Prime Minister Narendra Modi will dedicate to the nation on Friday the International Deepwater Multipurpose Seaport at Vizhinjam near Thiruvananthapuram.
The port built by Adani Ltd is India’s first automated, deep-water international container trans-shipment terminal and is a major step towards making India a global maritime powerhouse.
The Vizhinjam Port, capable of accommodating the world’s largest container ships, was the brainchild of Adani Ports and Logistics. What makes the port unique is the fight between the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front and the Congress-led United Democratic Front which are fighting for the credit for building the project even as union minister for surface transport Sarbananda Sonowal would have the last laugh.
The LDF while in opposition (during 2011-2016) had opposed the project and the present Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had termed it as a real estate deal worth `6,000 crore. He had also declared that there was no need of such a massive port in this part of the country.
But Vijayan made a vault face after coming to power in 2016 while VD Satheeshan, Leader of the Opposition, unleashing an attack against the BJP and the CPI(M) for going ahead with the port project. Satheeshan gave vent to his grief over the Pinarayi Vijayan’s government cold shouldering him and ignoring him for the inaugural ceremony.
The main attraction of the new port is its closeness to the international shipping route. “Vizhinjam Port is hardly 10 nautical miles from the international shipping route and the channel has a depth of 18-20 meters. The first ship to call on the port on Friday would be Selestino Maraca, a mother ship with a length of 400 meters and width of 60 meters,” said a marine pilot at the Port.
The port envisages an investment of `18,000 crore when all the phases turn operational by 2028. The Port has handled 240 ships since July 2024 when it
commenced its trial run. According to a release issued by the port authorities the exchequer got ` 43.74 crore as GST till March 2025. This will go up to `80 crore once the first phase works are completed and by 2028 the same would cross `240 crore per year.
At the time of going to Press, Thiruvananthapuram city has come under a security blanket in the backdrop of Prime Minister’s visit. He is expected to reach the capital city late evening and would camp at the Raj Bhavan. The dedication ceremony is scheduled for 11 am Friday and the Prime Minister is expected to address the nation after the inauguration ceremony.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said in a message that he alone was responsible in making the port a reality and no one other than him can claim any credit for the same. The CPI(M) and the Congress had taken turns in leading many agitations demanding the scrapping of the project .