Gateway Distriparks Limited (GDL) today announced that it has signed a 15-year agreement to become the exclusive container train operator for the 120-acre Multi Modal Logistics Park (MMLP) at Ankleshwar, Gujarat developed by Sawariya Group of Industries (Sawariya).
Strategically located near Surat, MMLP Ankleshwar is equipped to handle domestic containers, EXIM containers, bulk cargo and to offer other multimodal services. It is planned to have an annual capacity of 200,000 TEUs and 850,000 sq. ft. of warehousing space, with capacity expansion to be undertaken in phases in line with business demand. The facility is capable of handling double stack trains and is connected directly to the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor. The MMLP will serve key industrial zones including Surat, Panoli GIDC, Ankleshwar GIDC, Bharuch, Jhagadia GIDC, Dahej, Hazira among other prominent hubs in Gujarat. GDL will be providing rail services while terminal operations will be run by Sawariya, which has over two decades of experience in logistics, warehousing and industrial construction.
Domestic operations have commenced immediately, with GDL holding exclusivity for all regions where it operates its own Inland Container Depots, including Gurgaon, Faridabad, Ludhiana, Uttarakhand and Ahmedabad markets, along with first right of refusal for new markets. The company will also be the exclusive container train operator for all EXIM and DPD volumes. The ICD portion of the MMLP, which will cater to EXIM volumes, is currently under construction and is expected to start operations at the beginning of the next financial year. Both EXIM and Domestic customers for this location will now be able to use rail transportation instead of road — offering greater efficiency, lower carbon emissions, cost savings and faster transit.
Prem Kishan Dass Gupta, Chairman & Managing Director, GDL said “This partnership with Sawariya strengthens our presence in Western India and enhances our ability to serve customers through an integrated hub-and-spoke network. The asset-light model enables us to scale quickly without any capital investment in the terminal by focusing on rail operations and leveraging our network advantage. We believe this is a model that benefits both partners, combining Gateway’s multimodal expertise with Sawariya’s infrastructure strength. We will continue to develop our own ICDs in the north-west corridor, while at the same time we look for more opportunities to expand our network through strategic partnerships like this.”
