Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala - On Friday, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan welcomed the first mothership 'San Fernando' at the Vizhinjam International Seaport. The CM expressed pride, stating that India has now entered the global map through this port, which can accommodate the world's largest ships. The port's operations are starting with a trial run and will be fully functional soon.
Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, and Adani Ports MD Karan Adani also attended the event. The 'San Fernando,' owned by SFL Corporation Ltd and chartered by Maersk, arrived on Thursday morning and was welcomed with a water salute. The ship, carrying over 1,000 containers, is part of a two-month trial run before the port's commercial operations begin in October.
Sonowal highlighted the port's significance for India's economic growth, while Gautam Adani, Chairman of Adani Group, called the event historic. The Vizhinjam International Seaport, close to Kovalam beach, is India's first transshipment port, reducing dependency on Colombo, Dubai, and Singapore ports. Built by Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd (APSEZ) with an investment of Rs 8,867 crore, the project started in 2016 and is expected to be fully completed by 2028, ahead of the original 2045 schedule.
Principal Secretary of the Port Department, K S Srinivas, noted that this is the largest port project in the PPP mode in India, with significant contributions from both the state and central governments.
Kerala is a state in the southern part of India, known for its beautiful backwaters, beaches, and rich culture.
CM stands for Chief Minister, who is the head of the government in an Indian state.
Pinarayi Vijayan is the current Chief Minister of Kerala, a state in India.
A mothership is a large ship that carries smaller boats or vessels. In this context, it refers to a big ship carrying many containers.
Vizhinjam International Seaport is a new port in Kerala, India, designed to handle large ships and containers from around the world.
Transshipment is the process of transferring goods from one ship to another. It helps in moving goods efficiently across the world.
Adani Ports is a company in India that builds and operates ports. They are responsible for constructing the Vizhinjam International Seaport.
Rs 8,867 crore is a large amount of money, where 'Rs' stands for Indian Rupees, and 'crore' means ten million. So, it is 88.67 billion rupees.
Sarbananda Sonowal is a minister in the Indian government, responsible for ports, shipping, and waterways.
Karan Adani is the Managing Director (MD) of Adani Ports, the company building the Vizhinjam International Seaport.
Containers are large metal boxes used to transport goods on ships. They can carry anything from clothes to electronics.
A trial run is a test period to make sure everything works correctly before starting full operations.
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