Kerala: Building a Global Maritime Hub - Dr. Jayakumar

The vision of the Honourable Chief Minister to convert Kerala into a global maritime hub is indeed commendable. In line with this vision, it is recognized that this objective can be effectively achieved through the adoption of innovative concepts besides planned interventions along the coastline. - Dr. Jayakumar (Former Managing Director and CEO, Vizhinjam International Seaport Limited And Member – Kerala Maritime Board)

<span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:

150%;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#002060">Introduction<o:p></o:p>

The

vision of the Honourable Chief Minister to convert Kerala into a global

maritime hub is indeed commendable. In line with this vision, it is recognized

that this objective can be effectively achieved through the adoption of

innovative concepts besides planned interventions along the coastline. Kerala

today possesses a unique advantage with two international ports (Vizhinjam

Deepwater Multipurpose port and Container Transhipment Terminal at Vallarpadom,

Cochin), and a network of shallow (small and intermediate) ports along its

coastline. <o:p></o:p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;line-height:

150%">However,

ports alone do not create prosperity and socio - economic growth of the region.

Around the world, successful port regions such as Shanghai, Singapore,

Rotterdam, and Dubai have demonstrated that the real value of ports lies in the

ecosystems they support – logistics, manufacturing, tourism, trade, innovation,

and services.<o:p></o:p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:justify;line-height:

150%">The

emergence of Vizhinjam Port presents Kerala with a historic opportunity.

Combined with Cochin Port and the state’s wider maritime network, it can

catalyse investments, create employment, strengthen global connectivity, and

support the growth of the blue economy.<o:p></o:p>

To

realise this potential, Kerala needs an integrated approach that connects port

infrastructure with industrial development, tourism, transportation, fisheries,

urban planning, environmental stewardship, and skill development. A plausible approach

would be to effectively integrate our entire maritime ecosystem into a coherent

development strategy.<o:p></o:p>

With

the natural resources available and the immense maritime potential, Kerala can

emerge as India’s leading port-driven economy while maintaining its commitment

to sustainability and quality of life. In this context, it is vital to select the

ports based on the potential, type of development, their feasibility and how

coastal shipping, which plays an important role in Kerala, can be incorporated.  <o:p></o:p>

Instead

of looking at Kerala as a coastal state with ports, it would be more

appropriate to see as a potential port - state economy.  Kerala's opportunity is different — it lies

in corridor logic (proximity to the world's busiest east-west shipping

lane), ecosystem differentiation (a biodiversity-rich coastline, an

existing blue economy), and nodal completeness (connecting a tiered port

network with waterways, roads, rail, and inland logistics).<o:p></o:p>

In

this context, a structured strategic framework for an integrated maritime hub

in Kerala can be as follows: <o:p></o:p>

</div>

<span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;

color:#002060">Three-Tier Port Architecture <o:p></o:p>

The

fundamental design principle should be that each port in the state serves a

distinct and complementary role. Rather than treating all ports as variations

of the same facility, Kerala needs a differentiated

hierarchy — anchor ports of

international significance, regional

ports serving specific industrial and geographic needs, and coastal (nodes) ports that form the

connective tissue of an integrated maritime transport network.<o:p></o:p>

<span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;

color:#002060">Tier 1: The Two Anchor (International) Ports<o:p></o:p>

Vizhinjam's

singular advantage<span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:150%;

font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"> is geographic and geological. Located

approximately 10 nautical miles from the main east-west international shipping

lane, it possesses a natural draft of over 20 metres — which means ultra-large

container vessels (18,000–24,000 TEU class) can call without expensive and

ecologically damaging continuous dredging. The port is being developed mainly

as a container transhipment terminal, and this is the right primary function —

but the surrounding development ecosystem needs to be built in parallel to

realize its full potential.<o:p></o:p>

One of

the largest container vessels at Vizhinjam Deepwater International Seaport<span style="font-size:15.0pt;line-height:

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font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p>

Around

Vizhinjam, the priority developments should be a Free Trade and Warehousing

Zone and a Multi – Modal Logistics Park to attract value-added logistics, a

ship repair and green bunkering cluster besides the outer area growth corridor

and related project on the anvil.  <o:p></o:p>

Kochi's

development story<span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:150%;

font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"> is ongoing: the multipurpose cargo port, international

container terminal at Vallarpadom, Cochin Shipyard, and an emerging

cosmopolitan knowledge economy. The strategic direction for Kochi is to become

a maritime knowledge economy hub — a city whose prosperity derives not

only from physical cargo movement but from ship design, cruise tourism, and

maritime services. <o:p></o:p>

<span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;

color:#002060">Tier 2: Regional Ports<o:p></o:p>

Beypore

(Kozhikode) requires careful thinking because the temptation will be to transform

it into a modern container terminal. Shallow water depths and dredging

constraints limit its scalability for deep-draft vessels. However, Beypore's

true strategic value lies in two things: its dhow-building heritage (the

construction of traditional wooden vessels), and its role as a regional

cargo hub for northern Kerala. Construction materials, consumer goods, and

agricultural inputs for the Malabar region should move through Beypore rather

than by road. A heritage maritime cultural zone built around the traditional

shipbuilding yards, combined with a maritime museum, fishing harbor

modernisation, and tourism economy would create something genuinely

distinctive.<o:p></o:p>

Azhikkal

(Kannur) plays an entirely different role: it is the industrial entry point for

the Kannur-Kasaragod corridor. Fertilisers, petrochemicals, minerals,

construction aggregates currently move by road from south and north, adding

both cost and congestion. The depth available at Azhikkal riverine port is not

sufficient for large bulk carriers, but medium-sized vessels and barges are

feasible. Developing Azhikkal as a dedicated multi-purpose port along with an SEZ

