association of multimodal transport operators of...
TRANSCRIPT
ASSOCIATION OF MULTIMODAL TRANSPORT OPERATORS OF INDIA
Weekly News 29.11.2013—05.12.2013 Volume 1, Issue 36 Inside this issue:
India Natie portal launched 1
India Natie portal launched—Continued 2
Visakhapatnam Port will regain its numero uno position: R Kishore
2
Air India decides to lift cargo from Trichy 3
NMPT set to handle 3 main line box vessels this month 3 Adani Ports signs MoU with Belgian Port of Zeebrugge 4
Schenker India eyes 20 per cent growth in revenue, acqui-sition
4
Chennai Port plans multi-cargo terminal, report on restructur-ing in a month
4
Logistics growing at par with e-commerce: DotZot 5 JNPT launches CSR projects
5 Port of Amsterdam enters into structural partnership for creating a
green metropolitan region 6
Vasan opens parking yard to ease traffic congestion at Chennai Port
6
Mumbai Airport's Terminal 2 to open on January 15 6 Cochin Port plans Rs.40,000 cr oil refinery and oil trading hub 7
Amazon Is Experimenting With Autonomous Flying Delivery Drones
7
Humor 8
V Narayanasamy bats for pri-vate sector in developing avia-tion infra
3
Joint effort of AMTOI & Antwerp port expected to further enhance overall trade ties & logistics cooperation between India
& Belgium
The India Natie web portal, a joint effort of the Association of Multimodal Transport Operators of India (AMTOI) and the port of Antwerp, was officially launched last week by HRH Princess
Astrid of Belgium.
Among the key dignitaries present on the occasion were Mr Didier Reynders, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and European Affairs, Government of Belgium, Mr. Kris Peeters, Minister-President of the Government of Flanders, and Flemish Minister for Economy, Foreign Policy, Agriculture and Rural Policy, Mr. Marc Van Peel, Chairman of Antwerp Port Authority,
and Mr. Sailesh Bhatia, President of AMTOI.
Also gracing the function were Mr. Deepak Shetty, Joint DG Shipping, Mr Shantanu Bhadkamkar, Vice-President of AMTOI, Mr. Vivek Kele, Honorary Secretary, Mr. R. K. Rubin, Honorary Treasurer, Managing Committee members Mr. Nailesh Gandhi, Mr. Ravindra J. Gandhi and Mr. Xerxes Master,
besides former Presidents Mr. Anand Sheth and Mr. Tushar Jani.
Antwerp port officials, Mr. Raj Khalid and Ms. Saroj Mehta from the port’s representative office in
Mumbai, and some members of the Belgian economic mission visiting India at the time were also present.
The idea of India Natie was conceptualized by Mr. Tushar Jani and Mr. Marc Van Peel with the objective of combining the Antwerp concept of merchandising with manufacturing capabilities in India. Once both organizations decided to pursue the idea, a formal agreement was signed between the port and AMTOI
in February 2012 during the Presidentship of Mr. Sheth.
India Natie has a lot to offer, be it market information on India and port of Antwerp, business cases and testimonials, business directory, latest news and events or FAQs, or any specific queries there might be. Keeping in mind the advancing technology, the portal has been designed in a dynamic manner where within a few clicks one would reach the desired information from the vast amount of data available. It is
scalable to a great extent.
By providing a digital platform, India Natie aims to bridge the trade gap between India and Europe, thus
benefiting Indian and Belgian traders as they become privileged members of the portal.
Over a period of time, India Natie is expected to become an essential tool and community to support
business development strategies, it was pointed out.
In his welcome address, Mr. Bhatia acknowledged the efforts put in by Mr. Tushar Jani, Mr. Anand Sheth, Mr. Shantanu Bhadkamkar, Mr. Ravindra Gandhi, Mr. Raj Khalid, Mr. Eddy Bruyninckx, Mr. Luc Arnouts
and the entire Antwerp port team in creating this portal.
Pointing out that Belgium is India’s second largest trading partner in the EU, he said the portal will facilitate further growth in economic ties between the countries, and with the Flanders region and Antwerp port. AMTOI is committed to promoting international
trade cooperation, he stressed.
