COVERSTORY1 6 CARGOTALK A U G U S T 2 0 1 5

Planned infrastructure an urgent requirement

although the cargo sector is stillundecided on this.

Adil Zaidi, Partner -Government and TransactionAdvisory Services, Ernst & YoungLLP advises, “In the past, logisticsinfrastructure included logistics parksor hub, multimodal logistics parksand FTZs, but these facilities were

never integrated with various modesof transport. This has made the facilities operate in the silo and to an extent the infrastructure developed was not utilised fully to its potential.

So, the need of the hour is agradual shift towards an efficient integrated logistic system for effective freight movement.”

Aditya Gupta, Zonal BusinessHead – North, Drive India EnterpriseSolutions highlights, “Large logisticscentres like metros and other tier-Icities would need to be integrated in the freight villages. The IndianRailways’ Dedicated Freight Corridorwould also create opportunities forcreation of integrated freight villagesalongside. Smaller cities can havenon-integrated freight villages toaddress logistics needs for that geog-raphy. These would be connectedwith integrated freight villages.”

Moreover, implementation ofGST will further augment the benefitsof a freight village, since easing

of movement of goods will pave the way for a concerted effort tostreamline the supply chain.

The freight village concept can contribute to a planned infrastructureand reduce the transaction cost oflogistics by providing various freightrelated services in the same close proximity.

Nazir AnsariSenior VP – SCMLeeway Logistics

Manish PuriManaging DirectorIndia Infrastructure & Logistics

Adil ZaidiPartner - Government and Transaction AdvisoryServicesErnst & Young LLP

Aditya GuptaZonal Business Head – NorthDrive India Enterprise Solutions

Consideration points for strategic locations are:� Intermodal Transportation Capacity� Demographic Advantage� Geographic Advantage� Availability of Land� Presence of Shippers� Information Technology infra-

structure should be in place� Public/private cooperation needed

for establishing a world classfreight village

� Administrative councils should bein place to address concerns ofinterested parties

Gateway Rail Freight to set up 4th ICD Gateway Rail Freight, subsidiary of

Gateway Distriparks, will set up itsfourth inland container depot (ICD) atViramgam near Ahmedabad in Gujarat.Expected to be operational within a year,the terminal will cater to the need ofAhmedabad, Sanand, and Mehsana andBecharaji EXIM market by providing ICDservices such as customs clearance andstorage of cargo.

Prem Kishan Gupta, Chairman andManaging Director, Gateway Rail andGateway Distriparks said, “This terminal willbe on the confluence of the two double stackroutes between Garhi Harsaru in Gurgaon

(Haryana) and two main ports on the westcoast at Mundra and Pipavav in Gujarat. Theterminal with the railway siding and containeryard will be constructed over 25 acres of landand initially will have a capacity to handle twotrains simultaneously. It will have a capacityto handle 1.50 lakh TEUs annually.”

Proposal for two dry ports in J&KThe Centre has proposed to set up two

satellite (dry) ports in Jammu & Kashmirto facilitate ‘direct import and export’ and hassought 300 acres of land from the StateGovernment for the purpose. There are plansto undertake highway projects worth `25,000 crore in the state this year too.

The Government is also planning tospend `500-600 crore to set up about 10‘roadside amenities’ units along the state’sexpanding highway network if the Jammu &Kashmir Government provides land for suchfacilities. The proposed plans would aid ininfrastructure development, besides the high-way projects that are part of its efforts to

boost the state’s economy and generateemployment. Also the Centre had mooted theproposal to the state for inland waterwaystransportation in Dal Lake and other riversand help regarding the same was promised.

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