THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With the historic inauguration of the trial run at Vizhinjam International Seaport, Kerala's most ambitious dream finally became reality, declared Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday.
The chief minister said the momentous occasion marks the realisation of the state's long-held vision to establish a world-class port that will revolutionise the country's maritime trade and cement Kerala's position as a premier trade hub.
Pinrayi said the ports are the gateways to economic prosperity and with the unveiling of Vizhinjam International Seaport, Kerala has catapulted itself into the elite league of global maritime trade. The cutting-edge port has joined the ranks of only a handful of such advanced facilities worldwide.
The chief minister said Vizjinjam Port is poised to become a hub of global maritime trade, with a flurry of mother ships set to arrive at its shore. "This state-of-the-art port can accommodate the largest container ships worldwide, and its swift completion is a testament to our unwavering commitment to progress," he said.
Pinarayi revealed that phases 2,3 and 4 will be completed by 2028, a remarkable 17 years ahead of schedule. He extended his gratitude to Karan Adani, Managing Director of Adani Ports and SEZ Ltd, for his invaluable support in bringing the project to fruition.
Earlier, the chief minister formally welcomed the mothership San Fernando, which berthed at the port on Thursday. The occasion was graced by Union Ports Minister Sarbananda Sonowal who was the chief guest, Kerala ministers, senior officials and a host of dignitaries.
Notably, the local MLA M Vincent was the sole opposition Congress leader to attend the ceremony amidst the opposition UDF's boycott in protest of the state government's omission of Leader of the Opposition V D Satheeshan from the invitation list.
Vizhinjam Port, India’s first deepwater container transhipment port boasts a natural draft of 18-20 meters making it an ideal hub for the world’s largest container vessels. Strategically located just 16 km from Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala’s capital, the port enjoys proximity to the bustling International East-West shipping route.
Once fully operational, Vizhinjam Seaport is poised to rival top international ports like Colombo, Salalah and Singapore, vying for a significant share of global container transhipment traffic.
