The Hindu Business Line : Blue Dart plans Rs 22-cr expansion in South

SPREADING WINGS: Mr Anil Khanna , Managing Director, Blue Dart Express Ltd, and Ms Tulsi Nowlakha Mirchandaney, Senior Vice- President (Marketing and Projects), at a press conference in Chennai on Wednesday. — Bijoy Ghosh

Chennai April 11 Blue Dart Express, the air express, courier and package distribution company, has earmarked nearly half its planned infrastructure expansion for the year in the South.

Announcing the inauguration of a 21,750-sq ft warehouse facility in Chennai, Mr Anil Khanna, Managing Director, Blue Dart, said that 23 of the 57 facilities coming up at a cost of Rs 22 crore would be in the South in the current year.

Chennai will get six of the new facilities. The city has emerged a major hub with the growth of automobile, telecommunication, information technology and banking and financial services. Blue Dart will also operate a direct ground run between Chennai and Kolkata.

More air capacities

The company is also looking at expanding its aircraft fleet, which is now operating at about 80-85 per cent load factor. Ms Tulsi N. Mirchandaney, Senior Vice-President, Marketing & Projects, said that the company is also planning additional air capacities. It would induct a Boeing 757 by the year-end to add to its fleet of seven Boeings. Chennai is the headquarters of Blue Dart Aviation and is connected to all the major cities by air.

Mr K. Gopa Kumar, Vice-President (South), Blue Dart, said that the SEZs and the industrial growth in the suburbs would add to the company's growth. The South handled over 19 million shipments last year against Blue Dart's total of about 57 million domestic shipments and 630,000 international shipments.

With the growth in the financial services and banking, the company is also augmenting its capacity to handle small packages.

For the year ended December 31, 2006, the company reported a profit after tax of Rs 50.2 crore on an income of Rs 668 crore.

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