New Delhi: Industrialist Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries will build India’s maiden multimodal logistics park (MMLP) in Chennai. The conglomerate has won the contract to develop the proposed state-of-the-art freight-handling facility which will have access to various modes of transport.
The multimodal logistics park will be made at an estimated developer investment of Rs 783 crore in three phases. Phase-1 development is targeted within 2 years i.e. by 2025 leading to commercial operations. MMLP at Chennai which is strategically located about 52 km from Chennai Port, 80 km from Ennore Port, 87 km from Katupalli Airport will be a focal point of logistics in the southern region, the roads, transport and highways ministry said in a statement on Friday.
The logistics park is estimated to a cater to 7.17 million metric tonne (MMT) cargo in horizon period of 45 years.
Under the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan launched in October 2021, MoRTH is developing 35 Multi-Modal Logistics Parks (MMLPs), out of which 15 MMLPs are prioritised in the next three years. The Chennai project is the first of 35 MMLPs.
Further, in order to make the industry more efficient and resilient, National Logistics Policy (NLP) was launched this year which stresses on these two key areas – effective integration between different agencies in the logistics ecosystem and deploying and embracing newer technologies to smoothen the process flow.
For the Chennai MMLP, a government special purpose vehicle (SPV) has been formed amongst NHLML, Rail Vikas Nigam, Chennai Port Authority and Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation. It will provide four-lane national highway connectivity of 5.4 km at an estimated Rs 104 crore and a new rail siding of 10.5 km to the MMLP, costing Rs 217 crore.
After Chennai, the Bangalore MMLP is next in the pipeline; due date for bids (is) in November, Prakash Gaur, chief executive of National Highways Logistics Management (NHLML) told Economic Times. We plan to award it in December, Gaur added.
Contracts for Nagpur, Indore next year
As part of its plan to improve the logistics industry, the ministry is planning to invite bids for the Nagpur MMLP in December and will award the project in January 2023. Two months later in March, the government will award Indore MMLP after inviting bids in January.
“We are getting a lot more enquiries in the upcoming MMLP bids than the one that closed just now. Interest is being expressed by firms based out of the US, Canada and Europe,” Gaur said on the profile of bidders in the upcoming MMLP bids.
