SeaLead expands India-centric connections with expectations of growth
Asian carrier SeaLead Shipping has strengthened its Indian network amidst expectations of sustained trade growth. The Singapore-based liner is set to commence an independent direct container service between Australia and India.
The routing, known as ASIA, will have stops at Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Port Kelang (West Port), Karachi, Mundra, Nhava Sheva, and Port Kelang (West Port). The new connection begin with the sailing of the Ren Jian 26 from Port Kelang on March.
SeaLead will initially deploy two 4,250 TEU ships on this route, with further deployments scheduled for the third and fourth quarters of 2023. The move comes shortly after SeaLead joined a consortium of OOCL and TS Lines on a string connecting India, the UAE and East Africa. The declared port rotation for the joint service is Nhava Sheva (JNPT), Mundra, Jebel Ali, Khalifa, Mombasa, Dar es Salam, and Nhava Sheva.
Announcing the cooperation, SeaLead said: “Trade between India, the UAE and East Africa has been growing strongly and our new service will add further options for our customers,” “Providing this fast and direct service will shorten transit times and allow for faster connections. India and the UAE are also benefiting from robust domestic economies, while India is one of the largest trade partners with East Africa (and Africa as a whole) having signed trade treaties with multiple African nations.”
The service consolidation highlights growing carrier interest in the Indian market, boosted by sourcing shifts away from China and a flurry of government-to-government free trade agreements (FTAs). New Delhi recently concluded a free trade agreement (FTA) with Australia to significantly raise bilateral trade volumes.
Sensing long-term growth opportunities, other leading carriers have also expanded Indian connections. For example, Mediterranean Shipping Co. (MSC), independently, and Cosco Shipping, in partnership with its subsidiary OOCL, recently introduced new services on the India-US trades.
