Thiruvananthapuram | Kerala Ports Minister V N Vasavan on Tuesday said that the Vizhinjam international seaport here has created several national records, including handling the highest number of ultra-large cargo vessels in the country, in the 10 months since it began operations in December last year.

Besides that, the port will also be handling MSC Verona, the deepest-draft container ship ever handled in the country, with a draft of 17.1 meters, which anchored at Vizhinjam on Tuesday morning, the minister said in a Facebook post.

The vessel is also the 500th ship that has arrived at the port since it began operations, indicating its growing importance in the international cargo shipping sector, he said.

The Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (APSEZ), which developed and operates the transshipment hub, said that of the 500 vessels handled at Vizhinjam, 28 were Ultra Large Container Vessels (ULCVs) -- the highest number ever recorded at a single Indian port.

Additionally, in the short span of 10 months since it began operations, Vizhinjam has already handled 1.1 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units), surpassing its initially projected annual capacity, APSEZ said in a statement.

"These numbers underscore the port's strategic significance in India's maritime infrastructure and its growing role in driving global trade," the statement said.

It further said that with a natural depth of 18–20 metres and minimal littoral drift, Vizhinjam is uniquely positioned to accommodate the world's largest container vessels.

"Its capabilities are rapidly transforming it into India's premier deep-water transshipment hub, connecting the nation seamlessly to major international trade routes and strengthening its footprint in the global shipping industry. As the port continues to scale new heights, it reinforces India's position as a key gateway in global shipping and trade networks," APSEZ said.