Second phase development of Vizhinjam port to be completed in 2028, says Port Minister

The second phase of development of the Vizhinjam International Seaport will be completed by 2028, Ports Minister V.N. Vasavan has said.

He was speaking after inaugurating a meeting convened to form an organising committee for the inauguration of the next phase of development works at the port, held here on Tuesday.

The Minister said that under the original agreement for the Vizhinjam International Seaport project, the second phase of expansion was scheduled for completion in 2045. However, following a revised agreement, the entire project is now slated for completion in 2028. The second phase will involve an investment of approximately ₹10,000 crore.

Since commercial operations began on December 3, 2024, the port has handled 14.5 lakh twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of containers, with 670 ships calling at the seaport so far. Mr. Vasavan described it as a significant achievement that the world’s largest motherships are now able to berth at Vizhinjam, noting that the project is progressing well beyond its originally set targets.

The Chief Minister will inaugurate the next phases of development at 4 p.m. on January 24 (Saturday). The approach road connecting the port to the national highway, constructed to facilitate container gateway movement, will also be opened on Saturday. The Union Minister for Ports, and several State Ministers will attend the inaugural function.

Contribution to growth

Mr. Vasavan said the project is contributing significantly to the State’s economic growth, agriculture, and employment sectors. Minister for General Education and Labour V. Sivankutty stated that the issues faced by fishermen in Vizhinjam would be resolved at the earliest, adding that all concerns related to the port would be addressed. He emphasised that the government would not allow the livelihood of fishermen to be adversely affected and that the project should be viewed not as a political issue, but as a national development initiative.

So far, ₹116 crore has been disbursed as compensation to those who lost their livelihoods due to the port project. Development of schools in the Vizhinjam area has also been undertaken. Mr. Sivankutty added that the problems faced by Karamadi (shore seine) fish workers would be resolved soon.

An organising committee was constituted with Mr. Sivankutty as the chief patron, Ministers G.R. Anil and Saji Cherian as patrons, and Mr. Vasavan as the chairman.