Viraj Profiles Ltd, the $1.5bn leader in stainless steel long products, after its successful operations at CFS, Nhava Sheva, has extended its logistics arm by setting up its Inland Container Depot – Vaishno Container Terminal at Tarapur, Maharashtra. Set up at an investment of Rs. 90 crores, the Inland Container Depot (ICD) is located at Tarapur- Boisar, in Thane district, at a distance of 150 km from the Nhava Sheva Terminals and 128 km from Mumbai Port Terminal, with a travel time of 4-5 hours, ensuring smooth transportation between ICD to Gateway Ports. The facility was inaugurated by Mr. V. S. Krishnan, IRS, Chief Commissioner, Central Excise, Service Tax and Customs.
Connected by rail and road with the Nhava Sheva Terminal, the Vaishno Container Terminal has paved yards of 11.4 acres for container stacking handling up to 5000 TEU’s per month, with adequate warehousing space of 33,000 sq. ft. for import/export, LCL/FCL warehousing as per requirement. The state-of-the-art container/cargo handling equipment, trained manpower and its close proximity to the gateway ports are some of the key points that will contribute towards the success of the ICD. Maintenance and repair (M&R) facilities are available for all kinds of repairing, cleaning and sweeping, along with world class safety and security systems. Streamlined procedures, systems and standardised processes in handling the material and warehousing and efficient use and maintenance of equipment ensure smooth operations. IT-enabled processes with complete documentation and billing counters that aid in container tracking are some of its value-added services. The facility is equipped with state-of-the-art hardware and software to service the requirements of customs, importers/exporters and all other stakeholders. The new container terminal is fully geared up to ensure safe and secure storage of containers and cargo and offers custom clearance facility near the centre of production and consumption. This will also reduce custom clearance time and improve the level of transparency.
Speaking at the inauguration, Mr Neeraj R Kochhar, Chairman and Managing Director, Viraj Profiles Ltd., said, “Being associated with manufacturing for a long time, we realise how important it is for businesses to focus on their core activities and not get distracted by routine tasks, which can be very time-consuming and expensive. As businesses get more globalised, competitiveness is key. With this belief, we have set up another inland container terminal (ICD), the Vaishno Container Terminal, at Tarapur providing world-class logistics services. Our mission is to provide one stop shop in logistics and deliver operational excellence to the manufacturing units in and around the area. Providing a host of benefits like reduced customs clearance time, transportation and logistics cost, demurrage and pilferage clubbed with state-of-the-art equipment and trained manpower, the facility is one of the most advanced in the country. We are quite optimistic about the need for more such facilities across the country and would be exploring some more locations to open new container terminals, demonstrating our commitment to the sunrise industry.”
The Vaishno Container Terminal, apart from its proximity to Mumbai Port Terminal and Nhava Sheva Terminal, provides customs clearance facility near the centre of production and consumption, reducing the clearance time considerably and doing away with the necessity of customs at getaway ports. Reduced demurrage, pilferage and logistics cost add to the facilities attraction for commercial units. Import containers are de-stuffed and can be retained at the depot, reducing empty container repositioning cost to zero. Export containers can be provided for dock stuffing / factory stuffing, reducing empty container transportation cost.
About Viraj Profiles Limited
Established in 1990, the $1.5bn Viraj Profiles Limited is a global player in stainless steel products. It is the second largest manufacturer of stainless steel long products in the world and is ranked number one in stainless steel flanges. With a customer base of 1,300 spanning across 9 countries and 6 continents, installed capacity in excess of 528,000 TPA and employee strength of 9,000, the company is one of the fastest growing business houses in the country. The company manufactures a range of stainless steel products ranging from wire rods and wires to fasteners, bright bars, profiles and fangles. Its deep commitment to quality has earned it many accolades over the years including the SEEPZ-SEZ Highest Exporter Award in 2010.
