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Ports have played an important role in the historical study of colonial trade and urbanisation of India. They had always been the poles of international trade and commerce since earlier times. Hence, they were the active agents in the development of the port towns since colonial times. But, the situation had changed in the post-independence period with the gradual changing importance of the ports and port towns in international trade. Not only that, apart from ports, several other factors such as the growing importance of land-based transport system, growth of regional infrastructure, industries within the interior of the country, several push and pull factors of the area such as the higher education, banks, business, job opportunities, recreational facilities etc., population pressure, regional linkages, socio-economic conditions have influenced the growth and development of these port towns. Together with these, the shifts and changes have also occurred in the “functions” of these ports and port towns, in response to the national policy changes during the planning decades in the spheres of industry and trade in favour of ‘inward looking strategy’ of industrialisation through import substitution and export promotion strategies. All these have changed the occupational structure of these port towns from primary sector of occupations to that of secondary and tertiary sectors, thereby, causing drastically a change in the economic activities of these port towns. This paper also attempts a comparative study between port towns of the western and eastern coasts of India in this respect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]