India's Kerala welcomes first mothership at Vizhinjam Port. What is it?
Seaport. (image used for representational purposes only)
Vizhinjam International Seaport Limited (VISL) in India's southernmost state of Kerala reached a major milestone Thursday (Jul 11) as it welcomed its first mothership, which arrived from China. It is the first-ever arrival of such a large vessel at the country's largest transhipment port, managed by the Adani Group. The seaport commenced operations by receiving the mothership as part of a trial run. The port will be fully operational in September this year, marking the local festival of Onam.
What isa mothership?
A mothership is referred to as a large vessel that may serve as a base for smaller vessels or operations. It carries containers in large numbers, which are later off-loaded to other ships to be ferried to other nations and ports.
Also read:India`s Kerala reports fourth case of rare brain-eating amoeba infection; death toll at three
The mothership that arrived at Kerala port Thursday is named ‘San Fernando’, which is 300 metres long and 48 metres wide. As per reports, it will offload about 1,900 containers at the port on Friday.
Kerala CM's post
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
How fast can the Sukhoi Su-30 fighter jet really fly?
)
Did China ask its people 'not to respond to aliens'? Origin of bizarre claim on social media
)
MS Dhoni-CSK Fallout? Report claims failed stake sale talks triggered rift
)
Scientists reveal the SAFEST COUNTRY when catastrophe strikes the planet
)
Serial killer on the loose in South Korea's Jeju Island? Fourth body found in three days as more than a dozen people go missing
)
2/3rd of glacier detached, collapsed: ISRO satellite images reveal what triggered Nepal floods
)
Trump once again claims without him there would be ‘no Israel right now’
)
Foreign espionage attacks against German companies surge to 37%, Bitkom report reveals
)
Blake Lively wins partial legal fee from Justin Baldoni after $8M request
)
Why is Pakistan deploying Turkish Bayraktar TB2 drones near India border?
)
'OH MY GOD! We've found other agents!': Investigators discover not one or two, almost 700 OpenAI AI agents went rogue, hacked Hugging Face
)
Lunar eclipse 2026: India timings, places to see and more. August Blood moon factsheet
)
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on global outreach tour
)
Both pilots killed as training aircraft crashes in Lucknow – What we know
)
16-year-old charged with preparing terror attack on kindergarten in Norway
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
How the S-400 protects itself from enemy attacks
)
Nepal floods: Over 165 dead, 400 missing; US, India, China, World Bank mobilise aid
)
India's multi-layered watch: The new surveillance war
)
5 doomsday planes spotted in US skies hours after CIA director's secret trip to Russia
)
9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed to finally face trial in 2028, nearly 27 years after horrific attacks
)
Islamabad hospital fire: What we know about one of the biggest facility that housed Imran Khan
)
Workers run for life while filming Nepal flash flood: Scary new visuals emerge from Rasuwa
)
Russian military planes enter South Korean air defence zone amid rising tensions with North Korea: What's happening
)
Ron Weasley Is Back! Rupert Grint set to return to Harry Potter universe on Broadway
)
400-year-old 'vampire' grave in Poland reveals non-existent genetic lineage
)
Dolly Parton, global icon and queen of country music, dies at 80
)
Nepal flash floods: Kailash Mansarovar yatra affected, close to 400 pilgrims out of contact
)
'If he is dead, they're putting on a pretty good show': Trump casts fresh doubt over Mojtaba Khamenei's fate
)
Man arrested near US Capitol with guillotine in pickup truck: What happened?
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why the Su-30MKI cockpit is painted bright turquoise green
Chief Minister of Kerala, Pinarayi Vijayan, earlier said in a post on Facebook that the dream was approaching the shore of the state.
“The dream is approaching the shore. The first mothership is reaching Kerala’s Vizhinjam port,” Vijayan wrote.
According to Kerala Minister V N Vasavan, VISL is India's deep sea port with depths between 20 and 24 metres. It allows bigger vessels and cargo ships, including motherships, to dock at the port without any problem.
"Elsewhere, we would have to dredge to attain such depths,” the minister noted.
The Adani group has invested Rs 4,500 crore ($538 million) in the project.
Gautam Adani, Chairman of Adani Group, hailed the achievement in a post on X. “Historic Day as Vizhinjam welcomes its 1st container vessel! This milestone marks India’s entry into global transshipment and ushers in a new era in India’s maritime logistics,” he wrote.
Union Minister of Ports,Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal, said, “Under the leadership of PM Modi, in India, we have always been looking to develop transshipment hub for the container ships. Because of the lack of it, our opportunity has always been diverted to other nations. Many more transshipment hubs will be built in India, this is one of them.”
(With inputs from agencies)