Posted on January 28, 2026
Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Limited is set to undertake the second phase of development of the Vizhinjam seaport at an estimated cost of around Rs 160 billion, with the announcement expected during the inauguration ceremony scheduled for Saturday.
The second phase of development will be inaugurated by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, according to sources familiar with the project. APSEZ expects the expansion to position Vizhinjam as the largest transshipment hub in the Indian subcontinent.
The Phase 2 project will add 4.1 million twenty-foot equivalent units to the port’s existing capacity, significantly enhancing its ability to handle container traffic. Sources said that while Vizhinjam is already among India’s most advanced and fully automated transshipment hubs, the new phase will incorporate updated automation technologies and next-generation equipment.
The expansion will include the deployment of 21 automated ship-to-shore cranes and 45 automated cantilever rail-mounted gantry cranes, along with a rail handling yard and advanced electrical and automation systems. Additional works will cover berth expansion, dredging and reclamation to create extra operational capacity, and the construction of the deepest breakwater in India, extending 920 metres at a depth of 21 metres.
Phase 2 will also feature the deployment of green infrastructure, including electric vehicle charging stations, as well as critical facilities such as an electrical substation, sewage treatment plant and International Ship and Port Facility Security fencing. The development is expected to significantly strengthen Vizhinjam’s competitiveness as a global maritime hub.
Going Higher
The year 2026 got off to a sorry start for the elevator industry with a 31-year-old security guard crushed to death when a lift collapsed on him in a Mulund East (Mumbai) housing society, and two boys, aged 11, grievously injured by falling into a lift duct when the third floor lift door in their Goregaon (Mumbai) building gave way.
Faulty door-lock wiring and poor maintenance by the vendor are most probably behind these tragic accidents. No month goes by without a fatal elevator accident in some city across India. CW asks why?
