SCI launches India-Myanmar container service from Chennai

The Shipping Corporation of India (SCI) has launched an India Myanmar Service (IMS) that will operate container services from Chennai, linking south-east India to Myanmar.

This service has actively been promoted by the ministries of shipping, external affairs, and commerce, in line with the enhanced trade relationship with Myanmar.

The service commenced with `mv SCI Kamal', a 1,200 TEU capacity vessel arriving in Chennai on her maiden call and to commemorate the launch organised on 3 October 2014.

The Shipping Corporation of India Limited, a premier Indian Shipping Company introduced 'mv SCI Kamal' exclusively on this run. Vessel on her maiden call at Chennai carried out a throughput exchange of 200 TEUs with imports comprising commodities like pulses, timber, furniture etc and exports comprising cement, general cargo and chemicals.

The flagging off of the Chennai > Krishnapatnam > Yangoon > Colombo > Chennai service took place in Chennai on 3  October 2014 and the new service is scheduled to call at Chennai every fortnight.

This service will boost bilateral trade relations between India and Myanmar by providing immense opportunities for manufacturers, importers and exporters in these countries. This service will open new avenues to the traders to the growing markets in India and Myanmar.

Secretary, ministry of shipping, Vishwapati Trivedi, remarked that the launch of the India - Myanmar service was a direct offshoot of the government's 'Look East Policy' by using northern Myanmar to reach in to Mizoram and other north-eastern states using Sittwe port in Myanmar, on Bay of Bengal, situated at the mouth of the Kaladan River.

''SCI has the wherewithal to sustain the service in the long run. We cannot expect to make profits from day one. However, in a year's time, we expect the service will be well received by the trade,'' he added.

Trivedi said the government was looking at starting a similar service to countries such as Thailand and Vietnam, as part of the `Look East' policy, and as such, the government will help the shipping industry in Bangladesh.

Like the European Union, which has a strong network of ports, the Government of India will take steps to have a similar arrangement with neighbouring countries such as Bangladesh and Myanmar, he said.