News / Regional operators eclipsing the major liners on India's box trades

Image: Turkon Line

An expanding market shift from the predominant box carriers to new regional operators is altering India’s container supply chain dynamics.

Turkey’s Turkon Line, which recently entered this emerging market, is boosting capacity to support its operations, and is set to add a fifth 4,000 teu vessel into its Turkey-Red Sea-India (TRI) loop this month, enhancing the rotation to fixed-day weekly.

TRI offers a rotation of Ambarli (Istanbul)-Evyap-Aliaga-Mersin-Aqaba-Jeddah-Nhava Sheva-Mundra-Jeddah-Aqaba-Alexandria-Ambarli, after launching in February with four ships of 2,500 to 2,800 teu.

Recent TRI sailings out of Nhava Sheva and Mundra have had 100% capacity utilisation, Turkon sources claimed.

There are also indications that Turkon will upgrade the TRI with two more, brand new, 4,000 teu vessels in the first half of next year, to replace the older tonnage deployed at present. That would almost double Turkon’s capacity in the tradelane.

“The new service provides a vital link between India’s growing market and Turkon Line’s robust network in America, Europe, the Mediterranean, and the Middle East,” the carrier noted.

“The route offers the fastest transit time between Turkey and India via the Suez Canal and Red Sea, calling at Nhava Sheva and Mundra ports in India, and includes rail connections to strategic inland destinations in northern India.”

Turkon is represented in India by third-party agent Abrao Group.

And the carrier is not alone in pushing market ambitions in India-Red Sea trades. Arkas Line recently began operating customised intermodal rail solutions for Indian hinterland shippers, part of its strategy to drum up trade for its India-Med Service (IMS).

The rail offering, involving double-stack block train operations, connects Dadri Inland Container Depot in northern India to Mundra port. Dadri is one of the busiest ICDs in India.

“The launch will deliver a game-changing advantage for cold chain logistics in India, offering customers enhanced efficiency, reduced transit times and an environmentally sustainable logistics solution,” claimed Arkas.

Meanwhile, container lines targeting Indian reefer cargo with time-guaranteed intermodal rail connections to major gateway ports has gathered steam in recent months. Singapore-based ONE has also begun offering a reefer train link from Hyderabad (South India) to Nhava Sheva port.

As regional carriers grow their footprint, these traditional larger mainliners have already lost some market share in the India-Med trade.

Realising the demand pressure, CMA CGM has cut back on capacity in the trade by often blanking calls on its Medex service, schedule updates suggest. Two calls for India this month have been blanked due to lower volumes.

Additionally, HMM’s Far East/India-Mediterranean (FIM) service has a vessel omission for India this month, according to available information.