The Hindu Business Line : Arshiya starts rail operations for Vedanta Aluminium

Kolkata, Feb. 2 Arshiya Rail Infrastructrure Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Arshiya International Ltd, a global supply chain and logistics solutions service provider, launched rail operations on Monday.

A rake was placed at Jharsuguda in Orissa as part of the company’s plan to provide customised rail transportation solutions to Vedanta Aluminium Ltd.

“We have been able to initiate business with Vedanta Aluminium by providing dedicated rakes with custom-built containers which will not only reduce the cost of operation of Vedanta but will also protect their consignments from any damage,” Mr Sajal Mittal, CEO of Arshiya Rail Infrastructure, said in a statement. In phase I, there is a proposal to acquire as many as 30 rakes.

Value creation

Mr Ajay S. Mittal, Chairman and Managing Director of Arshiya International, in a statement, said, “We are continuing to focus on creating value for our customers by expanding our product offerings and we are confident that the rail services, combined with the services to be provided at the free trade warehousing zones, will present substantial value proposition to our customers”.

The company is to start working on the Mumbai Free Trade Warehousing Zone shortly.

Profitability

Despite the global slowdown, Arshiya International has succeeded in maintaining profitability during the quarter ended December 2008 by providing integrated supply chain solutions, Mr Mittal said.

During the quarter, Arshiya International posted consolidated net income at Rs 114.16 crore (Rs 104.77 crore) and 25 per cent growth in net profit at Rs 13.02 crore (Rs 10.41 crore).

For the nine months ended December 2008, the company reported consolidated net income at Rs 405.67 crore (Rs 272.76 crore) and net profit at Rs 52.34 crore (Rs 25.52 crore).