Container Corporation of India (Concor) is mainly focussing on building multi-modal logistics parks (MMLPs) in the vicinity of ports and in the hinterland to bring down cost and promote containerisation, according to its Chairman and Managing Director V Kalyanarama.
Warehouse facilitiesHe was here to participate in the East Coast Maritime Business Summit. He said “the Visakhapatnam MMLP built on 100 acres is ready for operations, with warehouses and other facilities, including a railway line. We have spent ₹450 crore on building the MMLP. Further, we are taking up such parks at Kakinada and Krishnapatnam ports also. We have acquired the land and we will begin the work shortly.”
He said containerisation was happening in the country, but not at the desired pace, and the east coast, especially Andhra Pradesh, would play a key role in the future. “Even now, container trade is largely concentrated on the west coast, but it is moving now to the east,” he added.
Kalyanarama said Concor would take up construction of an MMLP at Paradip port in Odisha. “We have already begun the work in a small way. We will expand it,” he said. Fifteen MMLPs were in various stages of construction and 12 more were planned.
He said at least 100 acres would be required for an MMLP. He said the GST would be a game changer and it would usher in a paradigm shift in the maritime trade in the country and it would also give a great boost to containerisation.
He expressed happiness that many of the non-major ports also were evincing great interest in setting up container terminals. He praised the Andhra Pradesh Government for concentrating on port-led development in the aftermath of bifurcation of the State.