Kerala's Vizhinjam set to become latest gateway for India's exports, imports

📌 Summary:

• The Vizhinjam International Transshipment Seaport (Kerala) has been notified as a customs port by the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC), opening it for export-import (EXIM) cargo, having so far operated only as a transshipment hub
• EXIM operations begin August 18 (part of the state's 100-day action plan), turning Vizhinjam into a full-fledged export-import gateway
• India's first deepwater international transshipment port; built at ~Rs 8,900 crore under PPP mode, operated by Adani Ports (APSEZ) with the Kerala government holding the majority stake
• Scale: began operations July 2024; within 18 months handled 2 million TEUs, making it one of the world's fastest-growing container ports
• Conditions: no Container Freight Station (CFS) attached yet, so only direct movement of full containers is allowed; imported containers must move to the importer's premises within 48 hours; loose cargo needing de-stuffing is not permitted
• Expected benefits: lower logistics costs, better supply-chain efficiency, higher exporter competitiveness, more investment and jobs in shipping and logistics

🎯 UPSC Relevance: GS3 (Economy — port-led development, infrastructure, PPP, logistics competitiveness); Prelims map and ports facts

📝 Prelims Facts:

• Vizhinjam = India's first deepwater international transshipment port, in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala
• Built under PPP by Kerala government + Adani Ports (APSEZ); ~Rs 8,900 crore; operational since July 2024
• Handled 2 million TEUs within 18 months; TEU = twenty-foot equivalent unit

🔑 Key Term: Transshipment port — a hub where containers are transferred between ships, reducing India's dependence on foreign hubs like Colombo, Singapore and Dubai