Vizhinjam seaport set to boost South Asia’s maritime trade

Police officers on duty in the vicinity of Vizhinjam Port ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit in Thiruvananthapuram on April 30, 2025.
| Photo Credit: The Hindu

The Vizhinjam International Seaport, an all-weather port which is poised to be a pivotal hub for India’s maritime transshipment, will script a new history in the annals of Indian maritime trade on Friday (May 2, 2025) with Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicating the ambitious port project to the country by 11 a.m. Leveraging cutting-edge technology, Vizhinjam Port is expected to be a game-changer in South Asia’s maritime trade.

Mr. Modi arrived at Thiruvananthapuram International Port on Thursday evening (May 1, 2025) to officially commission the project.

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The first semi-automated port in the country, Vizhinjam seaport positions itself as one of the most technologically sophisticated transshipment ports globally, reducing vessel turnaround times and enhancing India’s capacity to handle large container ships. Armed with an AI-driven control room and Vessel Traffic Management System (VTMS) developed by IIT-M and Maritime Technology Pvt Ltd., the first Indigenous vessel management system implemented at an Indian port, the port could track ships approaching the port using radar and sensors, providing real-time location and movement updates to nearby vessels and optimising port traffic flow and berthing assignments.

The port is also expected to reduce the dependence of the country on other international ports. Around 75% of the country’s transshipment cargo is being handled at international ports, resulting in a loss of up to $200-220 million of potential revenue each year, rendering the Indian industries vulnerable to an increase in costs, potential inefficiencies and congestion issues, and creating long-term risks for India’s trade competitiveness.  

The all-weather port has weathered many challenges in its way. Among the challenges, the stiff protest raised against the construction of the breakwater by fishermen backed by a prominent church outfit was the main issue the Kerala government had to deal with, although the location of the port offers several advantages, such as natural depth and lack of littoral movement, making it an ideal location for an international-scale seaport.

However, the rubble-mounded breakwater constructed, surviving the challenges put up by a section, is an engineering marvel in the country. A 2,960-meter-long breakwater has been constructed in water at a depth of 18 to 20 meters with an overall height of 28 meters, which is equivalent to a 9-storey building, making it the deepest breakwater ever constructed in the country.

Now the port, which is 10 nautical miles away from the international shipping routes connecting Europe, the Persian Gulf and the Far East, the east-west shipping axis, can berth new generation vessels of capacity around 18,000 TEU as the site is endowed with a natural water depth of 18 to 20 meters within a kilometre from the coast, suitable to accommodate very large mother vessels.

The Ministry of Environment and Forests has already granted environmental clearance for the second and third phases of development of the port, which will attract an investment of ₹9,560 crore by Adani Port as per the concession agreement, which will enhance the current capacity of the port from 1 million TEUs / annum to 3 million TEUs / annum by 2028.  

According to Kerala Port Minister V.N. Vasavan, the first phase cost of the project is ₹8,867 crore. Of this, the State government’s contribution is pegged at about ₹5,595 crore (63%), while the Adani Group, concessionaire of the project, spends ₹2,454 crore (28%). The Centre should have avoided the controversy of providing the assured viability gap funding of ₹818 crore (9%) as a ‘loan’ to the project. However, with the formal commissioning, Vizhinjam will grow to a level that can compete with any major port in the world, and it’s a proud moment for Kerala, said Mr. Vasavan.

The formal commissioning of the port will be attended by Kerala Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Union Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, Union Ministers of State George Kurien and Suresh Gopi, State Ministers, Opposition Leader and others.