Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], April 18 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on May 2 inaugurate Vizhinjam International Seaport, a strategic maritime project near Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala.

Making the announcement, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said Vizhinjam is India's first semi-automated trans-shipment port.

'Vizhinjam International Seaport, India's first semi-automated transshipment port, will be dedicated to the nation by Hon'ble PM @narendramodi on May 2. With 265 ships and 5.48 lakh TEUs handled since commercial launch, @PortVizhinjam marks Kerala's rise on the global maritime trade map,' Vijayan said in a post on X.

In July 2024, Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal received the first Mother Ship, MV San Fernando, marking the beginning of operation at India's first deepwater container transhipment port in Vizhinjam.

He had said that Vizhinjam is India's first truly deep water International Container Transhipment terminal.

'This is the testament of the vision of 'Make in India' where a PPP collaboration among Kerala government, Centre and Adani Port SEZ has created a wonderful asset for growth of India's maritime sector,' Sonowal had said..

Vizhinjam port is the first Greenfield port project in India, initiated by a state government with an investment exceeding Rs 18,000 crore.

Developed under the Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode, it stands as one of the largest initiatives in the country's port sector.

Vizhinjam's strategic location near international shipping routes significantly reduces transit times for vessels, making it a pivotal point for maritime trade. As one of India's few natural deep-water ports, it can efficiently accommodate large cargo and container ships. The development of Vizhinjam International Seaport is poised to boost Kerala's economic growth by creating jobs, enhancing trade, and attracting investments.

Vizhinjam is set to become a key player in regional trade, potentially serving as a gateway for commerce between Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Africa.

The project was allotted to APSEZ after the Government of Kerala and Adani Vizhinjam Port Private Ltd. (AVPPL) agreed to a concession agreement in 2015.

Adani Group has seven strategically located ports and terminals on the west coast (Mundra, Tuna Tekra & Berth 13 in Kandla, Dahej, and Hazira in Gujarat, Mormugao in Goa, Dighi in Maharashtra and Vizhinjam in Kerala) and eight ports and terminals on the East coast (Haldia in West Bengal, Dhamra and Gopalpur in Odisha, Gangavaram and Krishnapatnam in Andhra Pradesh, Kattupalli and Ennore in Tamil Nadu and Karaikal in Puducherry), representing 27 per cent of the country's total port volumes. (ANI)

The Adani Group company is also developing a trans-shipment port in Colombo, Sri Lanka, operates the Haifa Port in Israel and a container terminal in Dar es Salaam Port, Tanzania. (ANI)