Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], January 24 (ANI): Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday inaugurated the second phase expansion of Vizhinjam Port in Kerala, with Karan Adani, Managing Director (MD) of Adani Ports & Special Economic Zone Ltd (APSEZ), stating that not only is it an expansion of the port but also of national capability.

'Today, as we lay the foundation for phase two, we are not merely expanding a port, we are expanding a national capability. With an additional investment of Rs 16,000 crores under phase two and a cumulative commitment of Rs 30,000 crores, Vizhinjam will scale from a capacity of 1 million TU to 5.7 million TUs by 2029. This is the largest investment committed by any business house in the state of Kerala,' he said.

Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal was also present on the ocassion.

Karan Adani said Vizhinjam is the result of sustained political will across administrations and across party lines.

He appreciated the Kerala Chief Minister's consistent support for Vizhinjam port, which helped in transforming a long-standing aspiration into a nationally and globally significant maritime asset.

Karan Adani also lauded 'bipartisan cooperation' from the political spectrum and said the project is a strong example of cooperative federalism in action.

'I must admit that we would not have been able to complete this project if not for the continuous support of the Chief Minister. He has been our biggest asset that an investor can ask for when implementing such a large green field project...I would also like to acknowledge the continuous support extended by the leader of the opposition, V. D. Satheesan and MP Shashi Tharoor for this project...This project is also a strong example of cooperative federalism in action,' he said.

'(It) sends a powerful signal to investors, to industry, and to the world that when it comes to Kerala's longterm interests, political differences give way to shared purpose,' he added.

In just 15 months of commercial operations, the port became the fastest Indian port to handle one million TEUs, firmly placing Kerala on the global shipping map, he said.

'In a remarkably short period, Vizhinjam has demonstrated what is possible when vision, execution, and partnership come together,' Karan Adani said.

'Vizhinjam will emerge as the largest transshipment port in the Indian subcontinent and a globally competitive maritime hub. Apart from being the largest transshipment port, Vizhinjam will also be the most technologically advanced port in India. It will be the lighthouse of how future Indian ports should operate,' he added.

According to the APSEZ website, Vizhinjam port is the only transshipment hub in the Indian subcontinent, closest to the international shipping routes, and is centrally located on the Indian coastline. It has a Natural draft of 20-24 m and minimal littoral drift. Vizhinjam Port offers large-scale automation for quick turnaround of vessels with state-of-the-art infrastructure to handle Megamax containerships. (ANI)