About 45% of the workforce at Berth 9 of V.O. Chidambaranar Port in Thoothukudi are women, serving in administrative and operational roles. Berth 9 is a container terminal run under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model. V.O. Chidambaranar Port is one of India's 13 major ports and was declared a major port on 11 July 1974. It is the second largest port in Tamil Nadu and has the third largest container terminal in the country.