Vizhinjam International Seaport, operated by Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone, has handled about 1.012 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in nine months since the start of commercial operations on December 3, 2024.
The figure, announced at the port on Wednesday, exceeds the level originally expected by the end of the first year.
Kerala Ports Minister V. N. Vasavan said at the ceremony: “This is a proud moment for Kerala and India as an emerging maritime power.” He added that work on the port’s second phase, as well as on rail and road links, would begin soon.
Since opening, the port has received more than 460 vessel calls, including ultra-large container vessels of up to 399.99 meters. Vizhinjam set a national benchmark for a single-vessel exchange with 10,576 TEUs handled on the MSC Paloma.
The terminal operates eight ship-to-shore cranes and 24 automated yard cranes with AI and IoT-enabled systems. Officials attribute faster turnaround to these facilities, together with the port’s location near the main East-West shipping lane and a natural draft of about 18.5 meters, which allows the world’s largest boxships to call with limited dredging. In June the port received MSC Irina, one of the world’s largest container ships.
State officials said Vizhinjam is on track to handle between 1.3 million and 1.4 million TEUs by December 2025 as services expand and connectivity improves.
Vizhinjam stated in an official social post: “A landmark achievement — handling 1 million TEUs in its first year of operations.”
Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Limited (APSEZ) is a publicly listed company incorporated in India and part of the Adani Group. It operates a portfolio of ports and terminals across the country and abroad, and in the financial year ending March 2025 reported cargo volumes of around 450 million metric tonnes with a container market share of approximately 45.5 percent.
Vizhinjam International Seaport Limited (VISL) is a special purpose government company established by the Government of Kerala, India, to develop the Vizhinjam port project. The port’s first phase is designed for around 1 million TEUs of capacity, with planned expansion that could add over 6 million TEUs in subsequent phases.