Vizhinjam Port: 10 things about India’s first semi-automated trans-shipment port as PM Modi to inaugurate it on May 2

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to inaugurate Vizhinjam International Seaport in Kerala on May 2. The strategic maritime project near Thiruvananthapuram is India's first semi-automated trans-shipment port.

Making the announcement, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that the Vizhinjam International Seaport will help Kerala rise on the global maritime trade map.

“Vizhinjam International Seaport, India's first semi-automated transshipment port, will be dedicated to the nation by Hon'ble PM @narendramodi on May 2. With 265 ships and 5.48 lakh TEUs handled since commercial launch, @PortVizhinjam marks Kerala's rise on the global maritime trade map,” Vijayan said in a post on X.

Here are 10 things you need to know about Vizhinjam International Seaport

1. The Vizhinjam International Seaport is designed primarily to cater container transshipment besides multi-purpose and break bulk cargo.

2. Vizhinjam port is the first Greenfield port project in India, initiated by a state government with an investment exceeding ₹18,000 crore.

3. The development of Vizhinjam International Seaport is poised to boost Kerala's economic growth by creating jobs, enhancing trade, and attracting investments.

3. The port is strategically located, just 10 nautical miles away from a busy international shipping route connecting Europe, the Persian Gulf and the Far East. The strategic location of the Vizhinjam International Seaport presents it with an advantage to gain success as a global transshipment hub.

4. Vizhinjam Port is naturally equipped with a deep draft of 18 metres close to the shore that requires no capital dredging. This helps the port leverage its natural depth to host even ultra-large next-gen container ships requiring over 20 metre drafts.

5. The project was allotted to Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd (APSEZ) after the Government of Kerala and Adani Vizhinjam Port Private Ltd. (AVPPL) agreed to a concession agreement in 2015.

6. Vizhinjam Port offers large scale automation for quick turnaround of vessels with state-of-the-art infrastructure to handle Megamax containerships.

7. Ships started arriving at Vizhinjam port on a trial basis from July 13 last year and it commenced commercial operations from December 3, 2024.

8. “So far, 263 ships have arrived at the port. Vizhinjam has progressed while surprising the world by handling 5.36 lakh twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of cargo in the short period from the commencement of its commercial operations,” Kerala Ports Minister VN Vasavan said in a statement.

9. Vizhinjam Port topped the list in cargo movements at ports on the south and west coasts of India in February and March 2025 and also achieved the feat of handling 1 lakh TEUs per month.

10. The construction of all the phases of the port will be completed by 2028 and Adani Vizhinjam Port will pay the government a share of the revenue generated when all four phases are operational from 2034.