Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal recently inaugurated the capacity augmentation works of Vizhinjam International Seaport, marking the start of construction for Phases II, III and IV of the project. The event was attended by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, senior state and central government officials and representatives of the concessionaire.

The expansion is being implemented under a fast-tracked and integrated development programme aimed at substantially enhancing India’s container transshipment capacity and strengthening the country’s maritime infrastructure ecosystem. Vizhinjam International Seaport began commercial operations of Phase I in December 2024 with a designed capacity of 1 million TEUs and has already handled over 1.43 million TEUs, operating at more than 130 per cent capacity utilisation. The port has established direct connectivity with major global shipping routes across Europe, the Americas, Africa and the Far East.

Under the capacity augmentation plan, the existing container berth will be extended to form a continuous 2 km-long berth, the longest in India. The breakwater will be lengthened to 3.88 km, additional container yards will be created through sea reclamation, and new ship-to-shore and yard cranes will be installed. The upgraded port will be capable of handling next-generation container vessels of up to 28,000 TEUs and up to five mother vessels simultaneously, with a throughput capacity of around 5.7 million TEUs per annum.

The works are being carried out under a Supplementary Concession Agreement signed in November 2024 between the Government of Kerala and Adani Vizhinjam Port, advancing the project timeline by nearly 17 years, with completion targeted by December 2028. The total investment envisaged for the Vizhinjam project is about Rs 160 billion, including nearly Rs 73.98 billion for the expansion phases.

Addressing the gathering, the Union Minister said the rapid operationalisation and expansion of Vizhinjam reflects India’s focused approach to building world-class port infrastructure. He added that the project will reduce dependence on foreign transshipment hubs, improve logistics efficiency and support India’s external trade.

The development aligns with national objectives under Maritime Vision 2030 and the Amrit Kaal Vision 2047 and is expected to position Vizhinjam as a major regional transshipment hub, strengthening India’s role in global maritime trade and supporting long-term economic growth.