Vizhinjam Seaport marks first anniversary, second phase extension to begin by September

Vizhinjam International Seaport marks its first anniversary of the commercial berthing of the maiden mother ship MV San Fernando, owned by SFL Corporation Ltd. and chartered by Maersk (AP Moller Group), Denmark, carrying cargo from the Xiamen port in China on Saturday. Although the formal commercial commissioning of the port took place on December 3, 2014, the port began its limited scale operations on July 12, 2024 after a ceremonial reception for the first mother vessel. 

In just one year, Vizhinjam emerged as a symbol of India’s maritime might and technological and infrastructural leap by handling around 395 ships, including 23 ultra-large container vessels most notably, MSC Irina, the world’s largest container ship, which docked in India for the very first time and handling 8.4 lakh TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) of cargo, scripting a new milestone in the global port development benchmarks. This underscores the prowess of the Vizhinjam, as it has become one of the few ports globally to operate at full capacity within months of launch, a rare achievement.