Vizhinjam Port Gears Up for ₹10,000 Crore Expansion from September.

The Adani Group-run Vizhinjam International Deepwater Multipurpose Seaport, India's first dedicated container trans-shipment port, has achieved full capacity utilization of 1.2 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) within its inaugural year of operations, handling over a lakh containers per month. This rapid success has accelerated plans for a significant infrastructure expansion, with an investment of around ₹10,000 crore now slated.

"We never expected to reach 8.5 lakh TEUs in 10 months. We thought it would be half of it," a company spokesperson stated. "But, looking at the success of phase one, why wait till 2045 for the second phase. We are advancing the next phase of expansion so that the extended terminal will be ready by 2028."

The terminal, inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in May 2024, saw its first ship berth for trials in July 2024, with commercial operations commencing in December of the same year. In just its first year, the Vizhinjam terminal has handled over 380 container ships, including the monumental MSC Irina, one of the world's largest container vessels, which called at the port in June this year.

This swift achievement of full capacity underscores Vizhinjam's strategic importance and its potential to become a major trans-shipment hub, significantly boosting India's maritime trade capabilities. The expedited expansion plans reflect the robust demand and the port's commitment to accommodating future growth.