Maersk begins import shipment logistics services at ICD in Odisha's Jharsuguda

October 4, 2019: Container logistics integrator Maersk has unlocked trade opportunities in Odisha by completing its first import shipment to Sambalpur from the Inland Container Depot (ICD) in the state's Jharsuguda district. The shipment carrying 80 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent unit) was delivered to Shyam Metalics.

Maersk plans to run a weekly export train providing a doorstep pickup and delivery, and has projections of handling in excess of 4,000 TEUs on an annual basis. The ICD in Jharsuguda aims to reduce the complexities in the supply chain, offering small and medium-sized businesses benefits of trade.

“Small and medium sized businesses, being significant sources of innovation and job creation, are some of the largest contributors to the country’s economy. While trade is a key enabler of growth and prosperity, as global integrator of container logistics, our aim is to simplify it further by facilitating end-to-end logistics, reducing the transit time and cost to make it more accessible and sustainable for everyone. We believe that this will empower the local trade ecosystem to become more inclusive, thereby amplifying livelihood across the region,” said Steve Felder, managing director, Maersk South Asia.

Strategically located in Odisha’s prime industrial belt, the ICD can deliver empty containers to the customers in a matter of hours, helping them reduce transportation costs by almost 15-20 percent.

“Efficiency is the key to any business success, and we are here to reduce the complexities in logistics, so that our customers can focus on their business growth extracting more value from trade.” said Akshyat Bhatia, Head of Intermodal, Maersk South Asia.

The Receipt for Shipment (RFS) facility at ICD Jharsuguda will further help slash the transit time of shipments from 10 days to 5 days, thus helping customers address their logistical challenges across the supply chain. The company is witnessing demand from metal customers and plans to further expand its services to other verticals moving forward.

Vinod Agrawal, general manager logistics, Vedanta Aluminium Ltd, said “We have availed ‘end to end’ factory stuffing services of Maersk Jharsuguda ICD for a trial period of 2 months and executed 500 TEUs so far. Maersk has provided seamless service in this regard, with complete ownership. This is a classic example of expertise that Maersk offers in logistics & services. Jharsuguda ICD is strategically located to provide value addition to all customers in this region for import & export. We look forward higher volume & further collaboration with Maersk in this regard."

Saurav Das, DGM sales and marketing, Shyam Metalics & Energy Ltd, mentioned, “Maersk has provided us with hassle-free and end-to-end logistics solutions. As we see a clear value-delivery and new business growth opportunities through this product, we expect to increase our volumes in the near-future post successful import delivery.”