According to officials, India’s CONCOR (Container Corporation of India) is in negotiations with significant shipping companies, such as the international powerhouse Maersk, to provide end-to-end solutions, including their renowned first mile-last mile (FM-LM) services. Additionally, the Ministry of Railways’ CPSE is awaiting the arrival of tank containers from Braithwaite & Co., a wagon manufacturer. It is believed that CONCOR is attempting to support earnings from new domestic market segments, such as cement, by increasing the number of tank containers.
Depending on infrastructure needs, a review of the capital expenditure budget will soon be undertaken. By H1, around₹277 crore in capital expenditures had been completed, compared to the FY25 projection of₹610 crore. In H1FY25, the CPSE acquired 5130 additional containers, increasing its total to 49,516.
Meetings with shipping lines have taken place in Mumbai, according to Sanjay Swarup, Chairman and Managing Director of CONCOR. The CPSE provided its first-, last-, and warehousing services and informed shipping lines of the volume-based incentives available. He stated that these services will be provided “as a package.”
Tata, Vedanta, Reliance, and Jindal were among the other companies that the CMD had previously identified as potential possibilities. It only has long-term agreements for EXIM trading with the Jindal Group. Swarup claims that starting in December, Braithwaite Corporation plans to deliver tank containers and bulk cement. Cement companies are already being consulted. He stated, “We are in contact with top cement companies, and we hope to garner very good business in the coming months in the domestic market.”
CONCOR will shortly begin double-stack container train services from North India sites to Varnama (near Baroda), which is a part of the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (WDFC). Rail services between Kandla port and ICDs (inland container depots) in North India have already started.
The Varnama terminal will be connected to the DFC and the Indian Railways network, with the latter currently being constructed. From Dadri and Kathuwas, we will go to Varnama by double-stack train. We then divide it into two trains with a single stack. Additionally, they will travel the final 400 kilometers on the Indian Railways route to JNPT. And for imports, the opposite will occur,” Swarup stated on the call. With only over 100 kilometers left, the WDFC completion has been rescheduled till December 2025.
