Thiruvananthapuram, 2 May 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi officially commissioned the Vizhinjam International Seaport on Friday here in the presence of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, whose presence at the inauguration, Modi said, will give "sleepless nights" to many.

Modi also referred to Vijayan as a "pillar" of the opposition INDIA bloc.

The Prime Minister told Vijayan and Tharoor, who were on the dais, that their presence at the inauguration event would give "sleepless nights" to many. However, the person translating his speech did not translate it properly, and it prompted the PM to say, "the message has gone across to whom it was meant."

Giving details of the development in the country, Modi said that India was among the top three nations globally on the number of seafarers and in the last 10 years, the capacity of our ports has doubled, their efficiency improved and the turnaround time there decreased by 30 per cent.

Modi further said that the seaport has been constructed for Rs 8,800 crore, and its transshipment hub capacity is set to triple in the near future.

"It is designed to accommodate large cargo ships, addressing a critical need. Until now, 75 per cent of India's transshipment activities were conducted at foreign ports, resulting in significant revenue losses for the country."

"However, this is poised to change. The funds previously spent abroad will now be channeled into domestic development, creating new economic opportunities for the people of Vizhinjam and Kerala, ensuring that the nation's wealth directly benefits its citizens," he said.

He said that the people of Gujarat will be disappointed with Adani Group chairman Gautam Adani for building such a huge port in Kerala when he hails from the western Indian state.

He also said that State Ports Minister VN Vasavan's reference to Adani Group, a corporate entity, as a partner of the Communist government shows the changes taking place in the nation.

The PM also referred to the era before slavery and said that India flourished with prosperity for thousands of years.

"At one point, it held a significant share of the global GDP. What set India apart from other nations during that time was its impressive maritime capabilities and the thriving economic activity in its port cities. Kerala, in particular, played a major role in this success," he said.

Modi further said that the full potential of the port economy is realised when infrastructure development and ease of doing business are prioritised and promoted.

"Over the past decade, this approach has been the cornerstone of the government's port and waterways policies.

"Significant strides have been made in advancing industrial activities and driving the holistic development of the state," he said.

Earlier, the PM arrived at the port area by helicopter from Thiruvananthapuram city and walked around the transshipment hub wearing a hard hat.

The deep-water port has been developed by Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd (APSEZ), India's largest port developer and part of the Adani Group, under a public-private partnership.

Following a successful trial run, the port received its commercial commissioning certificate on 4 December last year.