India Natie portal launched
Mr. Marc Van Peel said India Natie is a virtual platform to bring together entrepreneurs
and businesspeople of the two countries. He also described its launch as an important
milestone for the close relationship between AMTOI and Antwerp port. The port
management believed there is enormous potential for growth in India, he emphasized.
He thanked Mr. Bhatia, Mr. Jani and Mr. Sheth for their personal investment in the
project.
Mr. Anand Sheth and Mr. Tushar Jani threw light on how the project was conceptualized
and the extensive discussions that took place regarding concept and content. They
thanked the Antwerp port team for its "exceptional support" and also acknowledged the
support of VEA, the association of Antwerp forwarders and related business companies, among others.
According to Mr. Kris Peeters, the portal is an innovative tool that would facilitate better business interaction and networking, and ease logistics
operations.
Mr. Didier Reynders expected India Natie to enhance India-Belgium trade and boost bilateral investment in the two countries.
Mr. Vivek Kele proposed the vote of thanks.
The first edition of the printed version of AMTOI’s newsletter was also released on the occasion.
India Natie portal launched—Continued
Page 2
R Kishore, CEO and Director, Visakhapatnam Seaport Private
Limited (VSPL), is also the President of the Indian Private Ports and
Terminals Association (IPPTA) confident about Visakhapatnam Port
Trust’s future to regain its numero uno position.
He expressed, “Vizag Port has a great advantage of being the most
inexpensive port as we charge 40% less than the neighboring ports.
We are the backbone of Indian Railways in terms of freight revenue
and are excellently connected.
We have an excellent efficient workforce, both at Vizag Port Trust
(VPT) and our terminal, which makes us inexpensive. Vizag has a vast
developing hinterland with steel plants and iron ore mines close by.
Chhattisgarh, Vidarbha and part of Madhya Pradesh, which are
growth centres too, are close to us. Vizag itself will consume large
volumes of bulk cargo as in two years there will be a huge
requirement of steam coal due to power plants and expansion of
steel plants. We can service up to Nagpur from here.”
Talking about the key issues plaguing Vizag Port, he said, “The first
issue is the lack of depth. From 2004 onwards, we have emphasized
the need to deepen the channel to cater to future requirements.
Since it doesn't have a deeper draft we are not able to bring in
bigger vessels.
We were keen to cooperate with the port to deepen the channel
though as a private operator we don't need to invest in this. We
signed an MoU as per which VPT would deepen and widen the
channel from -10.6 metres to a depth of -12 metres and we will
pump in money to deepen it from -12 mts to -13.5 metres so that
larger ships can come inside. But till 2012, dredging did not take
place and after spending Rs 20 crore of our own funds, we backed
off as we couldn't spend
anymore. We can compete
with all neighboring ports and
become more efficient if the
depth issue is resolved.”
Focusing on VSPL's growth
plan, he said, “We are now stabilized at 5 million tonnes per annum
(mtpa) and intend to reach 8 mtpa. We plan to invest Rs 100 crore
for additional infrastructure facilities in the next fiscal when the land
for additional storage is taken over by us. We will invest once
dredging is completed and a depth of 16 metres is available. While
our present turnover is around Rs 110 crore, we are looking at a Rs
200 crore turnover in the coming three years. We have completed 12
out of 30 years of operations and have to completely recover our
investments, pay back debt and give our investors a fair return for
their investment, which is not an insurmountable task. We will be
able to achieve this once deepening of the port draft is over.
Talking about regaining VPT’s the numero uno spot among major
ports, he said, “We are supremely confident of coming back as the
number one port mainly because several private operators will be
fully operational in two years' time. We will be able to improve
drastically once the berths offer a depth of 16 metres and we have
adequate storage area”.
Expressing the coastal shipping potential in India, he said, “Movement
of freight through the coastal route is the cheapest but unfortunately
is not being done on a large scale. We need to have a larger number
of small jetties and cargo receiving stations along the coast so cargo
can move economically.”
