That is the biggest takeaway from commencement of the second phase of development of the Vizhinjam International Seaport.

A proud Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said after inaugurating the second phase of development that it has created a new chapter in the history of infrastructure development in the State. The critics and the cynics have been put in their place. Kerala, Pinarayi said, has become a state where everything has started happening – and happening fast. Today, we have made the Vizhinjam project a reality amid those caustic comments and criticism, and we are entering the project’s second phase, he added.

The launch of the second phase works has made Kerala a major power in the logistics sector. No other part of the world can claim the achievement of Vizhinjam port, which surpassed the institutional annual capacity of one million TEUs of cargo in just 10 months in the opening year itself.

The port has, so far, handled 615 ships, including the largest mother ships in the world, and 1.32 million containers in the first year itself. This feat has left many ports which commenced operations before Vizhinjam far behind. Vizhinjam is firmly set on the road to becoming a major transshipment hub on the international shipping route. Vizhinjam will also strengthen its position as a major crew hub, with the Union Government approving port as an immigration checkpoint. The tourism sector is also set to get a big boost as luxury cruise ships will now come to Vizhinjam.

As part of the second phase of development, the existing 800-metre container berth is being expanded to 2,000 metres. When completed, Vizhinjam will also boast the longest container berth in the country. Likewise, the existing 2.96-km breakwater will be extended to 3.85 km. No land needs to be acquired for the second phase. The requirement for land will be met by reclaiming the sea. As many as 12 new ship-to-shore cranes and 27 new yard cranes will also be installed in addition to the existing ones.

The first phase of the port is capable of handling the world’s largest container ships with a container capacity of 24,000 TEUs. This itself is good enough. With the completion of the next phases, this port will be able to handle next-gen container ships with a capacity of up to 28,840 TEUs. And the port is set to be expanded to handle up to five motherships simultaneously.

Once its construction is completed, the port, which began operations as a national transshipment terminal serving Indian ports, will become an international transshipment hub. The next phase of works will be completed 17 years ahead of schedule – that is, in 2028 itself and the State will start receiving its revenue share from 2035, the Chief Minister pointed out. This remarkable feat has been achieved by the sheer dint of the Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s will power and commitment of the LDF Government.

The State has spent about Rs 5,500 crore for the first phase of the port. No other Government has made such a huge investment in port construction. The message Kerala is beaming to the world from Vizhinjam is that Kerala is changing, Kerala is racing forward, the CM said, adding that there are still man things to be done here.

Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal, who was the chief guest at the function, praised the LDF Government for its remarkable job. The function was attended also by Karan Adani, managing director of Adani Ports and SEZ Limited (APSEZ), ministers and others.

In another heart-warming development, Kerala has signed Expressions of Intent (EOIs) worth Rs 1.18 lakh crore at the World Economic Forum in Davos. Disclosing this in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala’s Industries Minister P. Rajeeve said the EOIs were signed with various companies from the US, UK, Germany, Spain, Italy and South Africa. This is the first time that Kerala is raising investments from the World Economic Forum.

The Kerala delegation held face-to-face discussions with representatives of 67 companies, out of which 27 companies have signed EOIs. The MoUs were signed with companies in the medical industry, renewable energy, data centre and emerging technology sectors. Rajeeve said 24 per cent of the MoUs signed at the Invest Kerala Global Summit organised in Kochi last year have entered the construction stage.

The delegation led by Rajeeve also held a breakfast discussion with CEOs of 22 major companies participating in the World Economic Forum. Investment opportunities in Kerala were introduced to major companies and international media. (IPA Service)