A glorious 90 years journey of Visakhapatnam Port, the pride of the city

Visakhapatnam Port commemorates 90 years of its operation, making the city of destiny proud. Skillful in cargo handling and contributing a lot to the growth of India, the Visakhapatnam Port Trust (VPT), the pride of Vizag, has stepped into the 91st year looking forward to making more and more achievements. Registering growth in leaps and bounds since its inception in December 1933, the VPT has become one of the 12 major ports in India.

Gifted with a natural harbour with deepwater basins formed by a high cliff into the sea, known as Dolphin’s Nose Hill, to the south and Ross Hill to the north of the entry channel, the port was formally inaugurated on December 19, 1933, by Lord Willington, the Viceroy and Governor General of India.

The port was built for Rs. 3.78 crore, and initiated operations with just three berths now has a capacity of 31 berths handling a record number of tonnes of cargo. A testament to the engineering marvel, the entrance channel of the port featured a unique ‘island breakwater’ safeguarding against silting marking a significant chapter in its history.

The VPT, which handled 1.3 lakh tonnes in the first year of its operation, created a national record by handling 3.42 lakh tonnes of cargo on May 29, 2023, which is the highest volume in a single day handled by any major port in the country. The previous best performance at the national level was 3.26 lakh tonnes by Kandla Port on March 11, 2003.

The VPT, which was ranked third among the major ports in India in terms of cargo transportation, has several awards to its kitty for its maritime excellence. The awards include the Raytheon 4-Star Supplier Excellence Award, Distinguished Supplier Award for Outstanding On-time Delivery by L3 Space and Sensors, and ITT Supplier Excellence Award.

Massive capacity expansion and modernisation plans are being implemented in a mission mode, aligning with the VPT’s growing strategic importance in trade with China, Australia, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, South Africa, Nigeria, and countries in the Persian Gulf.

Completing a glorious journey of 90 years, the Visakhapatnam Port stands tall as a symbol of growth and transformation, making a significant contribution to the prosperity of the city.

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