In yet another initiative to transform Visakhapatnam into a container hub, Shipping Corporation of India will introduce SCI Middle East India Liner Service (SMILE) from Visakhapatnam and Katupalli (Chennai) on the East Coast to move coastal cargo to the Gulf.
Sources in SCI told The Hindu that the service would be launched on a monthly basis in a few days through a dedicated feeder vessel providing direct connectivity to the Middle East and other international destinations. Depending on the market response, the frequency would be increased.
Port rotation
The port rotation of new service would be Mundra-Pipavav-Kochi-Tuticorin-Katupalli-Visakhapatnam- Colombo-Mundra-Jebel Ali.
The new service would be launched after Ever Green and Simatech Shipping launched four services – once a week connecting Visakhapatna to Sohar (Oman). “It’s a welcome initiative,” Visakha Container Terminal Private Ltd CEO Sushil Mulchandani said. When contacted, veteran stevedore in the city, Garuda Pattabhiramayya, said SCI, being the only public sector carrier, should focus on augmenting its fleet and run at least 40 per cent of required shipping service by ships with Indian flags.
VCTPL, which developed the all-weather container terminal in the city as a BOT operator after a concession agreement with Visakhapatnam Port Trust 13 years ago, handled around 2.5 lakh TEU (twenty-foot equivalent units) during 2014-15. It has signed another agreement with the port for extension of the existing terminal to achieve an additional capacity of 5.4 lakh TEU.
It’s a welcome initiative
Sushil Mulchandani
CEO of Visakha Container Terminal Private Limited
