Almost 80 per cent of Colombo’s container traffic represents cargo transhipped from Indian ports. One year after India’s first ICTT was commissioned, transhipment transactions have been almost insignificant. Will the terminal’s second year be any different?
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With ICTT, by bringing mainline vessel calls to Cochin, shippers—especially in south India who earlier had to tranship their cargo over to Colombo and other regional hubs—will now save on the additional feedering cost at the hub port.
The aim is to both have and avoid transhipment
As container handling operations begin at the Vallarpadam terminal around noon on 18 February, G Krishnakumar, Deputy Chairman, Cochin Port Trust, pauses his interview with Shashidhar Nanjundaiah, and looks out the expansive windows of his office—overlooking the CPT-owned terminal—for the understated but historic moment.
The Gamechanger
After a 20-year wait, the brand new ICTT at Vallarpadam is all set to be Kerala maritime’s best brand ambassador yet, further transforming the maritime and logistics landscape of the region. Shashidhar Nanjundaiah writes from Vallarpadam.
Logistics: A much needed transformation
Among other firsts, Vallarpadam ICTT will also trigger a stream of business activities in its immediate neighbourhood. NA Muhammed Kutty, explains why India’s first transhipment terminal will transform the face of the logistics industry.
River sea: Seamless navigation
River-sea shipping is non-existent in India despite a change in the MS Act to that effect two years back. Captain Philip Mathew explains why seamless navigation between sea and rivers has a transformational capability.
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