THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Vizhinjam is making big waves. Within just 18 months of operations, the seaport has achieved a milestone by handling 2-million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) — making it the fastest Indian port to cross both the 1-million and 2-million TEU marks.
Since its launch, the facility has successfully handled over 950 vessels. This includes 67 ultra-large container vessels measuring nearly 400m in length, such as the MSC Irina, the world’s largest container ship, and the MSC Verona, one of the deepest-draft vessels to ever call at an Indian port.
This comes at a time when global shipping lines and major economies are prioritising resilient maritime infrastructure and diversified trade routes amid evolving geopolitical uncertainties across West Asia.
To capitalise on this momentum, the port is undergoing its phase-two expansion.
Backed by an investment of approximately Rs 16,000 crore and slated for completion by 2028, the next phase aims to significantly boost the port’s total container handling capacity and facilitate full-scale international trade, building upon the official customs clearances received in November last year to handle export-import (Exim) cargo.
However, the rapid growth in transshipment volumes stands in stark contrast to the severe bottlenecks plaguing Exim cargo movements. Despite possessing state-of-the-art maritime infrastructure, the lack of crucial land-side logistics facilities — such as robust road and rail connectivity, container yards, and warehouses — is severely hindering seamless cargo flow.
Local entrepreneurs and officials warn that the lack of a supporting ecosystem and skyrocketing real-estate prices are stunting regional trade potential. This delay has already allowed neighbouring Tamil Nadu to capitalise on the opportunity by developing industrial parks near the border.
To address these critical infrastructure gaps, Vizhinjam International Seaport Ltd (VISL) has partnered with three major central PSUs: Indian Oil Corporation Ltd, Container Corporation of India, and Central Warehousing Corporation. Together, they have launched a comprehensive `2,000 crore logistics master plan at the seaport.
