The Vizhinjam Port in Kerala is all set to begin gateway cargo operations by about mid-May, marking an important step in its maritime push.
This would mean the Thiruvananthapuram-based port would now be able to start export-import (EXIM) operations as well, in addition to its ongoing transshipment operations.
This comes after the port received approval from the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) after a recent inspection—a crucial step that allows the port to handle containerised cargo.
The only step remaining before EXIM operations actually begin is customs clearance, which is expected over the next few days.
When gateway operations begin, 70 per cent of the port's cargo handled will still be transshipments, while the remainder will be gateway cargo.
The Vizhinjam effect
This comes after strong demand for more cargo movement from the port, whose 800m berth (phase one) is already at capacity, with about 100 ships from eight international shipping giants lining up for space.
At present, this berth can house two mother ships, or four feeder ships.
As a part of phase two of its expansion operations, for which the port has received Rs 10,000 crore from Adani Vizhinjam Port Private Limited (AVPPL), it will be expanded from 800m to 1,200m by 2027, and then to 2,000m by 2028.
Even so, the port has still managed to have an impact on the transshipments at the DP World Ltd-run Vallarpadam International Container Transhipment Terminal (ICTT) at Vallarpadam in the Cochin Port.
According to data from ET World, the facility's transshipment volumes, which account for about 11 per cent of the total cargo handled at the terminal, saw a serious drop—from 169,562 TEUs in FY 2024-25 to 85,912 TEUs in FY 2025-26, or a roughly 50 per cent drop.
It is yet to be seen how the Gulf crisis will impact cargo operations at the terminal in FY 2026-27, given that the Thiruvananthapuram-based port has its berths full, and both Vizhinjam and Vallarpadam are suitably near the international shipping route taken by UAE-bound vessels.