Kerala government is looking for private investors to develop the state’s more than a dozen minor ports. The government is working on a proposal regarding this that would be presented at the forthcoming Global Investors’ Meet-Emerging Kerala. 

The development of ports is expected to reduce the movements of cargo on roads to a great extent. The development of minor ports would also be a booster to the tourism sector. 

Though basic infrastructure such as breakwater and warehouses are  provided at some of the ports, no significant investments were made to construct berths, linkages, and dredging. Consequently, these ports have remained underdeveloped, unable to support neither medium nor small-sized vessels. 

Vizhinjam, Beypore, Azheekal, Kollam and Kodungalloor ports are expected to be included in the first phase of the development project. 

Kerala has a coastline of around 590 km. Apart from the Cochin port, which is under the Union Government, there are three intermediate and 14 minor ports in Kerala.  Neendakara, Alappuzha, Kozhikode  are the intermediate ports. The  minor ports include Vizhinjam, Valiyathura, Thankasserry, Kayamkulam, Manakkodam, Munambam, Ponnani, Beypore, Vadakara, Thalasserry, Manjeswaram, Neeleswaram, Kannur, Azhikkal and Kasaragod.