The Kerala government signed memoranda of understanding with three central public sector companies to implement a Rs 20 billion (Rs 20 bn) logistics master plan at the Vizhinjam International Seaport. The agreements were executed in the presence of the chief minister at the Legislative Assembly Building, the state administrative office said. The project is presented as a strategic effort to reshape the state maritime sector and expand port capacity.

The initiative is designed to convert the port into a comprehensive economic development hub while operating under a public–private partnership model and keeping critical infrastructure within public sector oversight. The partnership brings together Vizhinjam International Seaport Limited (VISL) and three central firms: Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL), Container Corporation of India (CONCOR) and Central Warehousing Corporation (CWC). Officials framed the collaboration as intended to prevent monopolisation in cargo handling and to protect national maritime interests.

The proposed Rs 20 billion investment is divided into three strategic allocations, with IOCL set to invest about Rs 7 billion (Rs 7 bn) to establish large-scale bunkering facilities for mother ships calling at Vizhinjam, positioning the port as an energy hub in the Indian Ocean. CONCOR will commit around Rs 6 billion (Rs 6 bn) to build rail-linked infrastructure including inland container depots and container freight stations to speed cargo movement across the country. CWC plans to invest about Rs 7 billion (Rs 7 bn) to develop a multimodal logistics park across nearly 50 acres, featuring cold storage and export-oriented units.

State officials emphasised that the warehousing project would not impose a financial burden on the state exchequer. The signing ceremony was attended by the minister for ports, senior administrative officials and the managing director of VISL, alongside leadership from the central public sector units. The government said the package aims to ensure competitive pricing for traders and to integrate the port within broader national logistics networks.