissioned in 1999 by a consortium led by P&O Ports, Australia. It is run by DP World today.
- Names on reports. JNPA’s monthly performance report labels Gateway Terminals India as APMT. Terminal names and operators change over time, so ask your shipping line or customs broker in writing which terminal and gate your container uses.
Capacity and throughput are different things. JNPA’s operating profile shows BMCT handling about 2.69 million TEUs in FY 2025-26, while PSA’s page says 2.6 million TEUs for calendar year 2025. Those are throughput for two different periods and are not comparable with each other or with the capacity figure.
Liquid cargo is handled separately from containers. JNPA’s liquid terminal page describes an existing twin-berth liquid cargo jetty operated by BPCL, and two additional liquid cargo berths (LB03 and LB04) that JNPA built and for which it signed a concession with JSW JNPT Liquid Terminal Private Limited in April 2024.
What the port handles
JNPA publishes its traffic in its performance reports. The latest completed financial year is FY 2025-26, which ran from April 2025 to March 2026.
| Period | Containers handled | Total cargo | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2025-26 (latest completed year) | 8.17 million TEUs (8,173,276), up 11.94% on 7.30 million TEUs in FY 2024-25 | 102.01 million tonnes | JNPA operating performance profile; PIB release of 30 May 2026 |
| April to September 2026 (six months of FY 2026-27, year to date) | 4,661,517 TEUs | 56.26 million tonnes | JNPA performance highlights |
| September 2026 (one month) | 834,697 TEUs | 9.90 million tonnes | JNPA performance highlights |
- The six-month figure covers half a year, so it should not be read against the full-year total as growth.
- By rail: in FY 2025-26 JNPA reports 1,152,381 TEUs moved through 6,531 rakes. From April to September 2026 it reports 3,446 rakes carrying 590,004 TEUs.
- The performance highlights and operating performance profile pages carry the current numbers.
Road links to the port
Route numbers around the port have changed, so the table uses the current names JNPA gives on its SEZ page and adds the older name only where JNPA itself pairs them. Check signboards and your transporter’s route, because the road, the gate and the vehicle class all affect the journey.
| Road | What JNPA says |
|---|---|
| NH 348 (old NH-4B) | JNPA’s SEZ page says it connects the port to the Sion to Panvel highway, the Mumbai to Pune Expressway and NH 4. JNPA’s road page describes it as the road that carries the heavy container traffic. |
| NH 348A (old SH-54) | Abuts the SEZ and connects to Navi Mumbai. JNPA’s road page says the stretch connects Uran to Panvel and that many container yards sit along it. |
| Aamra Marg (also written Amra Marg) | JNPA’s road page says it starts on the Sion to Panvel highway, passes Belapur, Nerul and Ulwe, and ends on the Uran to Panvel road. JNPA calls it an important link between northern and southern Navi Mumbai and the port. |
Atal Setu. The Prime Minister’s Office release of 12 January 2024 describes the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Sewri to Nhava Sheva Atal Setu as about 21.8 km long with six lanes, and says it improves connectivity between Mumbai Port and Jawaharlal Nehru Port. JNPA’s SEZ page lists a Mumbai Trans Harbour Link interchange at Chirle. For current rates and rules, see the Atal Setu toll guide and the Navi Mumbai toll plaza guide, and confirm the toll for your vehicle class before you quote a buyer.
Rail links: freight and passengers
Freight rail connections
- Jasai lead line. JNPA’s rail access page says the port connects to Indian Railways through a lead line to Jasai station, on the Panvel to Uran branch of Central Railway’s Mumbai division, 9 km from the port. The rail system inside the port is operated and maintained by Indian Railways.
- Terminal rail yards. JNPA’s ease of doing business page says the port can handle Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC) rakes at BMCT and that a common rail yard inside the port serves DFC rakes for the other terminals. PSA’s Mumbai page lists six DFC-compliant rail tracks at its terminal.
- Western DFC. PIB’s Year End Review 2025 (28 December 2025) listed the 102 km Vaitarna to JNPT section as still in progress. The Prime Minister’s Office release of 7 September 2026 named the New Saphale to New JNPT section among three Western DFC sections to be dedicated on 8 September, and said freight services would be flagged off from stations including New JNPT, Mumbai. JICA’s release of 8 September 2026 reports the dedication and says the 1,506 km Western DFC between Dadri and JNPT is complete and fully operational.
