Rahul Shah, Ahmedabad:

Continental Warehousing Corporation (Nhava Seva) Ltd. (CWCNSL), the flagship company of the NDR Group today, unveiled an all-new Inland Container Depot (ICD) at Sachana in Viramgam, Ahmedabad. This is capable of handling EXIM cargo with monthly cargo handling capacity of 7000 to 7,500 TEUs (twenty feet equivalent unit).

CWCNSL has formalized a tie-up with Container Corporation of India Ltd. (CONCOR) whereby it will have access to CONCOR’s network of 70 container terminals through a first-of-its-kind hub and spoke arrangement. Likewise, CONCOR may utilize 3 terminals belonging to CWCNSL.

The move is in line with the company’s long term objective of converting all road cargo to rail.

“The new ICD at Sachana will be a boon to customers as the wait-time will be significantly reduced. No longer will they be needed to wait endlessly for their cargo to move after an entire train is loaded. This ICD is packed with locational advantages too and will serve the hinterland well. This is a fillip to infrastructure in Gujarat,” said Manoj Sinha, Minister of State for Railways.

As of now there are around 22 ICDs in Gujarat and 3 ICDs in Ahmedabad located at Sachana, Sanand and Khodiyar.

The new ICD at Sachana follows the inauguration of an all-weather private freight terminal in January 2016. The dry port is well-equipped to store containerized cargo and operate efficiently on a hub-and-spoke model.

Compared to Sanand, no toll tax is enforced in Sachana, thus, increasing the business viability for operators.

“EXIM cargo should move mainly by rail and not road and this has been our prime focus. This brings down logistics cost and translates into an advantage for our indigenous manufacturers. With all this in mind, CWCNSL is leaving no stone unturned in investing in the right infrastructure. The new ICD is well-fortified with CCTV cameras, dedicated customs area, adequate space for Customs House Agents and much more. We foresee a good traction in logistics,” said N. Adikesavulu Reddy, CMD, CWCNSL.

CWCNSL has a 1,00,000 sq. ft. of warehouse, divided equally for import and export purposes. Customs-cleared cargo can be stocked in this warehouse easily.

So far, there are 8 ICDs and container freight stations belonging to NDR Group. These are located in Ennore, Panipat, Ahmedabad (Sachana), Mumbai (Nhava Seva), Madhavaram, Tuticorin, Red Hills in Chennai and Hyderabad. The target is to add 2 more ICDs, one each in Bangalore and Chennai by the end of 2018.

Reach Rahul Shah at DeshGujarat @ Gmail.Com

DeshGujarat