Visakhapatnam Port will regain its numero uno position: R Kishore
Page 3
Air India decides to lift cargo from Trichy
The Air India
Express has finally
decided to lift
cargo from Trichy
airport, though in
small quantities.
The national
carrier's Chennai-
based general
m a n a g e r
( c o m m e r c i a l )
Ramaiah Radhakrishan who was briefly in Trichy said that the first
consignment was officially lifted in the AXB-611 taking off for Dubai
around 1.10 am on November 27.
Exporters from the region have been demanding Air India Express to
lift cargo for long, and after the grounding of Mihin Lanka from April
this year, the cry for cargo became strident. Traders are unhappy over
the cancellation of Mihin Lanka because it gave the much-needed gulf
connectivity from Colombo. Since most of the exports are perishables,
the Sri Lankan is the preferred carrier since it is the only airline that
connects to most of the destinations in Europe and the Middle East.
At present Air India Express that operates daily direct flights to
Singapore and Dubai could not lift cargos for want of commercial staff.
Last month, Pirakalathan, its Trichy manager said that a report was
being prepared to be sent to the airline's commercial headquarters in
Mumbai seeking permission to appoint at least four commercial staff
and make room for a separate complex.
S A Sayeed, the president of Express Courier Operators Association
said there was scope to send at least 2.5 tons of cargo a day through
Air India Express to Dubai.
Private sector should be involved in modernizing aviation
infrastructure as it was "very difficult" for the government to do it on
its own, Union minister V Narayanasamy said. "I am a strong
supporter of public sector. When the government gives you (public
sector unit) funds, you should give results... It is very difficult for the
government to do it alone. Private sector should be involved" in
developing aviation infrastructure, he said at a conference organised
by the Airports Authority of India's (AAI) Officers' Association. An
organization which does not give results cannot exist in a competitive
environment, the Minister said.
Referring to the airline industry, Narayanasamy said private Indian
companies were tying up with global carriers to bring in an
atmosphere of competition, without referring to proposed ventures
like Tata-Singapore Airlines or AirAsia India. In this context, he also
stressed that Air India needed to improve its performance and come
on par with world airlines as passengers' expectations had gone up.
Narayanasamy said
AA I h a d t h e
capability to build
world class airports
as they have done in
Chennai and Kolkata
"but should adhere
to the time-schedule
and avoid cost over-
runs". He also
complimented AAI for introducing new technologies which had led to
a decline in the accident rate in the past couple of years. "This is a
great achievement." India should also not lag behind in technological
innovations and hence private sector should collaborate with the
state-run industries to develop new technologies and "set benchmarks
on par with international standards," he said.
V Narayanasamy bats for private sector in developing aviation infra
THE New Mangalore Port
Trust (NMPT) is expecting
three main line container
vessels to call at the Port
this month.
According to a statement
by Dr. P. Tamilvanan,
Chairman of NMPT, main
line container vessel m.v. Kota Halus, of Pacific International Lines
(PIL), called at the gateway facility recently.
Arriving from East Africa, it was the fifth main line vessel to have
berthed at the Port in the current fiscal. The vessel unloaded 175
containers of raw cashew for processing units in and around
Mangalore. It will carry export containers on its homeward journey,
reaching East Africa via Dubai.
"From just one vessel during 2007-08, this is the 36th main line vessel
calling at the Port," Dr. Tamilvanan said.
He disclosed that two more main line vessels—m.v. Kota Nalus and
m.v. Kota Haram—would call at the Port on December 10 and 23,
respectively. They will be sailing back with export containers to East
Africa via Singapore.
Direct calls at ports significantly reduce transit time.
NMPT has handled 33,422 TEUs till November 30 of FY14, as against
31,272 TEUs during the corresponding period of the last fiscal.
