In a boost to the indigenous manufacturing of containers and to ease the container shortage in the country, Container Corporation of India has launched the process of manufacturing containers in India.
Indian manufacturers BHEL, Braithwaite are implementing a Concor order to develop 1,000 prototypes each, which will be tested and results made available at the end of March. The total annual requirement of containers for Concor is 8,000, which the state-run company has been fulfilling through imports from China, at a total cost of around Rs 200 crore. To keep at bay Chinese advantage in the Indian container market and give a push to the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative, Concor will float an open tender to meet the requirement of 6,000 more containers.
“Our annual requirement will be around 8,000 containers for the next five years. We are going to float an open tender, inviting domestic manufacturers for this,” said V Kalyana Rama, CMD, Concor.
India is equipped with the technical know-how required to manufacture these containers and the various specified materials required for container manufacture which enhance weather resistant qualities and strength are also available in the country. This first initiative towards cutting down dependance on import of containers, will save precious foreign exchange, besides boosting the production efficiency of Indian industries and generating employment for the youth.
The production of containers in India has attracted interest from multi-modal logistics companies and other stakeholders related to container manufacture, maintenance and operation of containers. While major steel players like SAIL, Tata Steel and Jindal Steel have confirmed availability of required better grade steels, Kalyani Cast Tech, Balmer Lawrie, Transafe, DCM Hyundai have assured that they have the technology required to manufacture these containers. Container inspection agencies like Lloyd Register and Indian Register of Shipping are already working with some Indian manufacturers to ensure production of world class containers.
The government is also looking at making India a container manufacturing capital of the world with minister of railways, commerce & industry Piyush Goyal reaching out to industry and supply chain companies to help realise the objective and step up production to meet the global container demand.
