Thiruvananthapuram, May 2, 2025 – Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday inaugurated India’s first deep-sea transshipment port at Vizhinjam in Kerala, marking a historic milestone in the country’s maritime trade. The ₹8,900-crore Vizhinjam International Seaport, strategically located near international shipping routes, is set to transform India’s logistics efficiency and reduce reliance on foreign ports for cargo handling.

The Vizhinjam port is India’s first deepwater container transshipment hub, where cargo from large vessels is transferred to smaller ships for final delivery. With a natural depth of 20 meters, it can accommodate Ultra-Large Container Vessels (ULCVs) like the MSC Türkiye, one of the world’s biggest cargo ships.

Key Features:

• Strategic Location: Just 10 nautical miles from major east-west shipping routes.
• Capacity: Currently handles 1 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) annually, with plans to expand to 6.2 million TEUs by 2028-29.
• Cost Savings: Expected to save India $220 million annually by reducing dependence on foreign ports like Colombo, Singapore, and Dubai.
• Employment Boost: Over 750 jobs created, with 57% of employees from Kerala.

Reducing India’s Dependence on Foreign Ports

Political Significance

The inauguration saw political undertones, with PM Modi taking a dig at the Congress, noting that INDIA bloc leaders—Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan and Congress MP Shashi Tharoor—shared the stage with him.

CM Vijayan emphasized Kerala’s 60% financial stake in the project, while Adani Ports CEO Karan Adani highlighted the port’s potential to “enable India’s growth”.

Today, at Vizhinjam, history, destiny and possibility came together as a 30-year-old dream of Kerala became India’s gateway to the world.

We are proud to have built India’s first deep-sea automated port. A future global transshipment hub. This is a triumph of vision, resilience… pic.twitter.com/343mjcNcAB

— Gautam Adani (@gautam_adani) May 2, 2025

With Phase 1 operational, the port is already handling 100,000 container moves per month. Future expansions will solidify India’s position as a global maritime leader, attracting more investments and boosting Kerala’s economy.