V.O. Chidambaranar (VOC) Port in Tuticorin has strengthened its regional maritime connectivity with the arrival of the mainline container vessel M.V. Nawata Bhum at Dakshin Bharat Gateway Terminal (DBGT) on October 18, 2026. The new service is expected to improve shipping links with South China and Vietnam, expand market access and create additional opportunities for exporters and importers.
Operated by Regional Container Line (RCL), the Singapore-flagged vessel has a capacity of approximately 1,100 TEUs, a length of 147.82 metres and a beam of 23.38 metres. The service offers transit times of 13 days from Qinzhou, China, to Tuticorin and 12 days from Haiphong, Vietnam, to Tuticorin. Chakiat Shipping Services Pvt. Ltd., Tuticorin, is the vessel’s agent.
The service follows a port rotation covering Qinzhou, Haiphong, Tuticorin, Kattupalli, Chu Lai and Qinzhou. Initially, it will operate on a fortnightly schedule, with plans to increase frequency to weekly sailings depending on market demand. The service will also provide shipping lines and non-vessel-operating common carriers (NVOCCs) with an additional transshipment option through Kattupalli for outbound export cargo.
VOC Port handled 4.42 lakh TEUs of container traffic up to September in FY 2026-27, registering a 3.18% increase over the 4.28 lakh TEUs recorded during the corresponding period of the previous financial year.
DBGT, which has a 335.5-metre berth, a draft of 14.2 metres and an annual container-handling capacity of six lakh TEUs, plays a key role in supporting the port’s growing container trade.
The new shipping service is expected to benefit industries in the port’s hinterland, particularly solar panel manufacturing, electric vehicle manufacturing and electronics, by improving access to markets in China and Vietnam.
VOC Port Authority Chairperson Susanta Kumar Purohit said the vessel’s arrival marked an important step in strengthening regional maritime connectivity and facilitating export-import trade. He added that the upcoming third container terminal at Berth No. 7 and the Outer Harbour project would enhance container-handling capacity, attract additional shipping services and strengthen the port’s position as a major container hub on India’s east coast.