Category Archives: Shipping

Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Government of India unveiled three new highways routes worth Rs 8 lakh crore under the Bharatmala Pariyojna (BMP). Gadkari said that the ambitious programme of establishing a network of 42,000 km of roads and highways across the nation would be rolled out under three categories – Economic Corridors, Inter-corridor Routes and Feeder Routes.

Vaibhav Vohra, Managing Director, Continental Carriers, was awarded with the prestigious ‘Face of the Future’ award. After completing his graduation in Entrepreneurship and Finance from Babson College, Boston, USA, Vohra joined his family business and took a tough task of transitioning the first generation business culture to the third generation. His innovative thought process has brought about progressive changes within the organisation in a short span of time. He also initiated and successfully completed restructuring HRD and ERP implementation. Vohra’s positive initiatives have helped secure and align the future path that now enables his company to compete efficiently in the changed economic environment. His maturity and clarity of vision to provide strategic guidance would definitely help the industry in the future.

The esteemed ‘DDP Game Changer’ award went to Samir J Shah, Immediate Past Chairman, FFFAI; Partner JBS Group and Chief Mentor, JBS Academy. With 33 years of experience in international freight forwarding and customs, Shah is a part of many national and international trade associations and chambers. Armed with BSC degree in Chemistry, an LLB and a senior Management Programme at IIM –Ahmedabad on Strategic Port Management, he has leaped on to become a partner in the JBS Group of Companies. He is also a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport UK and has been awarded a Certificate of Competence from FIATA.  He has conducted more than 150 programmes pan India for Customs related training to Exporters, Importers, Cutoms Brokers, Shipping Agents, Interntional Freight Forwarders, IATA Agents and Custodians. He is the only Indian to receive a certificate for continued support to port of Antwerp in India. Shah aims to set up supply chain and logistics education centre’s at various cities in Gujarat and other parts in India to make education accessible across the length and breadth of the country.

M. Afzal Malbarwala, Managing Director, Galaxy Freight, was awarded with the prestigious ‘Gallery of Legends’ award. With his rich experience in the freight forwarding industry, he has taken Galaxy Freight to a top position in airfreight and sea-freight industry. Malbarwala strongly believes that success is the product of competitiveness and high standards of quality. The Honorary Secretary General of ACCAI, Malbarwala, is a Commerce graduate and has a genuine, persuasive and interpersonal style that ensures trust to strengthen relationship among clients. He started his career in 1977 in the freight forwarding and logistics industry and started his own company soon after. Galaxy Freight handles approximately 1000 tonnes of airfreight export shipments per month. With more than four decades of experience in the freight forwarding industry, Malbarwala has developed the ability to adapt and cater to different client requirements; thereby, delivering hassle-free solutions.

The third edition of the India Cargo Awards – West & South celebrated the accomplishments of the extraordinaire leaders of cargo industry from the West & South regions of India at Crowne Plaza Ahmedabad City Centre on October 14, 2017.  Gautambhai Navalchand Shah, Mayor, Amdavad Municipal Corporation, was the Chief Guest for the glorious evening. The ceremony saw the august presence of Dr. Marisha Kaul, Gladrags Mrs India North 2017, along with the leaders of the cargo industry. India Cargo Awards honoured the real runners of the industry. The 32 winners were chosen after a fair and unbiased selection process which includes an online voting platform.

CMA-CGM began the new INDIAMED service to Mumbai with the arrival of the 5,009 TEU capacity at APM Terminals Mumbai. The weekly service provides the fastest transit times between India and CMA CGM hub ports in the Mediterranean and Arabian Gulf, and expands the transhipment network through the MEGEM (East Mediterranean to/from Middle East destinations) and MEDEX (West Mediterranean to/from Middle East and Indian Sub-Continent) services.

Krishnapatnam Port has conceptualised and installed a first-of-its-kind Automated Fertilizer Handling System (AFHS) in India. The innovative infrastructural set-up was inaugurated by Amitabh Kant (I.A.S), CEO, Niti Aayog at the port. The AFHS at Krishnapatnam Port is one of the most modern and technologically superior infrastructural set up which will be equipped to handle end to end fertilizer cargo operations right from the cargo discharge from vessel till evacuation by road/rail. A more reliable, economical and an all-weather cargo handling solution, AFHS will enable the port to meet the increasing demand of imported fertilizers. Offering requisite efficiencies, flexibility and precision in operations, with the new system installed, the port is expecting to meet the needs of fertilizer importer in a smart and efficient manner.

Maersk Line has moved the first ever container shipment from Visakhapatnam to Nepal. Maersk Line’s maiden rake left Vishakhapatnam will offer a guaranteed fixed transit time from load port till ICD Birgunj. Chennai Express which has high schedule reliability will call on Vishakhapatnam once a week with multiple feeders sailing during the week that will help customers to carry shipments globally. This service offering is aimed at ease of doing business and increasing transparency by providing customers with an end-to-end delivery mechanism. This entails one stop solution such as online payment, handling documents, DO issuance and clearing cargo all at Nepal itself.

Maersk Line has added Pipavav as an additional port of call for its ME1 service. The ME1 will now have three gateway ports, Pipavav in addition to Nhava Sheva and Mundra. With the Maersk Group strategically placed at Pipavav, there would be no impact on the transit time. This will be beneficial for the customers in northern India as they will have more options to route their ICD cargo to and from North Europe, Mediterranean and West Africa. Franck Dedenis, Managing Director, Maersk Line (India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh) said, “We continue to work towards creating a more efficient business environment. This addition is a part of our continued efforts to provide enhanced global footprints for our customers. With no impact on the transit time, the customers can look forward to a refined supply chain”

APM Terminals Pipavav has reached a milestone of 100,000 automobiles handled at the port’s Roll On-Roll Off (Ro/Ro) facility, 20 months after commencing auto-loading and discharging operations. Ro/Ro services were introduced at the port in August 2015, after NYK Auto Logistics India (NALI) invested in a state-of-the art stock yard and pre-delivery inspection facility. With USD $3 billion investment expected by automobiles companies in Gujarat by 2020, more than two million passenger vehicles are projected to be produced in the region in the next five to six years. Most of the manufacturing in Gujarat is for the Indian export market. “With the Indian government’s “Make in India” initiative, we have seen a surge in automotive manufacturing investment in the Sanand, Hansalpur and Vithalapur belt in Gujarat, and our modern and efficient Ro/Ro facility can play a major role in India’s emergence as a major automotive exporter” said, Keld Pedersen, Managing Director, APM Terminals.