As Kerala stands on the cusp of the Vizhinjam Port inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 2, a crucial conversation is taking shape about the future of Cochin Port and its role in India’s maritime strategy. Predictably, much of the discourse has been reduced to false binaries, often involving the tiresome intra-mural rivalry between Kochi and Travancore, with sections of the media portraying Vallarpadam ICTT as becoming obsolete in the wake of Vizhinjam’s emergence. However, such simplistic narratives fail to grasp the true nature of Kerala’s maritime potential.

In his new book, Resurgent Cochin: The Past, the Present, and the Future of Cochin Port and Its Hinterland, N. Ramachandran—a now-retired IPS officer who formerly served as Chairman of Cochin Port Trust—offers a bold, pragmatic counter-perspective that rejects this misplaced rivalry and instead advocates for a far-reaching expansion of India’s port infrastructure. His argument is as simple as it is compelling: Kerala, and indeed India, needs many more Vallarpadams and Vizhinjams, not fewer.

Globally, ports serve as economic accelerators, facilitating trade, attracting investment, and generating employment. Yet, India’s maritime capacity remains woefully inadequate, especially when juxtaposed against China’s extraordinary growth. While China handled over 330 million TEUs........

© Mathrubhumi English