DHL inaugurates $300 mn service centre

Kolkata: The express and logistics company DHL has inaugurated a 16,431-sq ft service centre in Kolkata which will handle daily more than 1,110 inbound and outbound shipments weighing more than 1.3 tonnes.

Kolkata, which stands at a vantage point vis-a-vis bilateral trade between India and Bangladesh, could emerge as an important trading bloc within India and South Asia, said Mr Craig Grossgart, Vice President-India, DHL Express, while speaking at the inauguration of the new service centre.

“With DHL’s credit, sales and customer service teams, the customer can avail of dedicated, instant service round the clock. This facility will also serve as an important checkpoint for sectional despatch and delivery management of shipments,” Mr Grossgart said. The company has invested $300 million in India, Mr Craig added.

Saarc shipments:

DHL further plans to launch an intra-SAARC facility aimed at providing smooth shipment to India’s neighbouring countries, Mr Grossgart added. “SAARC is a big opportunity for us and we will look at launching a multimode transport system between the SAARC countries.”

The scheme is currently in the pilot stage and the company plans to launch it by next month. Mr Grossgart said that the launch will reduce the transit time and also cut down costs significantly. “Our costs will come down by 20 per cent and we will look at passing it on to our customers,” he said.