India, May 2 -- Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday commissioned India's first deepwater transhipment port at Kerala's Vizhinjam, the first step in making India a global shipping hub.

The Vizhinjam International Deepwater Seaport in Kerala was conceptualised in 1991 and to its current operational status in 2025, the project has navigated through numerous hurdles, from legal, environmental, logistical, to financial.

Built under the public private partnership mode at the cost of Rs.8,900 crore, the port is operated by the Adani Group and the Kerala government holds a majority stake in it.

Now that it is operational, it has the potential of revolutionising the shipping industry in the country, saving $220 million annually for the count...