Santosh Kumar Mahapatra is CEO of Adani Port in Kerala

MUMBAI: The Adani Group has started forming the team that will manage its latest port project at Vizhinjam, Kerala, and aims to have the port ready in 1,000 days with construction starting this November, its chairman Gautam Adani said on Monday.

Adani was in Kerala for the signing of the concession agreement between the state government and Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (APSEZ). Adani said the group has appointed Santosh Kumar Mahapatra, director of Adani's Dhamra port project, as the CEO of the Vizhinjam project.

He added it will employ majority of the workforce from the state and ensure that his group will make it the “world’s largest mega transshipment container terminal.” APSEZ in July received the letter of award for the Vizhinjam project, which had been conceived over 25 years ago but failed to take off. Three rounds of prior bidding had got no commitment from any serious project developer.