Tuticorin (Tamil Nadu), February 23 Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal launched projects worth Rs 1,500 crore at the V.O. Chidambaranar Port, Tuticorin, on Monday to upgrade port infrastructure, set up clean energy projects, and adopt new-age technologies.
These investments will help the V.O. Chidambaranar Port (VOC Port), Tuticorin, become a major transshipment hub of Tamil Nadu, boosting regional and international connectivity through sea routes, the Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways said.
Sonowal, who was in Tuticorin to oversee port operations, inaugurated projects worth over Rs 160 crore, including the VOC maritime heritage museum, which focuses on the port's historical legacy, several road projects to improve transportation, a digital twin project for AI-driven operations and maintenance, and a 5 MW energy storage facility.
The minister also laid the foundation stone for projects worth Rs 1,340 crore, including the construction of an 8 MW wind farm with 5 MW storage, a 2 MW green hydrogen facility, and a 2 MW ground-mounted solar plant, along with an energy management system equipped with smart metering.
Of the Rs 1,340 crore, Rs 131.31 crore will be invested by VOC Port on rail infrastructure projects for cargo movement, Rs 250 crore towards the manufacturing of shipbuilding equipment, and Rs 367 crore towards the government's green tug initiative for towing, pushing, and maneuvering large ships using green energy.
Sonowal also launched an anti-drone system project to secure the VOC Port through radar-based detection and jamming systems.
"The focus of our government, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is very clear for the maritime industry. We aim to build a self-reliant, green, and technologically advanced maritime sector," he stated.
Sonowal said that the projects launched on Monday will extend benefits far beyond the port, lowering logistics costs for trade, spurring industrial expansion, including shipbuilding and manufacturing in Tuticorin, Tirunelveli, and Madurai districts, attracting investment, creating employment, and stimulating sectors such as renewable energy, logistics, and tourism.
"These projects will strengthen the port's position as a major transshipment hub, scaling up regional and international connectivity. The advanced technologies and investments in infrastructure and clean energy projects will also allow the port to compete with various international ports, such as the Colombo port," Sonowal said.
Susanta Kumar Purohit, Chairperson, VOC Port Authority, added, "By prioritizing world-class infrastructure, cutting-edge digitization, ambitious green innovation, and port-led industrialization, including shipbuilding, VOC Port is strengthening its pivotal role in regional prosperity and national development."
V.O. Chidambaranar Port is one of the major ports in the country. Cargo handling increased by 6 per cent to 35.97 million tonnes from April 2025 to January 2026.
Container volumes rose by 9.40 per cent to over 7.16 lakh TEUs in the April-January period of the current fiscal year.
