Vizhinjam Port begins full EXIM operations with first shipment of Kerala chips to Spain

Vizhinjam International Seaport began full export-import operations on 18 August 2026, marking its shift from a transshipment hub to a commercial gateway for Kerala and southern India.

The first EXIM container carried approximately 7 tonnes of value-added Kerala products, including banana chips, jackfruit chips and GI-tagged Marayur jaggery. The consignment was shipped by Thiruvananthapuram-based Nilamel Exports to Valencia Port in Spain, with Spain-based Kerala Stores as the importer.

Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan flagged off the shipment. Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal attended the ceremony. Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone CEO Ashwani Gupta described the move as opening a new gateway between India and the world.

EXIM operations began 20 months after commercial operations started. Vizhinjam is the first Indian port to use a fully automated, algorithm-driven system with artificial intelligence for cargo handling.

The state government has linked the milestone to Mission Samudra, a port-led industrial and logistics programme built around Vizhinjam as the anchor of a wider maritime economic region. A Phase 2 expansion of ₹16,000 crore is planned to raise annual capacity to 5.7 million TEUs by December 2028 and create more than 5,000 additional jobs. Cumulative Adani Group investment in the project is projected to reach ₹30,000 crore.

Direct sailings from Vizhinjam are expected to cut transit time for European-bound cargo from southern India to roughly 24 days, compared with nearly two months via existing routes.