Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India]: Kerala Finance Minister KN Balagopal has announced that Vizhinjam is on track to become India’s largest port within the next decade, setting a new standard in the nation’s maritime and port trade.
Speaking at the Vizhinjam Conclave 2025 and Global Investment Summit held at the Hyatt Regency on Tuesday, Balagopal highlighted the port’s transformative potential in elevating India’s position in the global shipping and logistics sector. The event was organized by the Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation (KSIDC), Invest Kerala, Vizhinjam International Seaport, and the Trivandrum Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Vizhinjam’s Strategic Advantage
Minister Balagopal hailed Vizhinjam’s natural deep-water capabilities, with depths ranging from 18 to 25 meters, and its proximity to international shipping lanes, making it capable of accommodating the world’s largest vessels. Currently equipped to handle one million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), the port is set to expand its capacity to 6.2 million TEUs in the future. This development positions Vizhinjam to manage 15 percent of India’s container transshipment, challenging established ports such as Colombo and Dubai.
The Minister also emphasized Vizhinjam’s role in Kerala’s ambitious goal of becoming a $1 trillion economy. Kerala’s infrastructure, including four international airports, two major seaports, 17 minor ports, and an extensive inland navigation network, provides robust support for this vision.
Supporting Infrastructure and Growth Initiatives
The Kerala Maritime Board, in collaboration with private stakeholders, is planning to complement Vizhinjam’s development with logistics parks and upgrades to existing ports. A 70-kilometer outer growth corridor from Vizhinjam to Navaikulam will host industrial clusters with plug-and-play infrastructure to attract investments.
Industries Minister P Rajeeve described Vizhinjam as India’s “new gateway,” underlining Kerala’s high productivity despite its limited land area, which accounts for only 1.16 percent of the country’s geographical size but contributes 4 percent to the national GDP. He detailed plans for residential, commercial, and industrial zones in the outer growth corridor to address land constraints and provide a conducive environment for investors through streamlined coordination between political leadership, bureaucracy, and the industrial sector.
Historic and Tourism Potential
MP Shashi Tharoor called the realization of the Vizhinjam International Seaport a historic moment, tracing its history back to the Sangam period in the fourth century. He noted that the addition of a cruise terminal would transform Vizhinjam into a major tourism destination, elevating its role beyond a transshipment hub. This development is expected to benefit Kerala and the southern tip of Tamil Nadu by enabling local products to reach global markets and fostering regional industrial growth.