Business Daily from THE HINDU group of publications
Friday, Nov 17, 2006
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Business Daily from THE HINDU group of publications Friday, Nov 17, 2006 ePaper |
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Industry & Economy
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Infrastructure Marketing - Retailing
N.K. Kurup
Mumbai , Nov. 16 Reliance Industries plans to develop two ports at Rewas in Maharashtra and Sikha in Gujarat to support its SEZs and retail business. Though details are not available, officials associated with the projects reckon that these all-weather ports would require investments of more than Rs 5,000 crore. Reliance has already bought the controlling stake in Rewas port from its original promoters, Amma Lines, which got the right to develop the port from the Maharashtra Maritime Board. Reliance's plan is to develop Rewas (located 10 nautical miles away from Mumbai), a multi-cargo port with a draft of at least 15-18 feet, capable of handling large vessels.
Different model
Although the original promoters have done some preliminary work, Reliance has to start from getting the environment clearance, as its project model would be different, said an official of the Maharashtra Maritime Board. The board holds minority stake in the port. As per the plans, the first sets of berths would be ready in two years. The Rewas port will provide link to the Maha Mumbai and Navi Mumbai SEZs, two of the four SEZs being developed by Reliance. The other two SEZs are in Gujarat and Haryana. Reliance recently launched its retail venture with the opening of Reliance Fresh stores in Hyderabad and has major plans to extend the network to other States. The new ports with facilities to handle and store perishable goods may also help Reliance better manage its logistics.
Sikha port
The second port being planned at Sikha would be a general cargo terminal with facilities to handle large container vessels. This will mainly provide an export route to the refinery and petrochemical units at RIL's SEZ in Gujarat. Initially, the terminal will have two berths with facilities to handle containers and break bulk cargo, said a Reliance source. The port will also handle third party cargo, as captive cargo may not be enough to ensure full capacity utilisation, the source added. Construction of the terminal may take less than two years, as the company, which operates Asia's largest oil terminal at Jamnagar, has the capability to implement port projects in the shortest possible time.
More Stories on : Infrastructure | Retailing | Shipping | Reliance Industries Ltd
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