The transportation of merchandise from Natakam or Kottayam port offers advantages to over a thousand exporters and local businesses in Central Trivandrum (Kerala). Given Kottayam’s abundant inland waterways, it can facilitate the shipment of goods from the district to various locations within India and overseas through Natakam port to Kochi. Kottayam Port and Container Terminal (KPCT) represents a pioneering venture in Kerala, being the first Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Minor Port and Inland Container Depot (ICD). It holds the distinction of being India’s inaugural port and ICD to employ customs-designated inland water routes for the import and export of goods. Kottayam Port has a clear mission: to furnish the necessary infrastructure for the efficient transport of customs-cleared, loaded, and exported cargo containers from the respective districts.
Kottayam Sea Port is situated along the banks of the Natakam Kotur River. It enjoys connectivity to Kochi Port via both road and an inland waterway route through the Vembanad backwater, spanning a distance of 85 kilometres. This port operates on the Roll-on Roll-off (Ro-Ro) principle, where customs-sealed containers are transported by barge to designated stacking points at Kochi Port.
The port is equipped to accommodate 10 TEU (Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit) barges, with a jetty that offers berthing options for barges measuring 50 by 12 metres. Additionally, it boasts a substantial 40,000 square feet warehouse that serves various purposes, including handling exports, imports, and dangerous goods, and implementing computerised management of goods. Occupying a 10-acre parcel of land, the port is also equipped with a reach stacker and provides customs clearance services for efficient cargo handling.
The port maintains connectivity to Cochin Port both by road and an inland waterway, traversing through Vembanad Lake over a distance of 85 kilometres. Its operational approach revolves around the concept of multimodal transportation. Customs-sealed containers are transported to stacking points at Cochin Port using barges. Located approximately 5 kilometres south of Kottayam town and 1.5 kilometres west of the Main Central Road, the port enjoys a strategic location.
