In a joint venture with Apeejay Infra-Logistics Pvt Ltd (AILPL), UK-based Eredene Group, which holds a 50% stake, is set to develop an integrated logistics park in Haldia.
"The Haldia Development Authority (HDA) has already earmarked ninety acres of land for them in its industrial zone area, and the lease acquirement process is underway. This logistics park site is approximately 7km from the Port of Haldia and near its petrochemicals centre. It will be developed to provide distribution warehousing and transport services, in addition to ancillary facilities like commercial offices, hotels, retail outlets, and light processing workshops," stated Mr. Parwez Ahmed Siddiqui, the chief executive officer of HDA.
Haldia is located 90 km downstream from Kolkata, at the confluence of the Haldi and Hooghly rivers, and ranks as the 5th largest port in India. It houses a major petrochemicals centre with an oil refinery, fertiliser facilities, manufacturing plants, and a mixture of light industries.
According to Mr. Siddiqui, "The West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation (WBIDC) and Tata Steel have formed a JV to build a coking plant for the production of 800,000 tonnes of coke per annum. Such a port-based industrial zone should have a logistics park, and I believe this should have been built at least 15-20 years ago."
Eredene has partnered with the Apeejay Surrendra Group, the owners of Typhoo Tea and a global Indian business that employs more than forty thousand people in real estate, tea, hospitality, shipping, and retail.