Tuticorin (Tamil Nadu) [India], November 7 (ANI): Mainline container vessel MV Haian Alfa made its maiden call at VO Chidambaranar Port Authority's Dakshin Bharat Gateway Terminal (DBGT) in Tuticorin on Saturday, marking a boost to the port's connectivity with Vietnam and other international markets.

The new service is expected to provide additional shipping opportunities for exporters and importers in the region.

The Vietnamese-flagged vessel, with a container capacity of 1,781 TEUs, a length overall (LOA) of 171.9 metres and a beam of 28.4 metres was berthed at DBGT Terminal. The vessel operates under the Chennai-Vietnam (CVI) Service, operated by Samsara Shipping Pvt. Ltd. The service follows a port rotation of Tuticorin (India) - Chennai (India) - Ho Chi Minh (Vietnam) - Hai Phong (Vietnam) - Qinzhou (China) - Port Klang (Malaysia) - Tuticorin (India), according to the release. 

As per the service schedule, the transit time from Tuticorin is approximately seven days to Ho Chi Minh and ten days to Hai Phong. The service is scheduled to operate on a fortnightly basis, providing regular container connectivity to Vietnam and Malaysia. 

As per the release, during its maiden call at VOC Port, MV Haian Alfa handled a total of 823 TEUs of containers. This includes 723 TEUs of import containers predominantly for Vinfast and 100 TEUs of transhipment containers destined for Colombo. It is expected to facilitate the export of regional products, including rice and cereal products, bone meal, raw cashew, seafood, cotton, yarn, chemicals, cashew, food items, beverages, coir products, coco peat and garments. 

Dakshin Bharat Gateway Terminal hosted a brief event to celebrate the commencement of the new service. 

The occasion was graced by Rajesh Soundararajan, IAS, Deputy Chairperson, VOC Port Authority, Sudipta Banerjee, Traffic Manager, VOC Port Authority, Senthilkumar Subramanian, CEO, Dakshin Bharat Gateway Terminal, Bakshi Mohammed Hanif, General Manager, Samsara Group, Mumbai, Capt. Nguyen Nam Tinh, Captain of the vessel, and senior officials of the Port and members of the maritime trade community.

V.O. Chidambaranar Port handled 5.16 lakh TEUs of container traffic during April-October 2026 in the Financial Year 2026-27, registering a growth of 2.56% compared with 5.03 lakh TEUs handled during the corresponding period of the previous financial year, as stated in the release. 

Dakshin Bharat Gateway Terminal (DBGT), with a 335.5-metre berth, a draft of 14.2 metres and an annual container-handling capacity of 6 lakh TEUs, provides container-handling facilities at V.O. Chidambaranar Port, supporting regional and international maritime connectivity, as also stated in the release. 

The addition of Tuticorin to the CVI Service is expected to strengthen the Port's connectivity with Vietnam and other international markets, expand shipping options and create further opportunities for export-import (EXIM) trade, particularly for industries in the Port's hinterland.

Susanta Kumar Purohit, IRSEE, Chairperson, V.O. Chidambaranar Port Authority, stated, "The maiden call of M.V. Haian Alfa at VOC Port marks an important step in strengthening our direct connectivity with Vietnam, facilitating the movement of cargo between the region and overseas markets. VOC Port remains committed to strengthening its infrastructure and maritime connectivity to support EXIM trade and the industrial growth of its hinterland." (ANI)