PM Commissions Vizhinjam International Deepwater Multipurpose Seaport
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi commissioned the Vizhinjam International Deepwater Multipurpose Seaport in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, on 2nd May 2025. Vizhinjam is India's first dedicated transhipment and semi-automated port.
During the ceremony, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Kerala Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, and Gautam Adani, Chairman of the Adani group, were present.
Developer of the Vizhinjam Seaport
The Vizhinjam International Deepwater Multipurpose Seaport is being developed using a landlord model with a Public Private Partnership (PPP) component. It is being built using the design, build, finance, operate, and transfer (DBOFT) model.
The landlord model in port development means the port authority is the landlord. It owns the land and the infrastructure.
The private company operates port operations like cargo handling and storage.
Joint Venture of Adani and Kerala Government
The port authority is Vizhinjam International Port Limited, which the government of Kerala owns. The private sector is the Adani Vizhinjam Port Private Limited.
Adani Vizhinjam Port Private Limited is a subsidiary of India's largest port developer, Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd (APSEZ). It is owned by the Adani Group.
The port will be developed in phases and fully developed by 2028.
The port's construction commenced in December 2015, and the trial started in July 2024, with full operation starting in December 2024.
It was formally commissioned in May 2025 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The port has been developed at an estimated cost of Rs 8,900 crore, with the state government bearing around two-thirds.
The port is expected to be fully operational by 2028, and Adani Vizhinjam Port Private Limited will bear the cost of the next phase of its development.
Features of the Vizhinjam International Seaport
It is a project of the Kerala government and part of the central government's Viksit Bharat 2047 vision.
- It is the largest port project to be undertaken by any state government in India.
- The port can handle container transhipment, multi-purpose, and break-bulk cargo.
- The port is India's first dedicated transhipment port and semi-automated port.
- The port's location makes it ideal for a transhipment facility. It is 10 nautical miles from the busy international shipping route connecting East Asia, the Persian Gulf, and Europe.
- Most of India's transhipment containers are handled by Colombo Port in Sri Lanka. With the commissioning of the Vizhinjam port, this traffic will be diverted to India.
- The breakwater at Vizhinjam is the deepest in India and stretches nearly three kilometres.
- It also features India's first home-built, AI-powered Vessel Traffic Management System, developed by IIT Madras.
