PM Modi Inaugurates Vizhinjam Port in Kerala: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday inaugurated the Vizhinjam International Sea Port in Kerala in a major step towards putting the state on the global maritime map. Before inaugurating the port, PM Modi walked around the transshipment hub wearing a hard hat, taking stock of the facilities in the area.

While speaking at the inauguration event, PM Modi said that the Vizhinjam seaport will bring economic stability to both Kerala and the nation.

The Prime Minister said, “On one hand, the big sea surrounds us with so many opportunities, while the beauty of nature lies on the other hand. In between this, the Vizhinjam International Deepwater Multipurpose Seaport has emerged as a symbol of new-age development.”

“I want to say this to the CM (Pinarayi Vijayan)… you are a strong pillar of INDI alliance. (Congress MP) Shashi Tharoor is also sitting here. Today’s event will give sleepless nights to several people. He (translator) could not (translate these line)… but the message has gone where it had to,” PM Modi said at the event.

The Vizhinjam Port is located in Kerala’s capital city Thiruvananthapuram, and is expected to significantly boost India’s presence in global shipping and trade routes. The port has been constructed by Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd (APSEZ), in partnership with the government.

The project to build the now-fully operational port cost around Rs 8,867 crore, and received its commercial go-ahead in December last year after a successful trial phase.

After a successful trial phase in July 2024, Vizhinjam International Seaport has made remarkable achievements in transhipment container handling, with over 285 ships docking docking at the port since, including some of the largest container ships in the world.

MSC Türkiye, one of the world’s largest container carriers, docked at the Vizhinjam last month, in a major achievement for India’s first deepwater transhipment port.