PM Modi inaugurates Vizhinjam port, calls it India's maritime turning point

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday inaugurated the Vizhinjam International Seaport in Kerala, calling it a major step forward for India’s maritime future.

 

“On one hand, there is this big sea with so many opportunities and on the other hand, there is the beauty of nature, in between there is this ‘Vizhinjam International Deepwater Multipurpose Seaport’, which is a symbol of new-age development,” Modi said after inaugurating the port.

 

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Adani Group Chairperson Gautam Adani were also present at the ceremony.

 

The port, located in Thiruvananthapuram district, has been developed under a public-private partnership between the Government of Kerala and Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd (APSEZ), India’s largest port operator.

 

“This is the largest-ever state investment in any port in the country,” said Chief Minister Vijayan. “The commissioning of Vizhinjam port marks the beginning of a new chapter in India’s maritime journey, placing the nation firmly on the global map,” he said.

 

Here are 10 key facts about the Vizhinjam port:

 

Vizhinjam is India’s first dedicated container transshipment port and also its first semi-automated one. It will handle container, break-bulk and multi-purpose cargo.

 

Located just 10 nautical miles from one of the world’s busiest shipping routes, the port has a natural advantage for global trade. According to the official website, “Its proximity to the East-West axis... provides easy access without deviation for the large vessels.”

 

Until now, 75 per cent of India’s transshipment containers were handled by Sri Lanka’s Colombo Port, leading to losses in foreign exchange. Vizhinjam aims to bring much of that business back to India. The breakwater at the port is nearly 3 kms long and 28 metres high — equal to a nine-storey building.

The port features automated yard cranes, remotely operated ship-to-shore cranes, and India’s first AI-powered Vessel Traffic Management System, developed with IIT Madras.

 

Vizhinjam emerges as regional hub

 

Trial operations began on July 13, 2024, and full commercial operations started on December 3, 2024. Over 272 large vessels and 550,000 containers were handled during the trial phase.

By early 2025, Vizhinjam was handling over 100,000 containers (TEUs) per month, topping ports on India’s southern and western coasts. It also received MSC Turkey—one of the largest cargo ships to ever dock in India.

 

The port is now part of the Jade Service of MSC, the world’s biggest shipping line, connecting Europe and Asia via South Africa.

 

By 2028, the port will have an annual capacity of three million TEUs. This phase will cost ₹10,000 crore and will be fully funded by Adani Ports. It will be connected to National Highway 66 and Kerala’s first cloverleaf interchange. A railway link is also in the works.

 

The concession agreement for the project was signed in 2015 between the Government of Kerala and Adani Vizhinjam Port Pvt Ltd. Revenue-sharing with the state will begin once all four phases are complete by 2034.

 

 [With PTI inputs]