If you're shipping cargo in or out of India's west coast, you'll want to pay attention to what's happening at Mundra right now. Because India's largest container port is about to get a whole lot bigger – and frankly, it can't happen fast enough.
Adani Ports (APSEZ) is racing to finish its fifth container terminal (CT5) at Mundra, with operations now slated to begin in October. The initial annual capacity is set at 1 million TEUs, with phase two expected to push that to somewhere between 1.8 and 2 million TEUs. And here's the kicker – Adani is already planning a sixth terminal, with phase one targeted for 2028.
Why the rush? Simple: Mundra is bursting at the seams.
A Port Running on Empty – Literally
Mundra handled a combined 3.6 million TEUs in the first half of 2026, including volumes moved through DP World's facility. That's impressive growth – but it's also pushing the port's existing container-handling capacity and landside infrastructure to their absolute limits. Hinterland shippers have been feeling the strain for months, with severe inland congestion causing more than a few headaches.
MSC, for one, has been moving substantial transhipment volumes through Mundra, which is great for business but terrible for terminal space. When a port runs at over 80% capacity for too long, something's got to give.
The Competition Isn't Waiting Around
Here's where it gets interesting – and a bit worrying for Adani. Two major projects are brewing nearby that could siphon traffic away from Mundra.
First, there's DP World's US$550 million terminal at Tuna Tekra, near Kandla port, offering 2.2 million TEUs of capacity with a targeted start date of early 2027. Then there's the much-hyped Vadhavan port development off Nhava Sheva, which is still in the preliminary bidding stages but has everyone in the industry watching closely.
Industry sources reckon Mundra could see some traffic spill over to Tuna Tekra – especially from smaller carriers who can't secure flexible berthing windows at Mundra. And here's another twist: Mundra had been eating into Nhava Sheva's market share for years, but that trend might be reversing. PSA's phase two launch at JNPA added 2.4 million TEUs of capacity, and the new dedicated freight corridor has enabled regular double-stack container train services out of JNPA to northern India's inland depots.
What This Means for Your Supply Chain
So here's the question: if you're a shipper moving containers through this region, what does all this mean for you?
The short answer is that capacity is going to be tight – and possibly chaotic – for the next 12 to 18 months. New terminals take time to ramp up, and in the meantime, demand isn't slowing down. When ports get congested, vessels get delayed. When vessels get delayed, your cargo sits. And when your cargo sits, your supply chain costs go up.
This Is Where the Right Partner Makes All the Difference
At Xiamen AE Global, we've been navigating exactly this kind of disruption since 2018. We're a government-licensed company with IATA, FIATA, FMC, and NVOCC approvals – which means when a major port like Mundra hits capacity constraints, we don't just cross our fingers and hope for the best.
We have over 100 overseas agents worldwide, giving us real-time intelligence on alternative routing options. If Mundra is backed up, we're already talking to our partners about redirecting cargo through other gateways – whether that's Nhava Sheva, Tuna Tekra once it's online, or even a different country altogether if that's what it takes to keep your cargo moving.
Relationships That Deliver
Adani's own earnings statement highlights something we've always believed: "Our proven execution capabilities enable us to consistently deliver projects ahead of schedule". We take the same approach to freight forwarding. Strong carrier relationships are the difference between getting your container on a vessel and watching it get rolled. We leverage partnerships with major ocean carriers to secure priority space for our clients – even when capacity is tight and everyone's scrambling.
Visibility When You Need It Most
We've also invested heavily in technology that gives our clients real transparency into their shipments. When a port hits capacity constraints and your cargo is at risk of delay, you're not left wondering what happened. You know. And more importantly, we're already working on solutions.
Local Knowledge, Global Reach
Based in Xiamen – one of Asia's busiest port cities – we combine the global reach of an IATA and FIATA-approved forwarder with the local knowledge of a partner who's been shipping all kinds of goods for over a decade. We've moved more than 12,000 TEUs in a single year with a 98.6% on-time delivery rate for our SME clients. That's not luck – that's execution.
The Bottom Line
Mundra's fifth terminal can't come soon enough. But even when it does open, the Indian port sector is on the cusp of rapid infrastructure development, and cargo movement patterns will be shifting for years to come. The only certainty is uncertainty.
At Xiamen AE Global, we don't just move boxes – we turn complex cross-border logistics into smooth, predictable supply chains. Whether you're shipping full container loads or less-than-container loads across the Pacific, we've got the relationships, the technology, and the experience to get your cargo where it needs to go – on time and on budget.
Because in a market where everyone's racing to add capacity, having a partner who knows how to navigate the chaos isn't just helpful. It's essential.
Worried about port congestion derailing your supply chain? Contact Xiamen AE Global today for a personalised shipping solution that keeps your cargo moving – no matter what's happening at the dock.
