MSC Luciana at Vizhinjam International Seaport
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Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) Group, the world’s largest container shipping company, will buy a 49% stake in Adani Group’s Vizhinjam International Seaport in Kerala for $1.397 billion (around ₹13,220 crore), in one of the biggest foreign investments in India’s port sector.The deal values Adani Vizhinjam Port Pvt Ltd (AVPPL), which operates the port, at $2.85 billion (about ₹26,960 crore), stated the company in an official release on Tuesday morning. The investment will be made through Terminal Investment Ltd (TiL), MSC’s global port operating arm, and is subject to regulatory approvals. The transaction also deepens the relationship between Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (APSEZ) and MSC. The two companies already jointly operate container terminals at Mundra and Ennore, making Vizhinjam their third partnership in India.For Adani Ports, the partnership is expected to bring a steady flow of cargo to the port, helping it ramp up operations faster. MSC’s global shipping network is also expected to help Vizhinjam attract more cargo currently routed through competing transshipment hubs in Southeast Asia, particularly shipments linked to Bangladesh. The partnership is also expected to strengthen the port’s connectivity with East Africa and increase relay cargo traffic. “Vizhinjam has emerged as a premier transshipment hub and has ramped up at an unprecedented pace,” stated Ashwani Gupta, Whole-time Director and CEO of APSEZ.Vizhinjam began commercial operations in December 2024 and has quickly emerged as one of India’s fastest-growing container ports. It currently has the capacity to handle 1.6 million containers (TEUs) annually and is being expanded to 5.7 million TEUs by December 2028. During FY26, the port handled 1.3 million containers and 615 ships. Within just 18 months of operations, it crossed the 2-million-container mark, becoming the first Indian port to achieve the milestone in such a short period. In June 2026, the port welcomed its 1,000th vessel.Located just 10 nautical miles from the busy East-West international shipping route connecting Europe, the Middle East and Asia, Vizhinjam has been developed as India’s first deep-water transshipment port. Its natural depth allows some of the world’s largest container ships to dock without extensive dredging. The port has already handled more than 70 ultra-large container vessels, the highest among Indian ports. It is also India’s first fully automated port, equipped with automated container handling systems and an AI-enabled vessel traffic management system.TiL, MSC’s terminal business, operates more than 100 container terminals across five continents and handles over 70 million containers every year. Published on June 30, 2026
