Sima Marine, a subsidiary of Dubai-based Simatech Shipping, one of the largest container feeder servicing companies in the world operating 54 ships, has launched coastal container shipping services in India.
The coastal container shipping service will operate from Kochi connecting Mangalore in Karnataka, Goa and Mundra in Gujarat.
Simatech Shipping is one of the largest container feeder servicing companies in the world operating 54 ships with partners, including 15 of its own.
For the exclusive coastal service operations in the country, the Indian subsidiary has also acquired two 1,500-TEU container vessels, Sima Godavari and Sima Narmada, which have already started their operations now.
These ships are now sailing with Indian flag to work within the cabotage law.
Simatech Shipping-Dubai and Sima Marine India managing director C F George said the company’s prospects in the Indian coastal segment were bright, which remained untapped for a long time.“We expect that consistent service with competitive rates would attract more coastal cargo, which is currently transported via road, to the Indian ports. The Indian Government has been promoting coastal container movement by offering various incentives."
"Shifting cargo movement from road to sea will not only help decongest the highways, but also reduce pollution, cut cost and facilitate effective trade. With three weekly ‘vessel calls,’ we are the biggest operator in Kochi now,” he said.
The regular services call at Mundra, Hazira, Goa, Mangaluru, Kochi, Tuticorin, Chennai, Krishnapatnam and Visakhapatnam, connecting India with the Middle East, S/East Asia.
As a strategic move, the company which received the biggest container operator award from Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust, Mumbai, in 2014, has also started a fully-equipped back office operation facility in Kochi.