In India Ports are considered to be the gateway to India’s International trade by sea. Ports are responsible for over 90 percent of the foreign trade carried out in India. There are 12 Major Ports and 187 Intermediate Ports along the 7,517 Kms long coast line of the country. Some guidelines have been provided for the development of the Ports in India, namely, (a) Guidelines for Private Sector Participation in Ports through Joint Ventures and Foreign Collaborations, (b) Guidelines for Private Sector Participation in Major Ports to be followed by Major Port Trust, (c) Guidelines for Land Policy for Major Ports and (d) Regulations of Tariff by Tariff Authority for Major Ports. The Indian Ports Act, 1908 was legislated to consolidate the enactments relating to Ports and Port-charges. The National Maritime Development Programme of India has been formulated by the Department of Shipping to facilitate enhanced private investment, improve service quality and promote competitiveness and also aims at encouraging more investments in port projects.
