Vizhinjam International Seaport: India's gateway to global trade set for May 2 inauguration by PM Narendra Modi (see pics)

Ports Minister V.N. Vasavan briefed the media ahead of Vizhinjam International Seaport’s commissioning by PM Narendra Modi on May 2 at 11am.

Dignitaries invited include Governor Arlekar, CM Pinarayi Vijayan, Union Minister Sonowal, Ministers Suresh Gopi, George Kurian, State Ministers, Opposition Leader V.D. Satheesan, MPs Shashi Tharoor, A.A. Rahim, Mayor Arya Rajendran, and Rajeev Chandrasekhar.

The PMO will decide the dais protocol. The event is scheduled to conclude in 90 minutes, adhering to official procedures.

Vasavan stated the port can handle 30 lakh TEUs annually, and based on current efficiency, scaling up to 45 lakh TEUs is realistic. He stressed Vizhinjam’s capability and strategic potential in global trade.

Trial runs began in July 2024. Vizhinjam received its commissioning certificate on December 3. It has already handled 593,000 TEUs from 285 ship arrivals.

Vizhinjam port, even before formal launch, has surpassed several global counterparts. Vasavan said that MSC ships, which earlier avoided Dubai and Colombo, are now stopping at Vizhinjam.

The minister confirmed that port construction will be completed ahead of schedule. He attributed this to improved coordination and revised agreements, ensuring faster operationalization and revenue generation.

Vasavan addressed funding concerns, saying the Centre offered VGF (Viability Gap Funding) only as a loan, despite the state’s repeated requests for grants. "We accepted the loan format but still disagree with the approach," he added.

On April 8, MSC Turkiye, one of the world’s largest container ships, docked at Vizhinjam under MSC’s Jade shuttle service. This reflects the port’s rising status. As of now, 501,847 TEUs were handled across 246 ships, with the Phase 1 target at 10 lakh TEUs.