India – the promised land?
MSC, Cosco and OOCL improving connectivity to Indian ports. Does this already represent supply-chain optimisation at the expense of China – or is it but the consolidation of existing networks? MSC is expanding its Southeast Asia/trans-Pacific services to and from the ports of Mundra, Nhava Sheva and Colombo, amongst others.
Connections to India are a bit more popular than was previously the case. Just a few weeks ago Cosco and OOCL launched their direct ‘Awes’ service between Southeast Asia and the US east coast, which includes calls at the ports of Mundra and Suez and deploys ten ships. Now MSC has begun expanding its own ‘Sentosa’ service, to improve links for North Indian import and export markets.
The new service includes an expanded rotation to connect key Chinese ports directly with the Indian ports of Mundra and Nhava Sheva, and beyond them to Colombo in Sri Lanka, at the southern tip of the subcontinent.
In addition, the new Sentosa rotation also includes a direct connection from North India to major Southeast Asian ports as well as to the US west coast hubs in Oakland and Long Beach.
MSC Sola and MSC Mara to sail first
The first eastbound ship to depart from North India is the MSC Sola, which left the port of Nhava Sheva on 13 February. The schedule includes a call at the Chinese port of Shekou on 8 March. The ship is scheduled to reach the Californian port of Long Beach on 26 March.
The first westbound ship will be the MSC Mara, which is scheduled to leave from Long Beach in San Pedro Bay on 5 March. The ship is scheduled to reach mainland China on 28 March. It will call at Qingdao first, and at Ningbo on 1 April, after a stopover in South Korea. India follows, with the port of Nhava Sheva, on 17 April.