Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while inaugurating the Vizhinjam International Seaport, India’s first semi-automated transhipment, in Kerala, emphasised a transformative shift in India’s maritime economy.
“Until now, 75% of India’s transhipment activities were conducted at foreign ports, resulting in significant revenue losses for the country. However, this is poised to change. The funds previously spent abroad will now be channelled into domestic development, creating new economic opportunities for the people of Vizhinjam and Kerala, ensuring that the nation’s wealth directly benefits its citizens,” he declared in his inaugural speech.
Constructed at Rs 8,800 crore, Vizhinjam port positions India as a powerful player in global shipping. Designed to handle some of the world’s largest container vessels, the facility boasts advanced automation that reduces turnaround time for ships, making it one of the most efficient ports globally.
“The Indian government has implemented significant reforms to benefit the country’s seafarers, yielding promising results. In 2014, India had fewer than 1.25 lakh seafarers. However, this number has now increased to approximately 3.25 lakh. As a result, India currently ranks among the top three countries with the highest number of seafarers globally,” he added.
Speaking about the growing infrastructure of ports in India, PM Modi declared that a “decade of hard work and visionary planning has contributed to India’s remarkable success”.
“Over the past 10 years, we have doubled the capacity of our ports and expanded our waterways by an impressive eightfold. Today, two of our ports are ranked among the world’s top 30 ports. Additionally, our position on the Logistics Performance Index has seen significant improvement. India now proudly stands among the top 20 countries in global shipbuilding,” he said.
PM Modi arrived via helicopter from Thiruvananthapuram and personally inspected the complex. At 11:33 a.m., he formally launched the port’s first operational phase in a ceremony attended by Kerala Governor Rajendra Arlekar, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani, and local MP Shashi Tharoor.
