Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala’s logistics sector is poised for a significant transformation with the operationalization of Vizhinjam Port, presenting lucrative opportunities for investors. Finance Minister K N Balagopal, speaking at the Vizhinjam Conclave organized by the Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation and the Trivandrum Chamber of Commerce and Industry, highlighted the state government’s commitment to developing private logistics parks and container freight stations.
To facilitate this expansion, the government will provide land and plug-and-play facilities along the 70km, six-lane highway stretching from Vizhinjam to Navaikulam. Additionally, the Kerala Maritime Board, in collaboration with private stakeholders, is working to establish logistics parks and modernize existing ports.
The minister also unveiled plans to develop the Vizhinjam-Kollam-Punalur corridor, which will house multimodal parks, storage hubs, assembling units, and logistics facilities. The state envisions Vizhinjam emerging as a major player in India’s container transshipment industry.
Currently, the port has a handling capacity of one million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), with projections to scale up to 6.2 million TEUs. This expansion is expected to secure 15% of India’s transshipment market, positioning Vizhinjam as a strategic competitor to international hubs like Colombo and Dubai.
