Kumar Bahukhandi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the inauguration of the Vizhinjam International Seaport, in Thiruvananthapuram. (PMO via PTI Photo)
Vizhinjam International Seaport was completed at an estimated cost of Rs 8,867 crore
Thiruvananthapuram: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday May 2, 2025 said the Vizhinjam International Seaport will bring economic stability to the country and Kerala, besides turning India into a global hub of Maritime trade.
PM Modi was speaking after commissioning the Vizhinjam International Seaport, built at an estimated cost of Rs 8867 crore. The state government is bearing a major share of this cost, spending Rs 5,370.86 crore, Adani Vizhinjam Port Pvt Ltd Rs 2497 crore and the Center Rs 818 through Viability Gap Funding (VGP).
The Prime Minister said the capacity of the seaport will be increased threefold, facilitating the docking of the largest containerships in the world. Previously, 75 percent of transhippment was done at other ports outside the country, resulting in significant revenue loss. Now the money spent outside will come to India and Kerala, and people of Vizhinjam will also benefit, he said.
He said the Sagarmala Project and enhanced interconnectivity among railways, highways and waterways were contributing to an improved ease of doing business environment and increasing investments. The laws related to seafarers are also being reformed and the positive results are evident across the country. In 2014, the number of Indian seafarers was less than 1.25 lakh, now it has increased to more than 3.25 lakh. marking India one of the top three countries in terms of seafarer numbers.
The prime minister said those in the shipping industry remember that ten years ago, the waiting time at ports to unload cargo significantly slowed down business operations, affecting the economy and various industries. However, over the past decade, major ports have reduced wait times by 30 per cent, allowing them to handle large volumes of cargo in a minimum time.
Narendra Modi said the shipbuilding and repair cluster in Kochi was making progress. This will create more job opportunities for the local talent in Kerala. The Central government believes in cooperative federalism. People in Kerala know that over the last ten years, significant advancements have been made in port infrastructure, highways, railways and airport-related developments. Projects like the Kollam bypass and the Alappuzha bypass, which had been pending for decades, have finally been pushed forward.
The fishermen’s community is also a priority for the government. Under the Blue Revolution and the PM Matsya Sampada Yojana, projects worth hundreds of crores have received approvals. Ponnani and Puthyappa harbors have been modernised, he said.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan presided over the function, said as per the agreement the Port would have been completed only by 2045. However, the state government and the promoters did not wait and started the commercial operations in 2024, docked a mother ship. So far 250 ships have docked at the port.
He said the port will provide more than 5000 direct employment opportunities.
The chief minister said though the initial agreement was signed in 2015 but it faced a lot of criticism. The LDF came to power in 2016 and decided to continue with the project. Subsequently, the government took several pathbreaking steps to bring the Seaport to this level.
Port Minister V N Vasavan welcomed the dignitaries. Union ministers George Kurian, Suresh Gopi, MPs Shashi Tharoor, John Brittas, A A Rahim, local MLA Vincent, Mayor Arya Rajendran and BJP state president Rajeev Chandrashekhar shared the stage with the PM.
