Category Archives: Shipping

The 9662 TEU capacity Maersk Salina arrived at APM Terminals Pipavav representing the first call of Maersk Line’s FM3 Service to APM Terminals Pipavav. The service links India to key markets through port calls in Tanjung Pelepas, Malaysia; Colombo, Sri Lanka; Nhava Sheva, India; Singapore and the Chinese ports of Dalian, Xingang, Qingdao, Busan, Gwangyang and Ningbo. The Maersk Salina loaded seafood, polymers, chemicals, dyes, tires etc. for export. Imports handled included home appliances, auto parts, machinery, plastic items, electrical/electronic goods and furniture. Keld Pederson, Managing Director, APM Terminals Pipavav, said, “We are persistent in our endeavour to offer best services to our customers by quick turnaround of cargos at the berth, at the yard & at the gate. The new addition by Maersk takes us one step closer in providing easy access to our customers located in north and west hinterland in India with key markets across the globe.”

The Indo-Iran Joint Business Seminar, focussing on Chabahar Port opportunities in Free Zone and Transit Corridors, was held in the capital recently to update all the stakeholders about developments happening at Chabahar port and investment opportunities available in transport and logistics sector. Mansukh Mandaviya, Minister of State for Shipping, Road Transport & Highways and Chemicals & Fertilizers, Government of India spoke about the initiatives taken by the Government of India to enhance bilateral cooperation in the maritime sector. Dr. Abbas Ahmad Akhoundi, Minister of Roads and Urban Development, Islamic Republic of Iran talks about crossing corridors from Iran which connects India to the international markets, i.e. Nort-South which connects India to Russia, Caucasus & CIS, South-West which connects India to Europe and India-Iran-Afghanistan which is connecting India to Afghanistan from Chabahar (road) or from Bandar Abbas (railroad).

The Uttar Pradesh government is drafting its own logistics policy, as higher industrial activity, economic growth and the government’s recent policy decisions are triggering unprecedented growth in the sector. “With both the Eastern and the Western freight corridors and several industrial corridors passing through Uttar Pradesh, we are at a good position to take advantage of this logistics revolution which we expect to see in the next two years,” Rajiv Kumar, Chief Secretary, UP State Government. The policy will entail the establishment of at least five industrial parks across the state; the smallest with an investment of Rs 200 crore. The policy will also include various incentives for logistics players if they invest in this sector in the state.

Maersk Line has announced its intent to push for acceleration in trade in the country. In June 2017, Maersk Line moved the first-ever container shipment from Visakhapatnam to Nepal, via an exclusive block train service aptly named “Kathmandu Express”. This service offers a guaranteed fixed transit time from the load port to ICD Birgunj, just over the Nepal border. Maersk Line is the first shipping line to introduce this innovative product. Since its launch, momentum has built up quickly based on customer demand, and the company expects 5-6 block trains moving monthly from Vishakhapatnam to Birgunj.

Essar Ports has completed its investment of over Rs 2,800 crore in its Salaya and Vizag terminal projects that has the potential to increase the company’s revenues by 30 per cent in FY2018-19 on the back of third-party cargo growth. Rajiv Agarwal, CEO, Essar Ports, said, “The two fully integrated and automated facilities at Salaya and Vizag further the goal of port-led development set by the Government of India. It is also a manifestation of Essar’s vision of building world-class core sector assets of national importance.” Essar Bulk Terminal Salaya has also commenced commercial operations at its 20 million tonne dry bulk terminal at Salaya with the berthing of its first vessel.

The third edition of the India Cargo Awards – North & East celebrated the accomplishments of the cargo industry of North & East India at The Lalit, New Delhi on December 20, 2017. Salman Khurshid, former Cabinet Minister for External Affairs, former Cabinet Minister for Law and Justice and Minority Affairs, Government of India, was the Chief Guest for the distinguished evening. The ceremony saw the august presence of the leaders and runners of the cargo industry. The 39 winners were chosen after a fair and unbiased selection process which includes an online voting platform.

To offer expected time savings of 40 per cent with a 30 per cent reduction in the cost of trade, the first pilot transports under TIR (Transports Internationaux Routiers or International Road Transport) between India and Iran along International North South Transport Corridor (INSTC) have been set for early 2018 at strategic talks recently held in Mumbai. The two-day meeting gathered 20 high level representatives from India and Iran’s transport industry as well as representatives from Customs. The goal of the meeting was to discuss the implementation of TIR and to establish cooperation between representatives of the public and private sectors to activate the use of TIR along the INSTC.

The JNPT will be shifting its imported cargo to Mumbai port’s warehouses from January to save Rs 14000 transaction cost per container and one-day transit time. The imported goods of about 0.4-0.5 million TEUs meant for Mumbai alone will be shifted to nearby Mumbai port warehouses via barges. After that it will be moved to MOD warehouse. According to JNPT, this will not only decongest roads but also reduce transit time by half leading to transaction cost savings of about Rs 14,000-15,000 per container. This will also help to Mumbai port for revenue generations.

Chabahar Port open a new strategic transit route for Iran, India and Afghanistan bypassing Pakistan. India is likely to manage and operate the port till the second phase is complete. The completion of the internal procedures on the ratification process by Iran is expected to lead to full and early operationalisation of the Transit and Trade arrangement between the three countries though the Chabahar Port. The Ministers of India, Iran and Afghanistan also held talks to speed up the efforts to operationalise the complete port at the earliest. For India, the investment in Chabahar was important since the port will bolster a trade route for land-locked Central Asian countries that would bypass rival Pakistan. Last year, India committed up to $500 million for the development of the Chabahar port along with associated roads and rail lines.

The countdown for the FIATA World Congress 2018, which is scheduled to take place from September 25-29 in New Delhi, has begun with commencement of formal registration procedure at the 56th FIATA World Congress held from October 4-8, 2017 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The Federation of Freight Forwarders’ Associations in India (FFFAI) has kick-started the campaign and registration for the forthcoming ‘FWC-2018’, happening for the first time in India. Welcomed by Ashish Pednekar, Chairman, FFFAI and other office bearers/leaders of the Federation, the stall was inaugurated by YB Dato’ Sri Liow Tiong Lai, Minister of Transport, Malaysia. The FFFAI stall spectacularly demonstrated Indian culture, tourist attractions and opportunities in logistics industry. Online registration through FWC 2018 website www.fiata2018.org will start very soon.