The Vizhinjam International Seaport, operational since July 2024 on a trial
basis, has already proven to be a major source of revenue for both the central
and state governments. In just four months, the port has generated a total of
₹43.74 crore in Goods and Services Tax (GST) from ship movement alone. This GST amount, collected as tax on the
user fee paid by ships for entering and exiting the port, is shared equally
between the Centre and the State, meaning each earns ₹21.87 crore from this
segment of port activity.
Between July 2024 and March 31, 2025, a total of 258
ships used the port facilities. The Adani Group, which operates the port,
collected ₹243 crore as user fees during this period, averaging nearly ₹1 crore
per vessel.
The month of March
2025 was particularly busy for Vizhinjam Port, with 51 ships docking and cargo
volumes reaching 1.08 lakh TEUs (Twenty-foot Equivalent Units), a standard
measure for containerised cargo. That month alone, the user fee income amounted
to ₹38.65 crore. Besides GST on user fees, the central and state governments
also stand to earn further tax revenue from various port operations, including
goods handling and overall port management services.
The performance
so far is seen as a strong indication of Vizhinjam’s potential to become a
major maritime hub and an economic engine for Kerala.