Global container shipping major MSC on Tuesday flagged challenges it faces at Kerala’s Vizhinjam Port, including a lack of immigration facilities and the absence of systems that make documentation swifter.
Speaking at the India Maritime Week 2025 here, MSC Agency India’s managing director Deepak Tiwari said that the line has transshipped 1.1 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) of containers at the country’s newest port since its inauguration.
“All is not hunky dory,” Tiwari said, listing out concerns at the port operated by the Adani Group.
“We, as a shipping line, have already done over 1.1 million TEUs of transhipment in Vizhinjam. And it has all been done with a manual system. Why? Because we didn’t have an ICEGATE,” he said.
An ICEGATE refers to Indian Customs Electronic Gateway which allows for the electronic filing of import and export declarations, duty payments, and other customs-related services.
Stating that the Adani Group has spent a lot of money, time and effort in creating the “star port” in India, he highlighted other concerns as well.
“‘… we do not have an immigration department there. Due to that, our crew cannot even go ashore. They come to the most beautiful part of India and they can’t go ashore. There is no immigration!”
Tiwari said that the port has been operational since July 2024 and the shippers continue to face such troubles in October 2025 as well.
He also underlined the need to have common import-export documentation procedures across the board at all the Indian ports.
“The documentation must be common, the procedures must be common. Today, procedures and documentation at various ports and ICDs (Inland Container Depot) are not common. That’s what makes things difficult both for the logistic chains and also shipping,” he said.
He also appealed to ports to ensure that ships are able to sail out as soon as possible by spending the least amount of time at facilities.
Tiwari, however, said that there are a lot of exciting opportunities offered by India in the maritime sector.
“These are very exciting times for India. We have a lot of positivity, a lot of energy. We will partner with ports and the Indian system to see the Viksit Bharat that is dreamt of,” he added.
