MSC Shipping to acquire 49% stake in Adani Vizhinjam Port

Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Limited (APSEZ) and Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) Group's terminal arm, Terminal Investment Limited (TiL), on Tuesday entered into an agreement in which TiL will acquire a 49 per cent stake in Adani Vizhinjam Port Private Limited (AVPPL), the concessionaire for Vizhinjam port. 

APSEZ sources said that this would mean that TiL would invest approximately ₹132.28 billion to acquire the stake. The collaboration represents the single largest foreign private investment in Indian port infrastructure and establishes Vizhinjam as a dominant transshipment gateway in the Indian Ocean region. The agreement is expected to accelerate the expansion of the Vizhinjam port.

"Vizhinjam port has emerged as a premier transshipment hub and ramped up at an unprecedented pace, becoming the first Indian port to earn the unique distinction of crossing 2 million TEUs within 18 months of operations," said Mr Ashwani Gupta, Whole-time Director and CEO, APSEZ, in an official statement. 

This also marks the third major collaboration between APSEZ and MSC following successful joint ventures at ports in Mundra (Container Terminal No. 3) and Ennore.

"I am delighted to expand APSEZ’s long-standing partnership with MSC to Vizhinjam, as we prepare for the port’s next leg of journey. I am confident that our association will deliver enhanced supply chain efficiencies at a global scale and improve India’s access to key global mature and developing markets," he said. 

The APSEZ CEO identified four main advantages for Adani Ports. One, enhanced volume visibility and accelerated ramp-up ahead of plan, driven by additional cargo volumes. Two, a higher share of Bangladesh cargo, largely dependent on competing Southeast Asian transshipment hubs. Three, a stronger presence on East Africa trade routes. Four, elevated relay cargo volumes, which is the amount of freight transferred between two ships at an intermediate port. 

Commissioned in December 2024, Vizhinjam port is India's first deep-draft mega transshipment port with 1.6 million TEU capacity; a TEU or twenty-foot equivalent unit is the capacity of a 20-foot-long shipping container. So 1.6 million TEU means a port can handle 1.6 million shipping containers at a time.

The port is undergoing expansion that will increase capacity more than three-fold to 5.7 million TEUs by December 2028. Vizhinjam port is strategically located some 10 nautical miles from the East-West shipping route connecting Europe, the Persian Gulf, and the Far East. 

The port features a natural draft of 18–20m, a 2.9 km breakwater, an 800m berth, and advanced infrastructure, including 8 quay cranes and 24 fully automated yard cranes. 

As India's first automated port, Vizhinjam combines cutting-edge container handling systems, a world-class IT platform, and an AI-enabled indigenous Vessel Traffic Management System (VTMS) to drive operational efficiency, safety and reliability.

In its first year, Vizhinjam port handled 1.3 million TEUs and 615 vessels, becoming the fastest Indian port to cross the 1 million TEU milestone. Within 18 months, it surpassed 2 million TEUs and 950 vessels, setting another national record. In June 2026, Vizhinjam welcomed its 1,000th vessel.

The port has handled over 70 Ultra Large Container Vessels (ULCVs)—the highest among Indian ports—along with 283 vessels exceeding 300m in length and 98 vessels requiring drafts greater than 16m.