10 News from the domestic sector

The maiden coastal voyage of a vessel of Container Corporation of India (CONCOR) was flagged off by Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister for Shipping, Road Transport & Highways and Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation and

Piyush Goyal, Union Minister for Railways and Coal, from Kandla through video link from Delhi on January 10, 2019. The vessel, SSL Mumbai, is sailing from Kandla Port to Tuticorin via Mangaluru and Kochi. This is a unique example of a multimodal logistics solution through integrated rail and coastal movement. With this, CONCOR will start coastal movement of containers as a weekly service on this route, moving about 1400 containers. Gadkari expressed confidence that this modal shift in the logistics chain is an important beginning that would help bring down logistics costs and soon make Indian goods more competitive in the global market. Goyal said, “Railways has introduced many new reforms in the last few years. This is another first in the series of reforms. This new service, started by CONCOR, will be profitable for the freight movement to send goods to different locations in a costeffective manner and will also reduce the load on railways and roads. When we strive for worldclass logistics costs in India, joint efforts by road, rail and sea is required, only then the pace of development is accelerated.” He added that the goal is that CONCOR operate from more than 100 terminals by 2020. Gadkari added, “It’s a red flag day in the history of transportation in India. The combination of railways and coastal shipping is a win-win situation, as it will release capacity for railways to carry other goods and allow more commodities to be transported through coastal trade.”