‘Kerala poised to take leading position in maritime trade’

With the VGF agreement signed, all formalities for the first phase of the Vizhinjam port have been completed. Vasavan said with the handover of the port to the state, Kerala is poised to take a leading position in global maritime trade.

The port began trial operations on July 13, 2024, and transitioned to commercial operations on December 3. Since then, it has handled 263 ships and processed 5.36 lakh TEUs (Twenty-foot Equivalent Units) of containers. In February and March this year, Vizhinjam ranked first in cargo movements among ports on the south and west coasts of India. It also achieved a milestone by handling 1 lakh TEUs per month.

Timeline

● June 10, 2015: Cabinet approves awarding the project to Adani Ports and SEZ

● August 17, 2015: Kerala government and Adani Ports sign the construction agreement

● December 3, 2019: First deadline for completing port works is missed

● June 2023: Government sets a new deadline for Adani to complete the work

● July 13, 2024: Trial operations begin

● Dec 3, 2024: Commercial operations commence

● April 9, 2025: Agreement on VGF signed

● May 2: Prime Minister set to commission the port