In what way(s) does the Vizhinjam International Seaport represent a structural shift in India's maritime trade and logistics policy ?
- 1.By functioning exclusively as a domestic cargo hub to reduce reliance on coastal shipping and eliminate the need for foreign collaborations.
- 2.By focusing primarily on passenger cruise tourism and heritage shipping to increase Kerala's profile as a maritime heritage destination.
- 3.By leveraging its natural deep draft and strategic location to reduce dependence on foreign trans-shipment ports, enhance revenue retention, and reposition India in regional maritime trade.
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Answer: D. Vizhinjam (Kerala), commissioned on 2 May 2025, is India's first deep-water container trans-shipment port, with natural depth of over 18 m close to the main East-West shipping route. It lets Indian cargo be trans-shipped at home instead of at Colombo, Singapore or Dubai, keeping revenue in India. Statements 1 and 2 are wrong: it is an international trans-shipment hub built with a private partner (Adani Ports), not a domestic or cruise port. So 3 only.
Watch for: Kerala's tourism image tempts students to choose the cruise option.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Wrong because Vizhinjam is an international trans-shipment port built through a public-private partnership.
- B. Wrong because it is a container port, not mainly a cruise or heritage port.
- C. Wrong because statement 2 is false.
Source to check: Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways and PIB release on commissioning of Vizhinjam International Seaport (May 2025)
Answer from the provisional UPSC key; it may change when the final key is out. Written and fact-checked by AI against the official key. Spotted a mistake? Report it.