Automaker forced to airlift raw material as container shortage bites

Companies halt production or pay 2-3 times extra to get slots in ships and containers

One of the country's largest car makers chartered three flights in the last 2-3 months to airlift raw materials and parts from the South East Asian countries to its Chennai plant as sea transportation continued to be a challenge due to the non-availability of containers to and from India.

A company official, requesting anonymity, said over 150 metric tonnes of raw materials and components were brought into the country by air in three months. These would have, otherwise, come through sea.

His company expects to do a few more charter trips in the coming months considering the container shortage is