DHL sharpens focus on India – Africa trade
DHL’s Global Forwarding division is focusing on Africa as a new engine of growth in the rapidly developing economy of India. With trade between India and Africa rising almost four-fold in the last five years, from US$9.9 billion in 2004-05 to US$39 billion in 2008-09, DHL-GF sees vast potential in the India-Africa trade lane. India and Africa have also expressed a strong commitment to reduce trade barriers and encourage bilateral trade to further fuel growth in both markets. According to Amadou Diallo, CEO of Africa & South Asia Pacific, DHL Global Forwarding, Africa is a key emerging market, with air cargo and ocean freight volumes between India and Africa expected to grow by 9.8% and 9.2% CAGR from 2009 to 2015. Since 2004-2005, petroleum products have accounted for 22.2% of India’s exports to Africa, while crude petroleum accounted for 58.6% of India’s total imports from Africa in 2008-2009. DHL Global Forwarding has continually invested in India. In 2009, the company invested US$15 million in three Life Science Competence Centres in Mumbai, Hyderabad and Singapore to boost DHL’s logistics capabilities for the Life Science industry in the region. With a US$10 million investment to establish a logistics and warehousing facility in the upcoming Free Trade Warehousing Zone (FTWZ) in Tamil Nadu, the company will also be the first global logistics company to operate a facility within the FTWZ that offers customers the benefits of a duty free zone with high quality infrastructure. In addition, the company has allocated significant resources to facilitate growth in the India – Africa trade lane. It has set up India Desks in ten African countries, and plans to establish additional Desks next year. Quelle: eyefortransport |