NMPT set to handle 3 main line box vessels this month
Adani Ports signs MoU with Belgian Port of Zeebrugge
Page 4
Schenker India eyes 20 per cent growth in revenue, acquisition
Banking on the growing potential of contract
logistics business, domain expert Schenker India
is eyeing to clock 20 per cent revenue growth
annually and an acquisition in domestic distribu-
tion segment. Schenker India, a part of
DB Schenker, the transport and logistics division
of the Euro 39 billion Deutsche Bahn Group,
offers integrated logistics services including in-
ternational air and ocean freight and contract
logistics. "We are focusing very much on con-
tract logistics market business. This is an under-
developed area. It is growing at 10-15 per cent a
year in India, as companies are increasingly out-
sourcing their logistics and warehousing func-
tions," Reiner Allgeier, Managing Director said.
"We are well positioned to leverage the market
potential as we have the expertise to manage
complex logistics needs. We expect revenue
to grow by 20 per cent next year, as demand
remains strong from retail, electronics and
manufacturing sectors," he added.
Having been in the country since 1996,
Schenker India had clocked Rs 1,500 crore
revenue last year. The company is also
expanding its warehousing capacity by 50 per
cent to 3 million sq ft from an existing 1.8
million sq ft. It generally takes the premises
on long-term lease to create addition
capacity. Schenker India operates warehouses
in 53 locations, it has 50 trucks and
additionally operates 200-300 trucks on a
daily basis. In the export-import segment, DB
Schenker
h a n d l e s
a b o u t
8 0 , 0 0 0
tonnes of
air cargo
and 80,000 twenty foot equivalent units
(TEU) of ocean containers a year.
The company is also looking for acquisition
in domestic distribution space, Allgeier said,
adding that it might take some time to
actually happen. "We are looking for some
targets for acquiring in the domestic
distribution space. However, it may take
some time," he said.
Chennai Port plans multi-cargo terminal, report on restructuring in a month
The much-delayed Rs.
5,000-crore Chennai
mega container terminal
is now being envisaged
as a multi-cargo terminal
under a restructuring
plan on which the
consultant is expected to
submit a report within a
month.
Chennai Port is looking at a multi-cargo terminal instead of just a
container terminal - an outer harbor type of project which will
have both container and multi-cargo berths, an official said.
"We are trying to restructure the project in terms of both physical
and financial aspects that will make it more attractive for investors.
The consultant should be ready with the report on restructuring in
a month or so," said the official, requesting anonymity. The
development of competing container terminals by L&T and Ennore
Port would affect the project as they would eat into the estimated
demand for the project, the official added.
The proposed terminal, which is expected to handle 5 million TEUs
(twenty foot equivalent units), was conceived in 2006 and expected to
be operational from 2013. Bids were invited for the project twice, but
on both occasions very few bidders evinced interest and the
Government found the quotations on revenue sharing too low to be
acceptable.
The project has also been impacted by evacuation or connectivity issues.
The proposed Maduravoyal elevated corridor, which was planned to
provide connectivity from the hinterland to the port, has been put on
hold by the state Government due to alleged deviation from the
approved alignment.
The National Highways Authority of India, which is implementing the
project, is considering cancelling the contract if the issue is not resolved
since the contractor constructing the corridor will have to be
compensated for the delay.
"Without the elevated corridor, moving the container traffic will be
difficult because city roads cannot handle that kind of capacity or load.
That is why we have to go for multi-cargo route which can be moved by
the rail linkages available," said the official.
Adani Ports & SEZ Ltd (APSEZ), India's largest private port developer, signed a memorandum of
understanding (MoU) with the Belgian Port of Zeebrugge on Wednesday, to get access to European
markets. "The MoU over a period of time will help in an enhanced movement of traffic to and from
APSEZ into Europe and beyond," Adani Ports said.
Adani Ports will explore joint business opportunities between the two ports along with other forms of
trade, shipping, railway infrastructure across India and Europe, the statement added. Karan Adani,
Executive Director, said Adani Ports was keen to jointly explore marketing initiatives and strategies to
promote Indo-European trade relations across both the ports via shipping lines.
Logistics growing at par with e-commerce: DotZot
Page 5
JNPT launches CSR projects
The Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) last
week launched various corporate social
responsibility (CSR) projects for senior citizens,
youth, students and tourists.