and emerging industrial estates in this corridor, would meaningfully reduce

logistics costs for northern Kerala's manufacturing and agricultural sectors. Developing

an outer harbour to serve as the maritime gateway to the Malabar region needs top

priority. <o:p></o:p>

Thankasseri

Port

(Kollam) functions as an all-weather lighterage port that blends historical

maritime significance with modernized coastal infrastructure. Maintaining an

operational water depth of 6.5 meters, the port allows direct berthing access

for medium-sized cargo vessels. Neendakara port in Kollam is a major fishing

harbour, which lies very close to Thankasseri port.  A dedicated Fisheries and Seafood Processing

SEZ at Neendakara, built around the existing fishing harbor, with cold chain

infrastructure, would transform the economics of Kerala's fishing communities

and create substantial export value. <o:p></o:p>

<span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;

color:#002060">Tier 3: Coastal (Ports) Nodes<o:p></o:p>

<span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:

150%;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Alappuzha, Ponnani and Kasaragod<span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;

mso-bidi-font-weight:bold"> minor ports may be developed with minimum

infrastructure facilities to facilitate coastal shipping activities in Kerala. Development

of a marina at Alappuzha Port is promising due to its strategic location on the

coast, existing backwater network, and strong tourism base. It can anchor

Kerala’s coastal tourism circuit by offering safe berthing, maintenance, and

hospitality services for leisure craft and cruise yachts.  <o:p></o:p>

</div>

<span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;

color:#2F5496;mso-themecolor:accent1;mso-themeshade:191">The Coastal Shipping

Network — The Critical Missing Link<o:p></o:p>

Kerala's

road network, particularly NH-66, is operating beyond capacity for much of its

length. The environmental and economic case for coastal shipping is

overwhelming: cargo moved by sea emits roughly one-fifth to one-third of the CO<span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Cambria Math",serif;

mso-bidi-font-family:"Cambria Math"">₂<span style="font-size:11.0pt;

line-height:150%;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"> per tonne-kilometre compared

to road haulage, and at lower unit cost for bulk cargo. <o:p></o:p>

A container

feeder service between Vizhinjam and Kochi is the most commercially urgent.

A regular, reliable feeder service connecting the two creates the commercial

logic for both ports: Kochi-bound international containers can be transhipped

at Vizhinjam from ultra-large vessels and ferried up the coast, while export

containers collected from Kochi can be consolidated, and fed to Vizhinjam for

mainline loading.<o:p></o:p>

Another

imminent need is the bulk coastal cargo service running the full

north-south spine — Kasaragod to Vizhinjam — that would carry construction

materials, food grains, fertilisers, and industrial inputs, removing

significant freight tonnage from NH-66 and parallel state highways. This

requires investment in simple roll-on / roll-off (Ro-Ro) ramps, cargo jetties,

and warehousing at each node, not full port infrastructure.<o:p></o:p>

The Ro-Ro

vehicle ferry service is the highest-visibility intervention for general

public benefit — particularly for tourist vehicles and commercial goods

vehicles. A Ro-Ro service connecting Kozhikode, Kochi, and Thiruvananthapuram

would offer journey times competitive with road for passengers on congested

roads.<o:p></o:p>

</div>

<span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;

color:#2F5496;mso-themecolor:accent1;mso-themeshade:191">A Novel Concept in

Coastal Shipping<o:p></o:p>

An

innovative concept employing Green Small Container (GSC) units can augment

coastal shipping and revitalize the minor ports. More than a container, the GSC

represents an integrated logistics ecosystem designed to connect the hinterland

directly to coastal shipping networks through modular containerization, shallow

port operations and smart logistics management. 

<o:p></o:p>

Each

container is of approximate dimensions 6.5 ft x 8.0 ft x 8.5 ft.  These containers allow transportation through

narrow roads, village routes, plantation regions, hilly terrains and urban

environments using light commercial vehicles. Unlike conventional 20-foot

containers, GSC units can be independently transported, loaded and unloaded close

to the cargo source. <o:p></o:p>

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Three

GSC units can be securely interconnected to form a composite cargo unit having

dimensions equivalent to a conventional 20-foot rectangular container (TEU)

compatible to gantry cranes at deep ports and conventional container vessels <o:p></o:p>

Cargo

can be moved through small trucks, light commercial vehicles via roads and by

small vessels / barges via rivers and inland waterways to the shallow

ports.  The shallow ports function as

cargo consolidation centres from where the GSC units are loaded on to barges or

shallow-draft vessels for integration with the main coastal shipping network at

deep-water anchorages of ports.<o:p></o:p>

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</div>

<span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;

color:#4472C4;mso-themecolor:accent1">Institutional Governance<o:p></o:p>

Public-Private

Partnership model offers the most effective path for Kerala’s maritime sector.

It combines the state’s land, policy support, and oversight with private

investment and global operational expertise to build and operate a globally

competitive maritime hub. This must be pursued with strict environmental

safeguards, including impact assessments, continuous monitoring, and

site-specific mitigation measures to protect coastal ecosystems and fishing

livelihoods during project implementation.<o:p></o:p>

Kerala: Building a Global Maritime Hub - Dr. Jayakumar

Haulage Times Daily Intelligence