In profile
Shreyas Shipping and Logistics becomes first line to cover all Indian boxports The offshoot of Dubai’s Transworld Group is also set to add another four ships to its fleet over the next couple of years
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n January, Shreyas Shipping and Logistics, part of Dubai headquartered conglomerate Transworld Group, created a slice of maritime history by becoming the first line to service domestic containerised cargo movement at all Indian ports, from Mundra up to Kolkata. Deploying the newly acquired vessel SSL Gujarat, whose delivery was taken on January 19 this year at Jebel Ali in Dubai, on a self-operated service along the coastal route, has enabled Shreyas Shipping and Logistics to link all ports. The new ship has also helped to increase the total tonnage by 25% to 98,696 grt. The vision of Shreyas Shipping and Logistics is very much in line with the vision of India’s Ministry of Shipping for Indian coastal shipping, says Ramesh Ramakrishnan, chairman of Transworld Group. “With the addition of SSL Gujarat, Shreyas’ fleet is adequately
“We are not seeking to turn the company into a goliath of shipping activities and lose our core focus or identity. We will leave that role to others” — Nigel Richardson, managing director, EA Gibson
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equipped to handle anticipated growth of trade on the coastal trade. That being said Shreyas is always on the lookout for very specific vessel types to suit requirements on the coast,” the Transworld chairman says. With this in mind, at the end of March, the board of Shreyas Shipping and Logistics approved a plan for the acquisition of four containerships ranging in size from 1,700 to 2,500 teu over the next two years. “We are expecting a challenging year,” he admits, “with many new deliveries scheduled to be pressed into service. This added supply could put pressure on the rates. We will also be cautiously watching to see the continuing effect of the reducing
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We are expecting a challenging year
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fuel prices on the industry.” Shreyas Shipping and Logistics is the shipowning and operating unit of Transworld Group in the Indian subcontinent. The company was India’s first container feeder owning and operating company. It currently owns and operates a fleet of six vessels trading on the Indian coast. Parent company Transworld is involved in many other maritime activities including ship agency, shipmanagement, freight forwarding, contract logistics and non-vessel operating common carrier (NVOCC) operations. ●
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