These include boat cruise for senior citizens,
beautification of Elephanta Island, facilitating Port
visit by school children, converting the Gateway
of India into a tourist-friendly place, and
providing well equipped gymnasiums for
under-privileged youth, etc.
The projects were formulated as per the Union
Minister of Shipping, Mr. G. K. Vasan’s instruc-
tion to Ports and other public sector undertak-
ings under the Ministry to earmark a portion of
their profits for CSR activities.
The projects were launched by Mr. Vasan in the
presence of the Minister of State for Shipping,
Mr Milind Deora, Mr. N. N. Kumar, Chairman of
JNPT, Mr. S. K. Kaul, Chief Manager Administra-
tion and Secretary, JNPT, Port HoDs, senior
citizens and a cross-section of representatives
from the shipping and port fraternity, among
others.
Mr. Vasan said he was happy to note that
most of the Major Ports had responded posi-
tively to the initiative, and JNPT, under the
supervision of Mr. Milind Deora, had been
one of the most active ports in this regard.
The Minister stressed that the country’s
ports should be made more accessible to
common citizens so that they could
understand the importance of ports in
economic development.
The existing facilities, systems and
procedures at the country’s biggest container
port and the significance of ports in
export-import trade should be explained at
schools in Mumbai, Mr. Deora said.
Mr. Vasan also asked JNPT to take initiatives
in partnering with ‘Tourist First’ to create a
better image of India by providing good
services to tourists and better earning to
vendors, starting with the Gateway of India.
As Elephanta Island was located close to
JNPT, the Port had plans to construct a
part of the protection wall with pathway on
the West side and provide solar lighting and
other miscellaneous facilities, he disclosed.
Mr. Vasan asked JNPT to take up many
more such projects under CSR for the
overall benefit of society.
As the Indian e-
commerce mar-
ket is growing,
the challenges
faced by the
industry are
getting addressed
even f a s ter .
Online players
h a v e b e e n
investing in ways to improve the logistics for smooth and fast
delivery of goods to consumers. While many large e-tailers have
created separate logistics divisions, several logistics companies are
also setting up dedicated businesses to cater to online companies.
Earlier this year, global delivery firm DTDC launched DotZot, a
company focused on providing end-to-end logistics and
warehousing services to e-commerce players. Sanjiv Kathuria,
Country Head, DotZot, said the company is targeting a turnover
of Rs 100 crore in the third year of operation. This year it is
looking at clocking Rs 20-25 crore.
The logistics sector is growing at par with the e-commerce
industry, at an annual rate of 70 per cent, he pointed out. The
evolution of the industry has led to the emergence of small
regional companies like Mudita and Delhivery, he said. “The
requirements and needs of this sector are different. To give an example,
60 per cent of online delivery currently is cash-on-delivery (CoD) and
normal delivery companies are not equipped to handle cash. Then there
are returns (of purchased goods), too. So we provide the technology to
handle these problems,” Kathuria said.
According to a recent study by research firm Forrester, logistics and
fulfillment are the biggest challenges in India, with more than half of all
online retail sales using COD. While COD is essential in a nascent
e-commerce market, it can have a large negative impact on margins, the
study stated, adding that the return rates in India are as high as 25 per
cent. As most online players are shifting to a marketplace model,
wherein the company doesn’t manage any inventory but only sales by
small businesses on a platform, there is a need for dedicated
e-commerce-focused logistics partners, Kathurai said.
Flipkart and Amazon have their own logistic businesses, but most of the
delivery happens in the top 20 cities. “The potential lies in the rest of
the country, where these companies cannot enter without a full-fledged
logistics firm,” Kathuria said.
DotZot provides its services to over 8,000 pin codes spread over 2,300
cities and towns. Kathuria further said the company is working at reduc-
ing the delivery time. The aim is to bring it to less than 24 hours. The
e-commerce sector will see certain changes as players will soon start
charging for shipping, he added.
Port of Amsterdam enters into structural partnership for creating a green metropolitan region
Page 6
The City of
A m s t e r d a m
Waste and En-
ergy Company
(AEB), the Wa-
ternet water
company and Port of Amsterdam have decided to enter into a
structural partnership. Their common objective is to ensure that
more projects in the field of sustainable raw materials, energy and
water are realized in the Amsterdam port area.
