THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With just two days to go for its commissioning, all eyes are on the Vizhinjam International Seaport as it prepares to welcome Prime Minister Narendra Modi who will dedicate this landmark infrastructure project to the nation.
As India’s first semi-automated port, Vizhinjam has already placed Kerala on the global maritime map. Its commissioning, on Friday will mark a rare event in Indian port history, reminiscent of the inauguration of the Cochin Port nearly a century ago.
Officials from the Vizhinjam International Seaport Ltd (VISL) and the Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd (APSEZ), in coordination with the Special Protection Group (SPG), are finalising security and logistics arrangements for the Prime Minister’s visit. A trial run to review these arrangements will take place on Wednesday. The Prime Minister is expected to arrive in Thiruvananthapuram on Thursday evening and stay overnight at the Raj Bhavan. On Friday morning, he will take a helicopter ride from the Pangode helipad to the port helipad, reaching there around 10.05am.
PM Modi will first visit the port’s operations building to inspect the control systems and interact with the staff. He will then proceed to the berth to observe the container handling operations up close and officially commission the port.
“The plan is to berth a mothership during the Prime Minister’s visit, but this will depend on final approval from the SPG,” said an official.
Modi is expected to address the public at the venue, which has a seating capacity of 7,500, by 11am. The ceremony will also be attended by Kerala Governor Rajendra Arlekar, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal, state ministers, and Adani Group chairman Gautam Adani.
The chief minister is likely to announce the details of the next phases of the port’s development, which includes improvements to road and rail connectivity. The public event is scheduled to conclude by noon.
The Prime Minister’s visit comes over four months after the port began its commercial operations. Trial operations started on July 13, 2024, and the port transitioned to full commercial activity on December 3. Since then, it has handled 277 ships and processed 6 lakh TEUs (Twenty-foot Equivalent Units) of container cargo -- almost ten times the original estimate.
Project timeline
June 10, 2015: Cabinet approves the project
August 17, 2015: Kerala government and Adani Ports sign the agreement
June 2023: Government sets new deadline for Adani to complete the work
July 13, 2024: Trial operations begin
December 3, 2024: Commercial operations commence
April 9, 2025: Agreement on VGF (Viability Gap Funding)
May 2, 2025: Prime Minister to commission the port