Aiming to ease trade in India, DHL Express has inaugurated a new service centre in Goa.

This is the first service centre in Goa and the 47th service point for the company in the country, which aims to cater to the substantial growth of imports and exports in the state.

The service centre in Goa will benefit customers through improved cut-off times for shipment pick-ups, saving almost a day on overall transit time for exporters and importers.

“The DHL Global Trade Barometer predicts the strongest prospect for India across the world’s seven largest economies,” said Ken Lee, CEO of DHL Express Asia Pacific, “Given this sustained volume growth in international trade, a boost in cross-border e-commerce and the recent policy reforms by the government towards providing an impetus to the logistics sector, we are extremely optimistic about the developments in India. This is part of our nearly US$55 million investment committed for India to support the high growth within the country.”

The new 3,088 sq. ft. facility, located in close proximity to the Goa International Airport, will benefit customers in the industrial hubs of Verna, Vasco, Madgaon, Ponda, Panjim, Mapusa, through the timely connection of shipments, the company said in a statement.

Goa has emerged as a strong manufacturing base for the pharmaceutical and engineering sector. It is a preferred choice for overseas customers while sourcing from India and is an emerging destination for knowledge-based industries such as biotechnology, IT, telecommunications and electronics.

“Our strategic investment in Goa will give us complete control over the movement of shipments thereby resulting in high quality time definite services to our customers. The continuous volume growth is a testimony of the market demand and growing customer confidence in our services,” RS Subramanian, country manager, DHL Express India, said.

As part of its investment plans in India, DHL Express will be further undertaking the expansion of new upcountry developments, the upgrading and expansion of its infrastructure and bolstering its retail presence, the company said in a statement.

The company has more than 60,000 customers in India, including importers, exporters, manufacturers, entrepreneurs and small- and medium-sized businesses. It has a nationwide network of over 400 vehicles on road, 19 weekly intercontinental flights, 67 daily international and 80 domestic commercial flights.

By Jagdish Kumar

India Correspondent | Mumbai