The partnership represents a major step forward towards a circular
economy. The three parties will launch six sustainable and innovative
projects, each of which is expected to generate results within five
years.
A green metropolitan region will benefit the climate and work as an
engine for the regional economy, attracting sustainable organizations
to the region and boosting employment.
Six sustainable, innovative projects
The three parties will launch six projects that involve active coopera-
tion with other organizations, such as companies and knowledge
institutions. The projects provide added value for all parties and will
be feasible within five years. Project objectives include:
* Increase the production of green gas through the use of a new
technology that allows more energy to be recovered from residual
sludge and close cooperation with the port’s business community.
* Plastic production from sustainable raw materials instead of oil.
* Supply of steam to port-based companies.
* Smarter and more sustainable processing of liquid waste.
* Installation of wind turbines as soon as the go-ahead is given by the
province of North Holland based on the SER Energy Agreement
(Energieakkoord).
* Create fertile breeding ground for testing sustainable and innovative
concepts and products by Port of Amsterdam, AEB and Waternet,
and other port-based companies.
Smarter entrepreneurship & structural cooperation
AEB is transitioning from waste disposal company to supplier of
sustainable energy and raw materials. Water recycle company Water-
net develops sustainable projects aimed at producing energy and ex-
tracting raw materials from water, and Port of Amsterdam is well on
the way to become a leading port in green energy and raw materials.
"In the past few years, we have worked together on an incidental
basis. One of our joint projects was the creation of a green gas
station. In order to achieve even more sustainable results and evolve
into a more structured form of cooperation, we have signed a
cooperation agreement," say the three CEOs, Mr Jeroen de Swart
(AEB), Mr Roelof Kruize (Waternet) and Ms. Dertje Meijer (Port of
Amsterdam).
Samsara Shipping Pvt. Ltd represents Port of Amsterdam
in India.
Vasan opens parking yard to ease traffic congestion at Chennai
The Union Shipping Minister, Mr. G. K. Vasan, last week inaugurated a
parking yard at Tirivottiyur to reduce traffic congestion at the Chennai
Port Trust (ChPT) caused by the movement of container-laden trucks.
Trucks going to the Port will have to get all the requisite documents
checked at the yard, which has been constructed by ChPT at
a ..reported cost of Rs 5.81 crore. It can accommodate 250 vehicles,
sources said.
Meanwhile, Mr. Atulya Mishra, Chairman
of ChPT, signed an agreement with Mr. B.
B. Pattanaik, Managing Director of Central
Warehousing Corporation (CWC), in the
presence of Mr. Vasan, for providing a
container seal verification facility in the parking yard near Madhavaram
on the outskirts of Chennai.
Mumbai Airport's Terminal 2 to open on January 15
The much awaited new
integrated terminal at Mumbai’s
Chhatrapati Shivaji International
Airport will open on January 15,
a Mumbai International Airport
(MIAL) official told .
“It will initially serve international flights,” the official said, adding,
“domestic operations will also be included later.”
The official, however, did not give the time frame for the domestic
operations to kick off from the new terminal. Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh is expected to inaugurate the terminal sometime
later this month, the official added.
Terminal 2, referred to as T2, will be a state-of-the-art four-level
integrated terminal with an area of over 4,39,000 square metres. It will
include new taxiways and apron areas for aircraft parking.
During 2012-13, the Mumbai International airport saw 30.21 million
passengers, according to Mumbai International Airport data. With the
inauguration of T2, MIAL expects to cater to over 40 million passengers
annually.
The new terminal is also set to have around 21,000 square metres of
retail space, lounges and travel services.
Page 7
Bangalore: After putting up
India’s first container transship-
ment terminal with a private
partner, Union government-
owned Cochin Port in Kerala has
started work on setting up a 20
million tonne export-oriented oil
refinery and oil trading hub with
private funds as part of an ambitious deepwater outer harbor project.