Three things are easy to mix up here: a terminal yard that can take DFC-compatible trains, a finished rail connection, and a train service that actually runs to your terminal on a schedule. The sources above cover the first two. For the third, ask your rail operator and terminal which services run to the terminal you use.
Passengers and authorised visits. Passenger rail services serve the surrounding Uran corridor, and the Mumbai local train guide covers the Uran line. They do not give public entry into the port. If you have an approved visit, ask your host which station and onward route suit your approved destination.
CFS, DPD and DPE: how containers leave and enter
- CFS (container freight station): a facility outside the terminal where containers have traditionally gone for customs formalities. JNPA’s CFS page lists 33 entries. That is the number on the page, not a count of facilities available for a particular shipment.
- DPD (Direct Port Delivery): delivery of eligible import containers directly from the terminal after the applicable release requirements, rather than routine movement through a CFS. JNPA’s DPD page lists the customs public notices and registration steps.
- DPE (Direct Port Entry): direct entry of eligible export containers to the port under the applicable procedures. JNCH’s Public Notice 47 of 2017 compiles the earlier notices.
- Centralized Parking Plaza: a 45 hectare parking and documentation area for trucks carrying factory-stuffed export containers, operational from 26 October 2020 according to JNPA.
Eligibility for DPD or DPE, and what each costs, is for your customs broker, shipping line and terminal to confirm. The detailed rules are in the IEC and JNPA clearance guide.
JNPA SEZ
JNPA has developed a multi-product, port-based Special Economic Zone on its own land. JNPA’s SEZ page gives these details.
- Size: 277.38 hectares in total. The page identifies approximately 163 hectares as leasable land within the SEZ. Current unallotted plots and tender availability must be checked separately.
- Operational since and allotment: operational since 24 June 2020, with plots on a 60-year lease through an e-tender cum e-auction.
- Role of JNPA: the page describes JNPA as the developer and the Special Planning Authority for the SEZ, with its own Development Control and Promotion Regulations. That is how the page states it, and it does not mean JNPA performs every SEZ approval.
Tariffs, plot maps, policies and the SEZ contact are on the SEZ page. For allotment and approvals, deal with the SEZ cell. The general guide to starting a business in Navi Mumbai covers ordinary business registrations and is not a substitute for SEZ-specific approvals.
Who does what at the port
- JNPA: the port authority and landlord. It provides the common infrastructure and publishes tariffs and trade notices.
- JNCH: Customs. Assessment, examination and release of cargo, and customs broker licensing, sit here.
- CISF: the Central Industrial Security Force guards the port and issues entry passes under the port security plan.
Can the public visit the port?
Public walk-in access is not available. Approved business, institutional or other visits require arrangements through JNPA or the relevant host and the applicable entry permission.
JNPA’s security page says the Central Industrial Security Force posts at the port and issues entry passes for people and materials under the Port Facility Security Plan, in line with the international ISPS code. JNPA’s pass issue procedure page is written mainly for people with business at the port. It describes colour-coded, location-specific visitor passes, so a pass for one area may not cover another, and terminals and CFS premises also run their own gates. It says passes for foreigners need a recommendation from designated port officers with a copy of the passport and visa. It also authorises the Assistant Manager (Marketing) and the CPRO to recommend passes for official guests and school children, so those are recognised categories.
JNPA links an E-port Pass Management System from its home page, with sign-up options for visitors, contractors and institutes. JNPA’s pages do not set out the online application and approval steps or timelines, and registering on the portal does not guarantee admission. For any request, write to JNPA’s port visit desk at portvisit@jnport.gov.in or call the helpline on 1800 22 8282. Do not turn up at a gate without a pass.
Vadhvan: a separate project
Vadhvan is a separate port-development project near Dahanu in Palghar district. The Prime Minister’s Office release of 30 August 2024 records the foundation stone being laid on that date. JNPA’s Vadhvan page describes it as a proposed deep-draft port, with JNPA holding 74 per cent and the Maharashtra Maritime Board 26 per cent. A foundation stone does not mean the port is operating. For the airport side of regional cargo and travel, see the Navi Mumbai airport guide.
What to check before you rely on this
- Which terminal and which gate your container uses. Get it in writing from the shipping line or broker.
