The second phase of construction of the Vizhinjam International Seaport—envisioned as India’s premier transshipment hub—will be inaugurated on January 24 by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in Thiruvananthapuram. The function, presided over by Ports Minister V.N. Vasavan, will have Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal as the chief guest.
The port is anticipated to achieve full capacity augmentation by 2028. The original concession agreement, signed in 2015, had a much longer timeline, with all phases, including expansions, slated for completion around 2045. The revised target of 2028 follows the resolution of arbitration and disputes between the Kerala government and the Adani Group, the private concessionaire, and the signing of a supplementary concession agreement in 2023.
The state government attributes this acceleration to its “development-oriented interventions”. Under the supplementary concession agreement signed in 2023, Phases II, III and IV of the port will be developed together, advancing completion by 17 years.
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Construction of the first phase of the Thiruvananthapuram port began in December 2015. The first vessel—a Chinese cargo ship, Shen Hua 15E, carrying cranes and construction equipment—arrived in October 2023. Trial runs began in July 2024, and commercial operations officially commenced on December 3, 2024. The port was granted ICP status and included in the international seaport list in November 2025.
Though delayed as per the original agreement, within a year of operations, Vizhinjam handled 1.513 million TEUs from 710 vessels, demonstrating strong operational performance. The port at Thiruvananthapuram has emerged as a key link in global maritime trade and a strategic commercial gateway for South Asia.
Divya S. Iyer, managing director of Vizhinjam International Seaport Limited, told THE WEEK that besides the inauguration of the second phase of development, several other announcements—including on gateway cargo—are expected at the January 24 event. “Our USP will continue to be transshipment—that remains the unique strength of our port. But we will also add value-added services and open gateway cargo operations. Exports and imports will begin soon,” she said.
In Phase II, port capacity will increase from 1 million TEUs to over 5 million TEUs. Berth length will expand from 800 metres to 2,000 metres, while the breakwater will be extended from 3km to 4km. As per the master plan, the total investment in Phase II is Rs 9,700 crore.
Once Phase II is completed, Vizhinjam will be able to both receive and dispatch containers directly, including via road transport. With the addition of a cruise terminal, large passenger vessels will also be able to berth at the port, providing a major boost to tourism in Kerala and supporting economic growth.
Completion of the liquid terminal in Phase II will allow large vessels to refuel at Vizhinjam during long-haul voyages—a facility currently available only at a few major ports. This is expected to significantly enhance the state’s tax revenues. Given its proximity to international shipping lanes between Southeast Asia and Europe, more vessels are likely to rely on Vizhinjam for bunkering.
New facilities planned include a railway yard, a multipurpose berth, a liquid terminal and a tank farm. For capacity augmentation in Phase II, about 55 hectares will be reclaimed from the sea. With the expansion of the container yard, storage capacity will increase from 35,000 containers to 100,000 at a time.
The total number of cranes will rise to 100, comprising 30 ship-to-shore cranes and 70 yard cranes. The expansion of the berth to 2km will make Vizhinjam India’s largest straight-berth port, capable of handling four mother ships simultaneously. The breakwater will extend to 4km. As more shipping and logistics companies arrive, employment opportunities are expected to grow.