“The oil refinery involves an investment of around Rs.40,000 crore,”
Cochin port chairman Paul Antony said in an interview. “The Cochin
outer harbor project will be the biggest project in the state. The port has
called for an expression of interest to build the oil refinery and oil trading
hub.”
For any oil refinery to succeed, the revenue should justify the project
costs, said a Chennai-based port consultant. “The revenue is dependent
on the price of the product. The price of oil in this country is regulated
by the government. The refiner cannot charge his own prices,” he said,
asking not to be named because his firm advises some Government-
owned ports.
The outer harbor project involves constructing two breakwaters on both
sides of the approach channel extending about 7km into the sea, with
associated land masses on either side. The two breakwaters are estimated
to cost around Rs.3,000 crore.
The port is planning for a water depth of 16 metres in the outer
harbor so large petroleum product tankers with a capacity to load
130,000 tonne can dock. Cochin currently can accommodate
ships with a draft of 14.5 metres.
“With this, the viability issues of the port will be solved for all
times to come,” Antony said, adding that a lower dredging bill will
make Cochin port less expensive for ships to call.
Vessel-related charges at Cochin Port are currently high
compared with other ports in India because the port recovers the
cost of maintaining the channel from the ships calling there.
In comparison, Kolkata Port spends about Rs.350 crore on
maintenance dredging but this is fully funded by the Union
government as a grant, resulting in lower vessel-related charges at
Kolkata, Antony said.
The oil refinery and the oil-trading hub will be a part of the port-
based Special Economic Zone and Free Trade and Warehousing
Zone that gives investors a wide range of fiscal benefits.
The planned oil refinery will be able to process a wide variety of
crudes, which will enable the refiner to trawl the market seeking
crude varieties that are cheap in relation to the products they
yield, the port Chairman added.
Cochin Port plans Rs.40,000 cr oil refinery and oil trading hub
Between launching a charity-friendly buying program, announcing Sunday
deliveries, and gearing up for the first wave of frenzied holiday shoppers,
Amazon has been busy these past few weeks. But that didn’t stop CEO
Jeff Bezos from spending a decent chunk of time talking to Charlie Rose
on 60 Minutes about something, well, new.
60 Minutes has been more than happy to tease the unveiling with a clip of
Bezos leading Rose into a room to show him something that elicited an
“Oh my God!” from the veteran TV journo. The exclamation seemed to
stem from a place of pleasure rather than worry, but the segment just
aired and the truth is out.
So what did Bezos have up his proverbial sleeves? Amazon Prime Air
drones that could feasibly be used as autonomous delivery vehicles. To
hear the chief executive tell it, those electric drones — or “octocopters”
as he referred to them — could make for delivery times as low as 30
minutes. Naturally, the size of those drones means there’s a strict upper
limit to how much cargo they can carry, but Bezos says they can carry
packages of up to five pounds for round trips as long as 10 miles.
Thankfully for Amazon, that means nearly 86 percent of the items that it
carries can be lashed onto one of its sky-bound couriers.
Just don’t expect to see one of them land on your doorstep any time
soon. The FAA still hasn’t given its blessing to domestic drones yet
(though it just recently laid out its vision for such a situation), which
means the earliest that Amazon will be legally able to bring Prime Air
online is in 2015 — a launch window that Bezos says is “optimistic” at
best. There’s also no word on what company (if any) Amazon is
working with to develop its fleet of drones, but at this stage,
there’s no shortage of players eagerly working to bring drones
into the world of business.
The rest of the report didn’t shine too much additional light on
what makes Amazon tick, though it did afford us mere mortals a
closer look at how its gargantuan fulfillment centers work.
They’re stunningly large models of efficiency — the one 60
Minutes toured was 1.2 million sq. ft. and the workers packing
products into parcels were able to do so with remarkable speed.
Sadly, since the segment was filmed over the span of a month,
there’s no official response on the recent BBC report that took
aim at Amazon UK for warehouse working conditions that could
potentially
c a u s e
“ m e n t a l
illness and
p h y s i c a l
illness”.
Amazon Is Experimenting With Autonomous Flying Delivery Drones
Page 8
Humor
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