Overview
Comprehensive market study to identify and evaluate business opportunities in coastal Roll-on/Roll-off (RO-RO) shipping services along India's coastline. The study examined potential routes, cargo volumes, infrastructure requirements, and commercial viability of establishing RO-RO operations for transporting vehicles, trailers, and wheeled cargo.
Client
A leading shipping company exploring diversification opportunities in coastal shipping. The client sought to evaluate the potential for RO-RO services to transport automobiles, commercial vehicles, and heavy equipment along India's east and west coasts, leveraging the government's coastal shipping incentives.
Challenge
The key challenge was to assess the feasibility of RO-RO operations in a market dominated by road transport. This required analyzing cargo generation patterns, identifying suitable routes, evaluating port infrastructure readiness, understanding competitive dynamics with road transport, and determining the optimal vessel specifications and deployment strategy.
Methodology
The study involved extensive market research including interviews with automobile manufacturers, logistics providers, and transport companies. Analysis of vehicle production and distribution patterns identified potential cargo volumes. Port assessments evaluated RO-RO infrastructure availability and development needs. Financial modeling incorporated vessel acquisition costs, operating expenses, freight rates, and government incentives to determine project viability.
i-maritime Proposition
i-maritime recommended priority routes connecting major automobile manufacturing hubs with distribution centers, including Chennai-Kolkata, Mumbai-Vizag, and Gujarat-Kerala corridors. We identified specific vessel requirements (capacity 150-200 vehicles, loading ramps, roll-on/roll-off configuration) and developed a phased deployment strategy. The business plan included partnership opportunities with automobile manufacturers for contract cargo, integration with existing logistics networks, and strategies to achieve competitive pricing against road transport while maintaining service reliability.