PM Modi to Commission Vizhinjam Port Today; Vijayan Terms It 'Historic Moment'

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will officially commission the Vizhinjam International Seaport on Friday, placing Kerala firmly on the global maritime map.

- Press Trust of India

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:

The deep-water port has been developed by Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd (APSEZ), India's largest port developer and part of the Adani Group, under a public-private partnership.

The project was completed at an estimated cost of ₹8,867 crore. Following a successful trial run, the port received its commercial commissioning certificate on December 4 last year.

Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said this is not just the opening of a new port, but the beginning of a new era that will give Indian trade and logistics a stronger global presence.

Vizhinjam is India's first dedicated transshipment port and also the country's first semi-automated port. It sits just 10 nautical miles from a key international shipping route and has naturally deep waters, making it ideal for large cargo ships.

Until now, about 75% of India's transshipment containers were handled by Colombo Port in Sri Lanka, leading to significant losses in foreign exchange and revenue. Vizhinjam is expected to bring much of that traffic back to India.

The port has received the highest ever investment from a state government in India. The Kerala government is funding two-thirds of the project's total cost, including the full cost of building the breakwater--a key part of the infrastructure that ensures the port operates smoothly in all weather.

The breakwater at Vizhinjam is the deepest in India and stretches nearly three kilometers. At 28 meters tall -- the height of a nine-story building -- it is a major engineering achievement.