DP World acquires Transworld to bolster its Indian logistics portfolio

August 19, 2020: Unifeeder, through its Unifeeder ISC (Indian Subcontinent) platform, a majority-owned subsidiary of DP World, today announced the acquisition of three business units of Transworld Group, Transworld Feeders FZCO, Avana Logistek (including its subsidiary Avana Global FZCO), and Transworld Feeders, the containerised Indian coastal and EXIM feeder shipping operations of Shreyas Shipping and Logistics, excluding vessels and bulk operations.

Transworld & Avana
Transworld Feeders FZCO and Avana Global FZCO are independent feeder and NVOCC (Non-Vessel Operating Common Carriers) operators, offering container feedering services and regional trade solutions connecting ports in the Middle East, the Indian Subcontinent and the Far East. The central hub port at Jebel Ali (UAE) plays a pivotal role for a large part of the services. Both the companies have a strong presence within trade routes west of the Indian Subcontinent and complement the recent acquisition of Feedertech and Perma Shipping, which have a strong market position in the trade routes towards the east of the Indian Subcontinent.

Indian domestic market
Transworld Feeders and Avana Logistek maintain coverage of all main ports, terminals and inland destinations in India. Avana Logistek also provides the first mile and last-mile delivery solutions within the Indian domestic market. Both are market leaders in providing logistics solutions to cargo owners, traders, forwarders, and shipping lines. Further, they will both complement and expand our ability to offer a broader range of India focused solutions. These new entities will continue to operate an asset-light structure as per the Unifeeder model, which delivers greater flexibility and efficiency for customers.

Ahmed Bin Sulayem, group chairman & CEO, DP World, said, “We are delighted to announce these bolt-on acquisitions which give us complete coverage in fast-growing markets between East Africa, Gulf, and the wider Indian Subcontinent. These new activities are in line with our strategy and complement our recent acquisitions of Feedertech and Perma Shipping. We now have the capability to offer superior connectivity between Asia, the Indian Subcontinent, the Middle East, and East Africa, and this greater scale and comprehensive network presence will allow us to reduce inefficiencies in the supply chains to the benefit of all our customers.”

We are proud to announce that DP World has added scale to Unifeeder’s logistics platform through the acquisition of Transworld Feeders and Avana, two strong and well-known brands operating in fast-growing markets. @TransworldTweet Read more here: https://t.co/wcwsvxqsVu pic.twitter.com/O5W1377aJG

— DP World (@DP_World) August 19, 2020

Asset-light Unifeeder ISC
“Transworld Feeders and Avana are both strong and well-known brands that handle approximately 1.2mn TEU per annum and operate in fast-growing markets. Our Unifeeder ISC platform will continue to operate an asset-light, independent common-user platform, as we continue to build the Unifeeder brand, which is best known for efficient connectivity, flexibility, and reliability. Unifeeder now has the full-scale capability to offer feedering and regional trade connectivity in Northern Europe, Mediterranean, Northern Africa, Middle East, Indian Subcontinent and Asia,” he said

Ramesh S Ramakrishnan, chairman, Transworld Group & Shreyas Shipping and Logistics, said, “Our strength lies in our strong customer relationships, local expertise and network across the Indian subcontinent, which has allowed us to deliver an efficient product to the market. The acquisition of three of our portfolio companies will provide DP World and Unifeeder ISC a robust platform to jointly deliver a more complete range of solutions to our customers. We are excited to be part of the DP World family and look forward to building on our continued legacy as a globally renowned independent shipping and logistics conglomerate. We look forward to our partnership and a prosperous future together”.