Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: Kerala’s Vizhinjam International Port has crossed a historic milestone in record time, positioning itself as a global player in maritime trade, state Ports Minister VN Vasavan said on August 27. The port has handled over 1.012 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) within just nine months of commencing commercial operations, outperforming projections by more than threefold, the minister said.
“When operations began on December 3, 2024, the concession agreement had estimated that the port would handle around 300,000 containers in its first year. Instead, Vizhinjam has already tripled that figure and is now on track to process 1.3–1.4 million TEUs by December 2025. Such rapid scaling has stunned the global shipping industry, where only a handful of ports have exceeded installed capacity within their debut year,” Vasavan added. He went on to point out that in less than a year, over 460 ships have docked at Vizhinjam, including 27 ultra-large container vessels (ULCVs) measuring nearly 400 meters.
“Notably, the port became the first in South Asia to berth the world’s largest cargo vessel, MSC Irina. Another landmark achievement was handling 10,576 containers from a single vessel, MSC Paloma, setting a new Indian record,” he said. “The port’s success is attributed to efficient operations by Adani Vizhinjam Port, robust support from the Kerala government, cooperation from local fishing communities, and strong collaboration with shipping lines,” he added.
