Spread over around 100 acres and to be built at a cost of vaguely Rs 1000 crore, India’s first ‘freight village’ will soon be built in Varanasi.
The upcoming multi-mode terminal along the Ganga and the idea to set up this project close to the terminal has attracted numerous investors and players not just from the country but from alien lands as well. The village, a one-of-its-kind infrastructure platform, will fasten movement of goods through railways and roadways.
Freight Village Project in Varanasi
Abu Dhabi’s Sharaf Group, a global player in shipping, logistics and supply chain, Dubai Port World and IL&FS are some of the prominent names keen on this Varanasi project.
This project will not only bring investment to the county but will generate numerous jobs for the youth in the country that will eventually reduce the unemployment rate in the country.
What is a Freight Village
A ‘Freight Village’ is a focused industrial estate that attracts companies requiring logistics services. It includes an inter-modal terminal that facilitates assimilation between different modes of transport. Furthermore, the companies here can cluster to improve their competitiveness.
The village will house retailers, warehouse operators and logistics service providers supplying the regional FMCG market and will also allow their relocation. One of the other advantages of this village is that due to its nearness to the major city, it will serve as a distribution centre as well as a point of transfer connecting long distance transport by road, railway and waterway.
Officials stated that World Bank has initiated the first step and has shown keenness to put in place this one of a kind project. The project that will house some of the largest players of the FMCG market will also provide connectivity to the Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor, the national highway as well as the longest waterway of the country.
Varanasi being a planned site offers the opportunity to facilitate the transhipment of nearly 30 million tons of domestic freight in addition to nine million tons of export-import freight according to official reports.
Source: Times of India
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