Logistics firm launches Qatar-India direct container service

The non-stop service will connect Qatar's Doha port with India's largest port, JNPT, located in Mumbai

A Qatar-based logistics firm has launched the first-ever direct container service between Qatar and India to further facilitate the bilateral trade that has witnessed a significant growth in the recent years.

The non-stop service will connect Qatar's Doha port with India's largest port Nhava Sheva, also known as Jawaharlal Nehru Port (JNPT) located in Mumbai.

Milaha Maritime and Logistics, a subsidiary of the Qatar- based Milaha Group, said the move will further facilitate the thriving trade activities between the two countries that have witnessed phenomenal growth in the recent years.

The new weekly service will enable direct shipments between Nhava Sheva and Doha without the need for transshipment in the UAE's Jebel Ali, thus increasing reliability and reducing transit time and costs.

With an end of the week sailing, Indian exporters will benefit from a late cut-off providing more time to bring cargo into the port. With a reduced transit time, shipments of perishable products for the Qatari market will better retain freshness and quality.

Moreover, the new service may open up for new perishable commodity segments which, due to previous transit time, were earlier not an option, the company said in a statement.

"We express our thanks to the Jawaharlal Nehru Port for their support in reinforcing bilateral relations between Qatar and India that has gathered significant pace over the years," Khalifa Ali Al-Hetmi, President and CEO of Milaha, said yesterday.

"The launch of a fast and direct container service by Milaha will support the increasing trade volume, where imports into Qatar from India reached a total value of $989 million in 2013-2014," he said.

"We extend our full cooperation to the company to make use of the mechanised facility at Nhava Sheva's Shallow Water Berth and benefit the trade between both countries," Neeraj Bansal, Chairman-in-Charge of Jawaharlal Nehru Port said.