- The vessel’s cut-off and any port notice that applies. JNPA posts them on its circular and trade notices page.
- Which freight rail services actually run to your terminal, if your plan involves a DFC train.
- The entry permission and pass type, before anyone travels to a gate.
- Allotment, tariff and plot details with the JNPA SEZ cell.
Sources and dates
Sources as read on 8 October 2026. JNPA: the overview, terminals, liquid terminal, road access, rail access, ease of doing business, SEZ, contact, pass issue procedure, security, performance highlights, operating performance profile, history, CFS, Direct Port Delivery, Vadhvan and circular and trade notices pages, and the E-port pass system. Terminal operators: PSA’s Mumbai terminal page and news release of 4 September 2025, DP World’s NSICT and NSIGT infrastructure pages, and APM Terminals Mumbai. Government sources: the Prime Minister’s Office releases of 12 January 2024, 30 August 2024 and 7 September 2026, PIB’s Year End Review 2025 (28 December 2025) and release of 30 May 2026, JICA’s release of 8 September 2026, the Jawaharlal Nehru Custom House website with its Public Notice 47 of 2017, and the Major Port Authorities Act, 2021. Capacities, schedules, passes and rules change, so confirm with JNPA, JNCH, the terminal operator and the shipping line before you rely on them. This page is general information and not legal, customs or travel advice. NaviMumbai.com is an independent information site and is not affiliated with JNPA, JNCH, CISF, DFCCIL, any terminal operator or any CFS named here.
For air cargo and shipment planning beyond the port, see our cargo and logistics guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is JNPT the same as Nhava Sheva port?
Yes. JNPT is the older name, Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust. The port is now administered by the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA), and Nhava Sheva is the locality. People use JNPT, JNPA, Nhava Sheva and JN Port for the same place.
Is JNPT in Navi Mumbai, Uran or Raigad?
The port is at Sheva in Uran taluka, Raigad district, on the eastern shore of Mumbai harbour, and JNPA’s administrative address is Sheva, Uran, Raigad 400 707. JNPA’s overview page also describes it as in Navi Mumbai, and the name Navi Mumbai is used in regional descriptions. Use the address JNPA publishes when you write to it.
What is a TEU?
A TEU is a twenty-foot equivalent unit. One standard 20-foot container is one TEU and a standard 40-foot container is two, so TEU throughput is not the number of containers. Capacity is what a terminal can handle in a year, and throughput is what it handled in a stated period.
How many container terminals does JNPT have?
JNPA’s terminals page lists five: NSFT, NSICT, GTI (Gateway Terminals India, also known as APM Terminals Mumbai), BMCT (Bharat Mumbai Container Terminals, branded PSA Mumbai) and NSIGT. Each is run by a private operator under JNPA’s landlord model. Ask your shipping line which one handles your container.
How much cargo does JNPT handle?
JNPA reports 8.17 million TEUs and 102.01 million tonnes of total cargo for FY 2025-26, its latest completed financial year. For April to September 2026, a six-month year-to-date period, it shows 4,661,517 TEUs and 56.26 million tonnes. The two periods are different lengths and should not be compared as growth.
How do I reach JNPT?
First confirm the office or terminal gate you need and obtain the required permission. Passenger rail services serve the surrounding Uran corridor, but they do not provide public entry into the port. Ask your host which station and onward route suit your approved destination.
Can the public visit JNPT?
Public walk-in access is not available. Approved business, institutional or other visits require arrangements through JNPA or the relevant host and the applicable entry permission. Write to portvisit@jnport.gov.in or call 1800 22 8282 before you plan any visit.
What is the JNPA SEZ?
It is a port-based multi-product Special Economic Zone on 277.38 hectares of JNPA land, operational since 24 June 2020 according to JNPA. The page identifies approximately 163 hectares as leasable land, with plots leased for 60 years through an e-tender cum e-auction. Current unallotted plots and tender availability must be checked separately with the SEZ cell.
Who handles customs at JNPT, and where do I register as an importer or exporter?
Customs is handled by the Jawaharlal Nehru Custom House (JNCH), not by JNPA. DGFT issues the IEC. The step-by-step process is in the IEC registration and JNPA clearance guide on this site. Your customs broker and JNCH can confirm what applies to your goods.
