The Vizhinjam Port is a direct gateway could mean faster movement to international markets, while importers could gain quicker access to raw materials, improving supply-chain efficiency.
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PHOTO : NIRMAL HARINDRAN / THE HINDU
Vizhinjam Port on Tuesday began full-scale export-import (EXIM) operations, marking a new phase for Kerala’s deep-water port as Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (APSEZ) seeks to expand its role beyond transshipment and tap cargo from the wider South Indian market.
Speaking at a formal event in Kerala attended by Chief Minister VD Satheesan, Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (APSEZ) CEO Ashwani Gupta said the commencement of EXIM operations marked the beginning of a new chapter for Vizhinjam, which had already established itself as a major transshipment destination. “Vizhinjam is not opening its gates to EXIM cargo, it is opening a new gateway between India and the world,” Gupta said.
The port’s transition to EXIM operations is aimed at giving exporters and importers in Kerala a more direct route to international markets, he said, highlighting sectors including seafood, spices, cashew, coir and engineering goods. For exporters, a direct gateway could mean faster movement to international markets, while importers could gain quicker access to raw materials, improving supply-chain efficiency, Gupta said. For micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), every day saved in transit could improve competitiveness and cash flows, he added.
The Adani executive also positioned Vizhinjam as a potential gateway not just for Kerala but for the wider South Indian industrial hinterland. “Once enabled by full road and rail connectivity, Vizhinjam can emerge as a strategic gateway for Kerala and the wider South Indian region,” Gupta said, pointing to businesses across Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
The port’s next phase will therefore involve more than expanding container-handling capacity. Gupta said APSEZ plans to build out a broader maritime and logistics ecosystem around Vizhinjam, including bunkering facilities, a liquid jetty, warehousing, logistics parks and container freight stations. The development comes as Vizhinjam seeks to build on a strong first phase of operations. Gupta said the port had handled more than 2.3 million TEUs in its first full year of operations and captured nearly 30 per cent of India’s transshipment container market.
The port has also handled ultra-large container vessels of nearly 400 metres in length, he said. APSEZ has already invested more than ₹7,700 crore in Vizhinjam, according to Gupta. The company has now committed an additional ₹16,000 crore for Phase 2, which will increase the port’s capacity from 1.6 million TEUs to 5.7 million TEUs. The expansion, he said, would transform Vizhinjam into one of the largest container hubs in the Indian Ocean region.
Gupta said the port’s development was part of a wider integrated infrastructure network linking Kerala to global markets through the state’s international airport, seaport and logistics infrastructure. “Why did we build Vizhinjam? Because the next chapter of India’s growth depends not just on what we produce but how efficiently we connect to global markets,” he said.
The port’s development had faced challenges including cyclones, rough seas, prolonged monsoons and the logistical task of sourcing and transporting millions of tonnes of rock, Gupta said. The broader ambition, Gupta said, is to create an ecosystem in which more cargo, value creation and economic activity remain within Kerala and India.
Published on August 18, 2026