May 19 - India's role in international heavy manufacturing activity is being placed under threat by poor road and port infrastructure, according to recent media reports.
One state-owned manufacturer is reported in the Indian media as saying that it is increasingly facing delays to heavy lift export consignments because of the poor conditions of the Indian road system, citing the fact that the company must allow a month for equipment to reach the port of Mumbai from its Jhansi manufacturing plant, a distance of just 1,068 km. In another case, a turbine was stranded for six months on a section of road that could not support it, reports suggest.
Another factor holding back Indian heavy equipment exports is the lack of calls by heavy lift vessels; the few that do call are concentrated on just two ports, Mumbai and Chennai, which leads to congestion and cost overruns.
India's love of bureaucracy is also cited as a block to activity with road permits being very restricted and difficult to obtain. HLPFI has previously reported on the lack of suitable railway wagons on Indian Railways to offer any solution to road congestion.
In the next issue of HLPFI, we will be taking a close look at heavy lift and project cargo activity in India. For more information, and to reserve advertising space, please contact Luke King on luke@heavyliftpfi.com
