‘Glorious achievement’: Karan Adani hails berthing of mothership at Vizhinjam port, says will create 5,500 jobs by 2029 

Hailing the berthing of mothership San Fernando at the new Vizhinjam International Seaport, Managing Director of Adani Ports and SEZ Limited (APSEZ) Karan Adani said the event marks a historic achievement in the Indian maritime history. The MD of Adani Ports was speaking at the inauguration of Vizhinjam Port, the country’s first transshipment port, near Kovalam Beach in Kerala on July 12.

Highlighting Vizhinjam’s significance, the MD of APSEZ said, “San Fernando - now berthed at our harbour is a symbol of a new, glorious achievement in Indian maritime history. It is a messenger that will tell the world that India's first transshipment terminal and the largest deepwater port has begun commercial operations”.  

Talking about the port’s state-of-art infrastructure Adani added, “No other port in India - including our own highly advanced Mundra Port - has these technologies. What we have already installed here is South Asia’s most advanced container handling technology. And once we complete the automation and the Vessel Traffic Management System, Vizhinjam will be in a class of its own as one of the most technologically sophisticated transshipment ports in the world.” 

Karan Adani also highlighted that the total investment of the Kerala government and Adani at Vizhinjam Port will amount to Rs 20,000 crore by 2029. 

“By 2028-29, when all four phases of this project are completed, the Kerala government and Adani Vizhinjam Port will have invested a total of Rs 20,000 crore in this outstanding example of a large-scale PPP project,” Karan Adani said. 

The MD of Adani Ports said that the company is also focusing on the ancillary developments in the immediate neighbourhood, including a modern fishing harbour, bunkering facilities, an outer ring road to serve the area, a seafood park, cruise tourism facilities and an industrial corridor along with port development.  

“We have already created over 2,000 direct and indirect jobs in construction, operations and other segments - and, now, with these wide-ranging developments, we will create more than 5,500 additional direct and indirect employment opportunities right here in Vizhinjam,” Adani added. 

The first container ship San Fernando chartered by Maersk at the Vizhinjam port on July 11 by 9:50 am. It was welcomed with a water salute. 

The port is India’s first automated port with state-of-the-art infrastructure and facilities, capable of handling large ships, with its modern container handling equipment and world-class automation and IT systems.  

San Fernando will be availing the services at the port to offload about 2,000 containers and for 400 container movements within the vessel. 

The deepsea port is close to the famous Kovalam beach and offers connectivity to many regional and international ports. This is the first transshipment port in the country, which will reduce India’s dependence on Colombo, Dubai and Singapore ports for transshipment. Now Vizhinjam International Seaport will be the transshipment port of the country. The commissioning of the seaport is expected by October. 

Built on the public-private partnership, Vizhinjam International Port’s construction started in 2016. The project was allotted to APSEZ on December 5, 2015, after the Government of Kerala and Adani Vizhinjam Port Private Ltd (AVPPL) agreed to a concession agreement on August 17, 2015. 

On Thursday Gautam Adani, Chairman and founder of the Adani group of companies called the welcoming of the mothership San Fernando at the Vizhinjam International Seaport a historic occasion.