The Visakhapatnam Port Trust does not have its own independent Mercantile Marine Department (MMD) office headed by a Principal Officer (PO) though the port has been one of the major ports of the country in terms of tonnage and the number of vessels handled.
The Visakhapatnam's PO office has been a subsidiary of the Chennai office ever since 1948. While the Chennai PO office was established in 1929, the subsidiary office in Visakhapatnam was established barely 19 years later. Yet, till date a Principal Officer heads the PO in Chennai, while the subsidiary office in Vizag is headed by a surveyor only.