PM Modi To Inaugurate India’s First Semi-Automated Vizhinjam Port On May 2
The inaugural ceremony, to be attended by Governor Rajendra Arlekar and CM Pinarayi along with PM Modi, is scheduled for 11 AM and will mark a milestone in India’s maritime infrastructure development.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will dedicate the Vizhinjam International Deep-Sea Transshipment Port to the nation on May 2, Kerala Ports Minister V N Vasavan announced on Thursday. The inaugural ceremony, to be attended by Governor Rajendra Arlekar and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan along with PM Modi, is scheduled for 11 AM and will mark a major milestone in India’s maritime infrastructure development.
Developed under a public-private partnership model by Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd (APSEZ) at a cost of Rs 8,867 crore, Vizhinjam is set to transform Kerala into a key player in global maritime trade, according to the minister’s official statement.
Vasavan noted that Vizhinjam is South Asia’s first semi-automated port and has quickly emerged as a strategic commercial hub. Trial ship arrivals began on July 13, 2023, and the port officially commenced commercial operations on December 3, 2024.
“So far, 263 ships have berthed at Vizhinjam, handling an impressive 5.36 lakh TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) of cargo,” Vasavan said, as per PTI. He added that the port topped the charts in cargo movements on India’s south and west coasts during February and March 2025.
The minister highlighted the successful docking of MSC Turkiye, the largest vessel ever to arrive in India, as a symbol of Vizhinjam’s capabilities.
Future Expansion
The minister confirmed the completion of all formalities for the port’s first phase following the signing of a Viability Gap Funding (VGF) agreement. The Rs 817.80 crore VGF deal was signed between the Union Government, a bank consortium and Adani Ports earlier this month, as reported by The New Indian Express.
According to Vasavan, a new agreement avoided arbitration disputes and ensures greater revenue for the state with profit-sharing scheduled to begin in 2034. The port’s full construction is expected by 2028 with a projected installed capacity of 30 lakh TEUs annually funded entirely by Adani Ports at an estimated cost of Rs 10,000 crore.
Meanwhile, on May 2, PM Modi is also expected to relaunch Amaravati capital project in Andhra Pradesh.
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