The second phase of development of the Vizhinjam International Seaport will be completed by 2028, said Ports Minister VN Vasavan.
He said this after inaugurating a meeting convened to form an organizing committee to start the next phase of development work at the port, held here on Tuesday.
The minister said that as per the original agreement for the Vizhinjam International Seaport project, the second phase of the expansion was scheduled for completion in 2045. However, following the revised agreement, the entire project is now scheduled for completion in 2028. The second phase will involve an investment of around ₹10,000 crore.
Since commercial operations began on 3 December 2024, the port has handled 14.5 million equivalent units (TEU) of containers, with 670 ships calling at the port so far. Mr. Vasavan described it as a significant achievement that the world’s largest motherships can now dock at Vizhinjam, noting that the project is progressing well beyond its originally set goals.
The next phase of development will be launched by the Chief Minister on January 24 (Saturday) at 4 pm. The access road connecting the port to the national highway, which was built to facilitate the movement of the container gate, will also be opened on Saturday. The Union Minister for Ports and several State Ministers will attend the inaugural function.
Contribution to growth
Mr. Vasavan said that the project is contributing significantly to the economic growth of the state, agriculture and employment. General Education and Labor Minister V Sivankutty said that the problems faced by fishermen in Vizhinjam would be resolved at the earliest, adding that all concerns related to the port would be addressed. He emphasized that the government will not allow the livelihood of fishermen to be adversely affected and that the project should not be seen as a political issue but as a national development initiative.
So far, ₹116 crore has been paid as compensation to those who lost their livelihood due to the port project. Development of schools in Vizhinjam area was also undertaken. Mr. Sivankutty added that the problems faced by the workers working in Karamadi (coastal seines) would be resolved soon.
An organizing committee was formed with Mr. Sivankutty as Chief Patron, Ministers GR Anil and Saji Cherian as Patrons and Mr. Vasavan as Chairman.
Published – 20 Jan 2026 20:44 IST
