Vizinjam Port: What the Kerala government must do to prevent this dream from turning into a nightmare
Vizinjam port, the biggest development project that Kerala has seen in decades, can easily become another casualty of Kerala’s poor track record with business. How can that be prevented? Here is a brief strategic analysis of Vizhinjam port, what it is, why it matters, and what the Kerala government must do to unlock its full potential.
Vizhinjam: India’s deep-water leap
Much of India’s container trade is transhipped via Colombo, which handles the bulk of India-linked transhipment; even modest diversion to Vizhinjam is strategic and cost-saving. Vizinjam has already established itself as an Ultra-large ship-ready port. Vizhinjam handled its first mother ship on July 12, 2024, and even berthed MSC IRINA, the world’s largest container ship, in June 2025, thus proving the port can handle over 20000 TEU vessels (Adani, The Times of India, ETLegalWorld.com).
Natural deep draft of 20m, minimal siltation and scalable design; air (16 km) make Vizinjam an optimal transhipment port. Planned connectivity to NH-66 highway, and a 10.7 km rail link to Balaramapuram will further increase the capability of Vizinjam to act as a logistics hub for India and open up new possibilities for Kerala’s industrial growth (document.kerala.gov.in, vizhinjamport.in).
What is stopping Vizinjam from reaching its full potential?
Vizinjam Harbour is still not connected to the mainland sufficiently. The permanent NH-66 interchange is still under construction. The rail link/tunnel project that will connect Vizinjam port to the Indian railway network is still in tendering. The land acquisition for the crucial connectivity projects is still ongoing. The second major roadblock to preventing Vizinjam expansion is on/near-dock logistics shortfalls. The port still lacks the container yards, trucking terminals, and warehousing facilities, etc. that are required to operate at full scale. Recently, Kerala maritime board has expressed willingness to. transfer 5 acres of land adjacent to Vizinjam harbour to the Kerala government for development of Port-linked logistics facilities. However, the proposal is still in early stage and 5 acres is still a small parcel of land for what can be India’s largest logistics hub. The third challenge is regional competition, Colombo port and Kochi’s ICTT deepening. However, Vizinjam port, with its natural 20m depth and 28m in-sea draft, easily outclasses both ports. That said, Colombo and Kochi are both established ports with connectivity and long-established port-linked logistics. Without addressing the connectivity and logistics issues, Vizinjam will find it hard to compete with Colombo port and Cochin ICTT.
What Kerala should do (12-point action plan)
- There is no substitute for connectivity
FastTrack funding and land for the NH-66 permanent interchange at Thalakode; keep a transparent acquisition/compensation dashboard. Put the 10.7 km rail tunnel on a war footing. The process of KRCL EPC tender to contract award to milestone-based payments should be done with monthly public progress reports.
- Create a Port-Led Industrial & Logistics Zone (PLILZ).
Operationalise 200+ acres for ICDs, CFSs, bonded warehouses, cold-chain, and value-add stuffing/de-stuffing, light assembly. Use plug-and-play sheds with 24×7 customs, weighbridges, and refer points.
- One-stop regulatory window.
Create a single digital window for customs, port health, plant/animal quarantine, EDI, and coastal shipping permits. Service level Agreement (SLA) approvals within 24 hours, and amendments within 6 hours.
- Give time-bound, Feeder, and gateway cargo incentives.
Give a 24-month feeder subsidy per TEU for coastal legs from Tuticorin, Mangalore, Chennai, Ennore, and Krishnapatnam to build weekly windows. In addition, the Government can also give truck turn-time rebates and toll waivers for first-mover shippers to shift gateway cargo to Vizinjam.
- Lock in the lines.
In collaboration with Adani group, the Central government of India, enter into structured MoUs with top carriers MSC, Maersk, CMA-CGM, and Hapag-Lloyd for minimum calls and hub-and-spoke schedules. Performance-linked rebates for berth productivity and crane intensity can be instituted to improve efficiency, for example greater than 35 moves/hour crane.
- Green hub positioning.
Promote Green transition of shipping by promoting low emission fuels. Perform phase-wise bunkering from VLSFO/LNG to methanol readiness, shore power for container vessels, and green-corridor partnerships. Make Vizhinjam the lowest-emissions call in the Indian Ocean.
- Skill and jobs pipeline.
Launch a Maritime & Logistics Academy in Thiruvananthapuram with fast-track programs for RTG/STS operators, reefer techs, and freight forwarders. Sign 100% placement tie-ups with terminal operators and Third-Party Logistics operators.
- Digitise to differentiate.
Create a Port Community System with slot booking, yard visibility, E-gate passes, and API links for forwarders. Publish live truck turn-time and berth productivity.
- Cargo capture from the South Indian hinterland.
Organise dedicated sales roadshows in industrial belts of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, in places like Sriperumbudur, Hosur, Coimbatore, Hubballi. Showcase rate cards showing door-to-port turnaround time (TAT) and landed cost advantages in comparison to Colombo routing to highlight the competitive advantage of Vizinjam over Colombo.
- Support services cluster.
Facilitate marine insurance desks, banks, P&I clubs, surveyors, ship chandlers, and a 24×7 crew-change and seafarer medical facility to make Vizhinjam a true hub port.
- Coordinate with the Central government on policy matters.
Seek priority on cabotage facilitation, rail haulage rebates for containers, and fast customs risk-management green-channelling for trusted shippers.
- Tell the story—then show the metrics.
Publish quarterly public Key Performance Indicators (KPIs): vessel calls, TEUs, average dwell time, truck TAT, and hinterland share shifted from Colombo. Early reports already show strong volumes and record single-vessel exchanges. It is now up to the Kerala government, Adani group management, and the Central government to build on the momentum.
What success looks like (24–36 months?)
Weekly mainline calls on at least two East-West services + dense feeder web to all South Indian gateways.
Truck TAT ≤ 60 minutes, container dwell ≤ 48 hours, and rail share ≥ 25% of inland moves.
Meaningful diversion of India-linked transhipment from Colombo, with Vizhinjam recognized as the preferred South Asia call for ultra-large container vessels. allynintl.com
Bottom line: The hardware (deep water, big-ship capability) is proven. The next 12–24 months are about hinterland rails/roads, logistics real estate, and predictable processes. If Kerala delivers those three, Vizhinjam can anchor a new logistics economy for the state and reshape India’s transshipment map. If Kerala fails to deliver these three, not only will Vizinjam’s potential remain untapped, but it will also further reinforce Kerala’s image as a state unfriendly to business. It will end up severely hampering any hope of attracting further investment into Kerala, thus impacting job creation across the state.