NYK Enters the Fray: Tokyo Logistics Major Signs Agreement With APM Terminals Pipavav For ‘Make in India’ Initiative
NYK Enters the Fray: Tokyo Logistics Major Signs Agreement With APM Terminals Pipavav For ‘Make in India’ Initiative
NYK Auto Logistics(India) which is a part of the automotive ocean transportation and logistics company NYK Group based in Tokyo has established an agreement with Gujarat Pipavav Port Ltd/APM Terminals Pipavav. The agreement is for setting up a dedicated Roll-on/Roll-off(Ro-Ro) automobile yard at Pipavav port in Gujarat.
Components of the Agreement
As per the agreement, Gujarat Pipavav Port has sub-leased 85,000 square metres of land for around 10 years within its premises to NYK Auto for development of a dedicated common user integrated Ro-Ro terminal. This facility will also possess a pre-delivery inspection/PDI unit plus a vehicle processing centre/VPC. The commissioning of the yard will commence in the middle of 2015. “NYK shall implement global best practices at Pipavav Ro-Ro terminal and support the growth of automotive exports from India under Prime Minister’s ‘Make in India’ initiative. The yard at Pipavav will have an annual designed capacity of 2.50 lakh vehicles,” Naotaka Ishizawa, MD, NYK Auto Logistics (India) has been quoted as having said.
NYK group operates 18 Ro-Ro terminals on an international scale which includes 7 in China, Singapore and Thailand. “The common user integrated Ro-Ro terminal with PDI and VPC at Pipavav shall provide global quality services to customers in northern and western automotive cluster,” Takaya Soga, GM, NYK Auto Logistics Group, Tokyo has indicated. Gujarat Pipavav Port will also provide all port and related facilities for providing efficient and seamless flow of automobile cargo.
“We are committed to increasing our existing service portfolio from container, bulk, liquid and now automotive cargo. NYK is a proven leader in operating auto terminals worldwide, and has an extensive fleet of Ro-Ro ships offering regular sailings to and from the major ports around the globe,” Prakash Tulsiani, MD, Gujarat Pipavav Port was quoted by the media as having said.
Joining the Fray, Not Standing by The Quay
The two companies will be implying auto experts and aiming towards auto export facilitation from this facility. The unit which will be set up shall have the capacity to handle 2,50,000 vehicles each year and shall be operational in the month of June, 2015. A vast number of automobile makers including TATA, Renault and Maruti Suzuki have announced the establishment of manufacturing facilities in the state of Gujarat and NYK has joined them. Gujarat Pipavav is a unit of the global port operator APM Terminals which was earlier involved with container, bulk and liquid cargo handling.
“NYK is a proven leader in operating auto terminals worldwide and has an extensive fleet of RoRo ships offering regular sailings to and from the major ports around the globe,” the port’s MD Prakash Tulsiani said. The details of the investment have not been revealed.
About APM Terminals
Port Pipavav is managed and handled by APM Terminals which is a ports and terminals company of maritime group AP Moller-Maersk Group. APM Terminals has a 43.01% stake which makes it the largest shareholder in Port Pipavav.
Other shareholders include New York Life International India Find LLC, IDFC Infrastructure Fund, the IL&FS Trust Company, Jacob Ballas Capital India and India Infrastructure Fund to name just a few.
