India's Vizhinjam Port Marks Milestone With Arrival Of First Container Ship

The port will service San Fernando, a 300-meter-long container vessel operated by Maersk with a capacity of 8,000-9,000 TEUs, facilitating the offloading of approximately 2,000 containers

Adani Ports & SEZ announced today the arrival of the first mother ship at its Vizhinjam port, a landmark event marking India’s entry into global transshipment. This development positions Vizhinjam as a critical player in international trade routes.

Kerala Chief Minister Shri Pinarayi Vijayan attended the inauguration ceremony, which was presided over by Shri V. N. Vasavan, Kerala's Minister for Ports. Shri Sarbananda Sonowal, Union Minister for Ports, Shipping, and Waterways, was the chief guest.

This event also marks the debut of India’s first automated port equipped with advanced infrastructure and facilities capable of handling large vessels. It boasts modern container handling equipment, world-class automation, and IT systems. The port will service San Fernando, a 300-meter-long container vessel operated by Maersk with a capacity of 8,000-9,000 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units), facilitating the offloading of approximately 2,000 containers and 400 container movements within the vessel.

Emphasising the importance of Vizhinjam, Karan Adani, Managing Director of Adani Ports and SEZ Limited (APSEZ), stated, "San Fernando – now berthed at our harbour is a symbol of a new, glorious achievement in Indian maritime history. It is a messenger that will tell the world that India’s first transshipment terminal and the largest deepwater port has begun commercial operations.”

Talking about the port’s state-of-the-art infrastructure, he added, “No other port in India – including our own highly advanced Mundra Port – has these technologies. What we have already installed here is South Asia’s most advanced container handling technology. And once we complete the automation and the Vessel Traffic Management System, Vizhinjam will be in a class of its own as one of the most technologically sophisticated transshipment ports in the world.”

Currently, 25 per cent of India’s container traffic is transhipped en route to its final destination. Despite India's increasing trade volumes globally, the country lacked a dedicated transshipment port, resulting in 75 per cent of India’s transshipped cargo being handled by ports outside the country.

Vizhinjam will not only facilitate the transshipment traffic entering India but, strategically positioned, the port will also serve as a crucial hub for managing traffic along major global routes linking India with the US, Europe, Africa, the Indian subcontinent, and the Far East. This positions Vizhinjam as a pivotal player in international trade routes.