The Business Bytes
THEBUSINESSBYTES BUREAU
NEW DELHI, APRIL 3, 2025
In a landmark development for India’s maritime and industrial sectors, Vizag General Cargo Berth Private Limited (VGCB), a unit of Vedanta Aluminium, has successfully berthed the MV Captain Leonidas, one of the largest bauxite vessels ever to arrive at an Indian port. Docking at the Visakhapatnam Port, the vessel carried an impressive 199,500 metric tonnes (MT) of bauxite, marking a new benchmark in the nation’s cargo handling capabilities.
The vessel, boasting a beam of 50 metres, a draft of 17.9 metres, and a deadweight tonnage (DWT) of 203,095 MT, was offloaded in just five days, demonstrating VGCB’s robust infrastructure and world-class operational efficiency. This achievement reinforces Visakhapatnam’s rising prominence as a strategic hub in the global bauxite trade, offering quicker turnaround times and cost efficiencies for global shipping lines.
“This milestone reflects our commitment to operational excellence and solidifies Vizag’s position as a global transshipment hub,” said Chikkala Sateesh Kumar, CEO of VGCB and Whole Time Director at Vedanta Limited.
This is the second major cargo-handling record set by VGCB within a year. In early 2024, the terminal had also received MV Huahine, which delivered 199,900 MT of manganese ore — the largest single-cargo shipment ever received at an Indian port.
VGCB, operational since being awarded the General Cargo Berth in 2010 under the Design, Build, Finance, Operate, and Transfer (DBFOT) model, plays a key role in modernizing port operations while also supporting environmental goals, including reducing coal dust pollution in the region. Designed to accommodate 200,000 DWT vessels, VGCB is engineered for handling multi-cargo shipments and is a crucial asset in India’s maritime infrastructure.
