Thiruvananthapuram: In a historic boost to Kerala’s infrastructure and maritime ambitions, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will dedicate the Vizhinjam International Seaport to the nation tomorrow. The commissioning of the first phase of this landmark project marks a major leap in India’s transshipment capabilities.
The Prime Minister is scheduled to arrive in Thiruvananthapuram tonight and will visit the port site by helicopter at 10:15 AM on Friday. After reviewing the Port Operations Centre and inspecting the berth, he will officially inaugurate the seaport at 11 AM before departing by noon.
The grand event will see the participation of key dignitaries including Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Ports Minister V. N. Vasavan, Governor Arif Mohammed Khan, Union Ministers Sarbananda Sonowal, Suresh Gopi, George Kurian, MP Shashi Tharoor, and Opposition Leader V. D. Satheesan.
Chief Minister Vijayan emphasized Vizhinjam’s strategic importance, noting that the port will significantly reduce India’s dependency on Colombo, which currently handles over 75% of the country’s transshipment cargo—leading to massive foreign exchange and revenue losses.
Vizhinjam is South Asia’s first semi-automated deepwater container transshipment port, with an annual handling capacity of 1.5 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units).
Trial operations are set to commence on July 11, 2024, followed by full-scale commercial activity starting December 3. Already, 283 vessels have docked, with over 600,000 containers handled during the pre-launch phase.
Adding to the momentous occasion, the colossal mother vessel MSC Celestino Maresca—measuring 399 meters long and 61 meters wide, with a capacity of 24,116 TEUs—will ceremonially welcome the Prime Minister on May 1. The ship is scheduled to dock at the berth on Thursday.
