A Matter of Heart. And Brains :
“When people live up to their promise and go beyond expectations the experience only leans towards a high recommendation and endorsement of the product. In the case of SDLG that’s exactly what I experienced. So many associates of mine have already sealed deals with SDLG solely based on my word to them” – Mr. Keyur Thakrar, Director, Swayam Shipping Services Pvt. Ltd.
India has been blessed with nearly all varieties of trees ranging from tropical hardwood to high altitude coniferous forests as well as deciduous and evergreen forests and plantations. And although large areas have in abundance some of the finest plywood timbers like Indian teak, Indian Rosewood and Padauk which have gained world recognition for their beauty in figure, grain and texture, most wood is shipped into India. Today, one can find numerous plants processing this imported wood for the production of wood panels, paper products, bronze, furniture of various kinds and various hand-made crafts.
History rewritten – A tale of two Ports
After India gained independence, maritime trade in the area shifted to the Port of Mumbai. But the facilities at Mumbai were soon strained beyond capacity. So, in early 1948, the Indian government created the West Coast Major Port Development Committee and presented it with the task of studying the feasibility of building a new major port. The Committee recommended locating a port at Kandla, Gujarat.
Declared as a major port in April 1955, in 1965 the Port of Kandla saw the creation of its Special Economic Zone (KASEZ). Incidentally, this also became the first special economic zone to be established in India and within Asia. Today, the Port of Kandla SEZ stands proudly as the biggest multiple-product SEZ in the country and covers an area of over three hundred and ten hectares. With the onset of such a rapid and steady growth curve it has transformed itself into a major hub for a host of exports and imports. These range from grains to oil, petroleum, chemicals of various kinds, iron and steel, timber, salt and textiles besides numerous other products. What’s more, this port has grown into one of the highest earning ports within India and during 2011-2012 Kandla registered a double digit cargo growth. One of the main contributing factors for this feat being the strong d em and for timb er and also th e increasing number of timber processing plants within the immediate vicinity.
Moving away to the shores of the Gulf of Kutch and around sixty kilometers from Kandla lies one of India’s largest private ports, the Port of Mundra. Home to about sixty thousand people and a budding number of factories the growth trajectory of this area seems only set to spiral skyward as this port has not only transformed the local economy but the prevailing atmosphere as well. Though the port was completed and operational in 1998, in 2003 the Mundra Special Economic Zone was incorporated which was later merged with the Gujarat Adani Port Limited (GAPL) in 2006. This combined company was then renamed the ‘Mundra Port and Special Economic Zone Limited’ and has become India’s first multi-product, port-based, special economic zone.
As India’s largest private port, the Port of Mundra provides cargo-handling and a gamut of value-added services to its customers. Having the tag of a SEZ it aims to be a global player and remain a preferred partner to business houses. Industries from almost all sectors are able to locate and find value here specifically those that are port or power intensive. Th es e incud e, light and h eavy engineering, textiles, auto and chemicals, project cargo, pharma, metal and mineral based industries, stone based industry, timber and furniture. In addition, to serve such industries the Mundra SEZ is in the proc ess of d ev eloping d edic at ed industrial parks like a Textile and Apparel Park, a Chemical Park, Plastic Park as well as a Timber Park. This will not only add value to partners’ activities and efforts but also reduce environmental impacts while continuously pursuing innovation in business, technological and commercial areas.
Logging higher profits made easy.
Going by today’s numbers, one can find around nine hundred and fifty two licensed wood working factories in and around Kandla. And in the coming years, analysts only expect more such plants to be established in Kandla as well as in Mundra since the region is serviced by two of India’s very modern, efficient and profitable ports.
Swayam Shipping Services Private Limited is one of the players on this field. Having commenced its port operations around the mid nineties today, this company has evolved into a major player within the various ports of Gujarat. Together with its associate companies Swayam Shipping handles more than 2 million tons of cargo each year. Owning a strong presence in Kandla and Mundra forging strategic alliances with all major public and private concerns associated with the shipping industry were the need of the hour and so, were formed. Today, the company not only runs operations out of Kandla and Mundra but Pipavav, Ahmedabad and Mumbai as well.
Over the years Swayam Shipping garnered a wealth of experience through its people and in the managing of varied kinds of cargoes. These include the handling of Pine and Hardwood timber logs, sawn timber, plywood, fibreboard, steel coils and plates, iron ore, fertilizers, coal, minerals, raw cotton, linter, urea, soda ash, HDPE ropes, PVC hose pipes, ceramic tiles and sanitary ware, castor, sesame and rap seed, ground nuts, Basmati rice, Guar gum, salt, metal scrap, heavy equipment like diesel engines, other machinery and spare parts besides a host of other products.