Puducherry put on the Shipping map with the commissioning of the satellite Port

The five year long dream of Tamil Nadu Shippers for a direct shipping service between Ports in the Chennai region with Puducherry got fulfilled when the first container vessel M V Hope 7 berthed at Puducherry port on February 11^th marking the beginning of the functioning of the satellite port from there to carry container consignment to the mother ports.

Containers loaded at Puducherry port will be cleared off all the formalities including customs and ferried directly to the container terminals of Chennai, Kamarajar and Katupalli ports and directly loaded to the waiting ships. This will serve the dual purpose of avoiding congestion both at the ports and the Grand Southern Trunk (GST) road leading to Chennai from Southern Tamil Nadu.

The ship currently berthed at Puducherry Port will take off on February 15 and reach the container terminals in all the three ports the same day within 10 to 12 hours depending on the weather conditions.

Talking to Sagar Sandesh Mr Naveen Prakash Director of Global Logistics Solutions India Private Limited and Mr Jude Vallabhdas CEO of the company which operates the service said it will be a biweekly service between the two ports. As of now there are no plans to extend the service either to Cuddalore or Karaikal ports.

The vessel can carry forty containers and the draft at Puducherry port is adequate to berth the vessel alongside.

The shippers will have the facility to use the ice-gate facility put up by the customs. All other formalities are in place for the launch of the service on February 15^th.

Both Mr Naveen Prakash and Mr Jude Vallabhdas exuded confidence the service will be tremendous success and the industry in central Tamil Nadu will be immensely benefitted.