Seven Ocean supplies marine fuel at all ten of India's top major ports — from Paradip on the Bay of Bengal to Kochi on the Arabian Sea. We are independent of any single refiner, which means we source across the major oil marketing companies, a leading Indian refiner, a major private port operator and the independent market to secure the best combination of price, availability and quality for every nomination.
India's major ports handled 855 million metric tonnes of cargo in FY 2024-25, a 4.3 percent increase year-on-year. Bunker fuel sales at Indian ports reached roughly 1.38 MTPA, with petroleum, oil and lubricants (POL) cargo alone making up 29.8 percent of total port throughput. The domestic bunker market is supplied by four dominant physical operators — a mix of state-owned oil marketing companies and a leading private-port bunker operator — who collectively serve roughly 85 percent of commercial bunker volume. The balance is handled by independent traders and regional specialists operating at major anchorages.
The Indian bunker market is supplied by a mix of state-owned oil marketing companies, a major private-port bunker operator, and independent regional specialists. Together these operators cover every top-10 Indian port, with specific regional strengths driven by refinery adjacency — the Gulf of Kutch (Gujarat) has the densest supplier cluster on the west coast, while the Visakhapatnam-Paradip axis anchors east-coast supply. As an independent procurement partner, Seven Ocean sources across all available physical suppliers for every nomination, ensuring competitive pricing without any single-supplier bias.
All top-10 Indian ports supply the standard modern bunker suite:
VLSFO is the dominant product reflecting IMO 2020 compliance on vessels calling Indian ports. LSMGO is available at every port. HSFO volumes have grown through 2024-25 as scrubber-fitted tonnage on Asia-Europe rotations maximised arbitrage economics. HSD and LDO serve inland waterways and smaller coastal vessels.
GST on bunker fuel supplied at Indian ports is 5 percent for both foreign-going and coastal vessels — a rate reduced from the initial 18 percent following the GST Council's 22nd meeting in October 2017. Indian-flag vessels registered under the Merchant Shipping Act, 1958 plying cargo between two or more Indian ports can claim customs duty exemption on imported bunker fuels under Notification 12/2012-Customs, subject to documentary conditions. Foreign-going vessels receive bonded bunker supply treatment with appropriate certification.
Practical implications for foreign-going vessels: the 5 percent GST is added to the fuel price at invoice. For Indian-flag operators, the customs duty exemption can be a material cost advantage on coastal rotations — the documentary conditions require declaration-cum-undertaking from the vessel Master and Merchant Shipping Act registration proof, which we coordinate with the Customs authority as part of the supply.
Indian ports are progressing on alternative marine fuels. Kandla Port completed India's first shore-to-ship methanol bunkering trial in April 2025 in collaboration with industry partners, industry partners, industry partners and a leading oil marketer, validated by an independent third-party verifier. The port is working toward approximately 500 tonnes of methanol availability by 2028-29 for dual-fuel vessels on the Asia-Europe corridor. Biofuel blend trials are underway at several ports, with the major state-owned oil marketing companies actively developing compliant products for the IMO 2050 trajectory.
For operators planning dual-fuel vessel deployment in Indian waters, early engagement matters. Contact us to discuss methanol, LNG or biofuel supply availability at specific Indian ports for your planned rotation.
India's ten major ports by FY 2024-25 cargo volume are Paradip (Odisha), Kandla/Deendayal (Gujarat), JNPT/Nhava Sheva (Maharashtra), Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh), Kolkata-Haldia (West Bengal), Mumbai (Maharashtra), Chennai (Tamil Nadu), Kamarajar/Ennore (Tamil Nadu), V. O. Chidambaranar/Tuticorin (Tamil Nadu), and Cochin/Kochi (Kerala). All ten offer bunker supply; the specific fuel grades, delivery methods and physical suppliers vary by port.
5 percent GST applies on bunker fuel supplied at Indian ports to both foreign-going and coastal vessels. The rate was reduced from 18 percent at the GST Council's 22nd meeting in October 2017 following industry representation. Indian-flag vessels operating under the Merchant Shipping Act, 1958 plying cargo between Indian ports can claim customs duty exemption on imported bunker fuels subject to documentary conditions.
The Indian bunker market is served by four major physical suppliers: a leading Indian oil marketing company with approximately 41.6 percent market share, a major private port operator, Hindustan Petroleum (a major Indian oil marketer, 15%), and Bharat Petroleum (a leading Indian refiner, 10%). The balance is served by independent traders and specialised suppliers. All four majors have national distribution networks with refinery-adjacent supply at most top-10 ports.
VLSFO (ISO 8217:2017 RMG 380, <0.50% sulphur), LSMGO (DMA grade), HSFO (for scrubber-fitted vessels), HSD (high-speed diesel) and LDO (light diesel oil) are available across the top Indian ports. Methanol bunkering capability was validated at Kandla in April 2025 with commercial scale-up targeted for 2028-29. LNG bunkering is arrangeable at Kamarajar Port via the Ennore LNG terminal on a coordinated basis.
Standard lead time is 4-7 days from nomination to delivery for VLSFO and HSFO at refinery-adjacent ports. LSMGO and HSD are generally available at shorter notice, often 48 hours or less. During peak demand periods (such as monsoon, refinery turnarounds, or rerouting surges), lead times can extend. We recommend confirming barge or pipeline slot 72 hours before the vessel ETA for time-critical stems.
Indian-flag vessels registered under the Merchant Shipping Act, 1958 plying cargo between two or more Indian ports (including intermediate foreign port calls) can claim customs duty exemption on imported bunker fuels under Notification 12/2012-Customs, subject to specific documentary conditions. This applies to vessels carrying containerised EXIM cargo, empty containers or both. GST at 5 percent still applies.
Yes. Paradip (16.0-m draft), Vizag (16.5-m), Chennai (16.5-m) and Kandla accommodate the largest commercial vessel classes. JNPT handles ULCV containers. For VLCC-scale bunker stems of 3,000-5,000 MT, advance nomination (7-10 days) is recommended to align barge rotation and product availability with the vessel schedule.
Ready to nominate? Send your requirement to business@sevenoceanbunkers.com or use the quote form. For fastest response include vessel name and IMO, ETA at the Indian port, fuel grade and quantity, and your preferred anchorage / berth. We respond within the business day.
Seven Ocean procures marine fuel at all 10 major Indian ports. Tell us the vessel, the port, the grade — we come back with a stem.
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