India's Coastline Grew by Over 3,500 km Without Moving. Here's How
What is the length of India's coastline?If your answer is 7,516.6 km, you are not alone. That is the number most of us learnt in school. And it is still printed in many GK books.
But it is no longer correct.
India's official coastline length is now 11,098.81 km. That is about 3,582 km more than before. And not a single centimetre of land moved.
So what happened? Let me explain.
Who Changed the Number, and When?
The coastline was re-measured by the National Hydrographic Office (NHO) along with the Survey of India. The revised length was accepted after all coastal states and union territories agreed, and the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways notified it through a circular dated 29 April 2025. The government shared the new figures in Parliament on 4 December 2025.How Did the Coastline Get Longer?
Think about measuring a winding road on a map.If you use a small map of all of India, the road looks almost straight. Use a detailed map of your city, and you suddenly see every bend and turn. Same road. Much longer measurement.
That is exactly what happened here. According to the Survey of India, the old figure from the 1970s was probably measured on maps at a scale of about 1:4,500,000, likely using manual methods. The new figure uses detailed data at 1:250,000 and modern GIS software, which captures bays, inlets and small irregularities that older maps smoothed out.
The new measurement also includes the coastline of offshore islands. India now officially counts 1,298 offshore islands and islets.
Which State Has the Longest Coastline?
Gujarat, with 2,340.62 km. It was the longest before too, but its length has almost doubled from 1,214.70 km.And here is the exam trap. Andaman and Nicobar Islands has 3,083.50 km, which is more than Gujarat. But it is a Union Territory, not a state. So read the question carefully: "longest coastline among states" is Gujarat, while "among states and UTs" is Andaman and Nicobar.
What Else Changed?
Tamil Nadu is now second among states with 1,068.69 km, and the government says Andhra Pradesh has moved to third with 1,053.07 km.The biggest jump is West Bengal, from 157.5 km to 721.02 km.
And this number will not stay fixed forever. The coastline length will be reviewed every 10 years with newer data.
Quick Facts
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Old coastline length | 7,516.6 km |
| Revised coastline length | 11,098.81 km |
| Measured by | National Hydrographic Office with Survey of India |
| Notified | Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways circular, 29 April 2025 |
| Longest coastline (state) | Gujarat, 2,340.62 km |
| Longest coastline (state or UT) | Andaman and Nicobar Islands, 3,083.50 km |
| Second and third (states) | Tamil Nadu 1,068.69 km, Andhra Pradesh 1,053.07 km |
| Offshore islands and islets | 1,298 |
| Next review | Every 10 years |
Test Yourself
1. What is the revised official length of India's coastline?(A) 7,516.6 km (B) 9,250.40 km (C) 11,098.81 km (D) 12,084.50 km
2. Which state has the longest coastline in India?
(A) Andhra Pradesh (B) Tamil Nadu (C) Maharashtra (D) Gujarat
3. Which of these has a longer coastline than any Indian state?
(A) Lakshadweep (B) Andaman and Nicobar Islands (C) Puducherry (D) Goa
Answers:
1. (C) 11,098.81 km. The old figure was 7,516.6 km.
2. (D) Gujarat, 2,340.62 km.
3. (B) Andaman and Nicobar Islands, 3,083.50 km. It is a Union Territory.
So the next time you see 7,516.6 km in an exam option, don't pick it without thinking.1. (C) 11,098.81 km. The old figure was 7,516.6 km.
2. (D) Gujarat, 2,340.62 km.
3. (B) Andaman and Nicobar Islands, 3,083.50 km. It is a Union Territory.
The coast didn't change.
The way we measure it did.
