Milaha starts first direct container service to Indian port

Milaha has launched the first direct container service between Qatar and India, a move that would considerably reduce transit time and costs as well as enhance reliability.The move by Milaha comes ahead of HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani’s visit to India tomorrow.The non-stop service by Milaha’s Maritime and Logistics subsidiary will connect Qatar’s Doha port with India’s largest port ‘Nhava Sheva’ (also known as Jawaharlal Nehru Port) in Mumbai, Maharashtra.The move will further facilitate the thriving trade activities between the two countries that have witnessed a phenomenal growth in the recent years, a company spokesman said.Unlike existing services in the market, the new weekly service by Milaha will enable direct shipments between ‘Nhava Sheva’ and Doha without the need for transshipment in Jebel Ali or elsewhere, thus increasing reliability and reducing transit time and costs, the spokesman said.Moreover, the new service may open up new perishable commodity segments, which due to previous transit time, were previously not an option, he said.“The launch of a fast and direct container service by Milaha will support the increasing trade volume, where imports into Qatar from India reached a total value of $989mn in 2013-14,” Khalifa Ali al-Hetmi, president and CEO of Milaha, said.The new service, which is named NDX (Nhava Sheva Doha Express), will not only bolster Milaha Maritime and Logistics’ feeder commitment to the Indian market, but also increase Milaha’s presence in non-vessel operating common carrier (NVOCC) activities.In addition, the new non-stop service will strengthen its existing feeder network with the UAE with more fixed connections, the spokesman said.“The commencement of operation at Nhava Sheva’s shallow water berth (SWB) has opened new business opportunities for handling smaller vessels, operating particularly from the Gulf region. We have allotted a fixed window slot to Milaha Maritime and Logistics to operate the NDX service,” according to Neeraj Bansal, chairman-in-charge, Jawaharlal Nehru Port.