Kolkata Port Trust
| Port of Kolkata কলকাতা বন্দর |
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Hinterland of Kolkata Port
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| Location | |
| Country |
 India |
| Location | Kolkata, West Bengal, India |
| Details | |
| Opened | 1870 |
| Operated by | Kolkata Port Trust |
| Owned by | Kolkata Port Trust, Ministry of Shipping, Government of India |
| Type of harbor | Coastal breakwater, riverine, large seaport |
| Main trades | Automobiles, motorcycles and general industrial cargo including iron ore, granite, coal, fertilizers, petroleum products, and containers Major exports: Iron ore, leather, cotton textiles Major imports: Wheat, raw cotton, machinery, iron & steel |
| Statistics | |
| Annual cargo tonnage | 39.928 million tonnes (2012-13) |
| Annual container volume | 630,000 TEUs(2014-15) |
| Passenger traffic | 40,349 (2012-13) |
| Annual revenue | ₹1,242.23 crore (US$190 million) |
| Net income | ₹70.24 crore (US$11 million) |
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Website www |
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The Port of Kolkata is a riverine port in the city of Kolkata, India, located around 203 kilometres (126 mi) from the sea. It is the oldest operating port in India, and was constructed by the British East India Company.
The Port has two distinct dock systems - Kolkata Docks at Kolkata and a deep water dock at Haldia Dock Complex, Haldia.
In the 19th century Kolkata Port was the premier port in British India. After independence its importance decreased because of factors including the Partition of Bengal (1905), reduction in size of the port hinterland and economic stagnation in eastern India.
It has a vast hinterland comprising the entire North East of India including West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Assam, North East Hill States and two landlocked neighbouring countries namely, Nepal and Bhutan and also the Autonomous Region of Tibet (China). With the turn of the century the volume of throughput has again started increasing steadily.
Kolkata Port was established by the British East India Company after the company received trading rights from the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb.
Following the shift of power from the company to the British crown, a port commission was set up in 1870. Though the port was conceived to be a commercial port and gateway of eastern India, the port played a very important role in the Second World War. It was bombed twice by the Japanese forces. After independence, the Commissioners for the Port of Kolkata were responsible for the port till January 1975 when Major Port Trusts Act, 1963, came into force. The Port is now run by a Board of Trustees having representatives from the Government, Trade Bodies, various Port Users, Labour Unions and some nominated members.
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