India shipping industry expert Anil Devli, the executive director of Shreyas Shipping & Logistics and the new chairman of the Container Shipping Lines Association (CSLA), says "there is no option to containerisation" in the rapidly developing nation.
Mr Devli told The Economic Times that India "will see more and more cargo getting containerised. India has always been unique in the way we have done things and while containerisation is slow I can surely see that it's happening".
Mr Devli noted that traditionally Indian cargo has been transported by general cargo vessels and in break-bulk forms despite containers starting to come to India around 1979-80. "So in that sense Indian cargo has seen containerisation in the past 20 years or so. We have had a very low density and less awareness," he said.
"Liner shipping of containers is a retail trade in as much it needs to deal with hundreds of shippers, consignees, forwarders etc, providing the line with modest margins. It also needs a huge network of agents worldwide. Having worldwide coverage is extremely important."
He noted that retention levels on the bulk and liquid side of the shipping business are arguably far more attractive than container shipping, which he said may have been "another constraint for Indian operators adding containerised shipping as a part of their portfolios".
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