The Kerala ports department is planning a spate of projects to upgrade coastal infrastructure so that the state may benefit from the Vizhinjam Deepwater Sea Port, which is scheduled to open in May 2023. The Prism Online Investors’ Meet was convened on Wednesday to help achieve this goal, according to NS Pillai, the former chairman of the Kerala State Electricity Board, who took over as chairman of the Kerala Maritime Board on Thursday. The port department highlighted a flurry of projects the state hopes to build through public-private partnerships or revenue-sharing models, and around 120 investors from nations including the UAE, Qatar, and Malaysia, as well as NRI investors, attended the meeting. The projects include establishment of ship building and ship repair yards, dry docks, offshore wind energy projects, water sports and tourism projects.
“The Kerala Maritime Development Corporation has got infrastructure facilities at Neendakara in Kollam, which can be utilised to start a maritime institute. The Kerala Maritime Academy can impart skill-based training. We are planning to explore the coastal and marine resources to tap the potential of blue economy,” said Pillai.
