Multi-Modal Logistic Park in Mysuru

A Strategic Initiative to boost the Regional Economy

The princely city of Mysuru with salubrious climate, tree-hugging leafy roads, beautiful parks, well laid-out residential areas and commercial hubs dotted with sweetmeat stalls selling mouth-watering “Mysuru Pak”,  was once the headquarters of the erstwhile Mysuru kings.   With bountiful water flowing in the regional rivers and a network of dams constructed at strategic locations to harness it, the region led by Mysuru went on to become self-sufficient in agricultural production. The city became known for her industrious people who went on to start many business- ventures under the tutelage of the kings of Mysuru. The kings themselves established learning & research centres, power generation units, industries, transportation networks etc. Collectively, the region became prosperous and relatively wealthy, thus attracting a lot of people from outside.

After the end of Kingdom and transfer of administrative power to the Karnataka government, there has been a steady rise in the number of people establishing manufacturing units in the region. In reality, Mysuru spearheaded this activity by attracting major units, thus becoming a hub in many domains – Tyres, Automotive, Electronics, Food, Tourism, IT, paints, pharmaceuticals & fine chemicals to say the least. Over time, some of the industries in the region got adventurous and started exporting their products to global buyers. Looking at their success, some more jumped on to the bandwagon. That’s when they hit the speed bumps hard – the infrastructural bottlenecks. Also, with too many approvals to be obtained from various government departments and cumbersome procedures, high taxation, the export business became no more profitable as it once used to be.

The Transformational 1991 Reforms

The 1991 reforms unleashed the “animal spirits” in the Indian economic domain. Many policies were given a big push to ease the doing business in India. One among them is the corporatisation of the logistics industry, which ushered in reforms in the logistics industry, whose byproduct is the establishment of Multimodal logistics parks (MMLP), Inland container depots (ICD), containerised goods transportation, development of ports, highways, the introduction of freight carrier network throughout India and many others.

Mysuru got MMLP/ ICD

The manufacturers of various products in the Mysuru region are into exports big time. Companies like JKTyres, Asian Paints, Automotive axles, Nestle, Carlsberg, AT&S and others in the region export goods worth several crores rupees every year. Many more SMEs are also into export business. However, they all are facing serious infrastructure shortcomings, because of which, it is making their exports expensive and time-consuming.

Their only wish is to have a well equipped, modern MMLP/ ICD in the region itself to grease their export business. Their unilateral choice of location is Mysuru and appealed to the government to establish one there. To their surprise, the government gave its consent. This resulted in Mysuru getting MMLP, being built by Container Corporation of India (Concor) – a government of India enterprise, at the industrial town Kadakola, near Nanjangud. 

6 bids were rejected, yet very good response

— Pratap Simha (@mepratap) July 30, 2020

More bang for the buck invested

The MMLP/ ICD at Kadakola has a separate goods train terminal and a rail line to ship goods in-and-out of MMLP. This will make the project more alluring to the exporters. The containerised goods transportation on rails is “the trend” in the 21st century, as it can significantly slash down the cost of goods transportation while ensuring less traffic-congestion on roads, thus making it environment friendly, which is good for export business.

Also, the union government is planning a Chennai ~ Bangaluru ~ Goa ~ Mumbai multi-billion-dollar Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC) for transporting goods all over India in containers on rails. The railway line connectivity to MMLP/ ICD yard at Kadakola can be seen as an extension of DFC, which has the potential of changing the face of Mysuru region for the better.

This is because the companies in the region can become a part of the global “supply chain”. Being on the supply-chain network in itself is a major “plus-point”, as they can supply goods to the manufacturers across the globe at competitive costs, and that too on time.

A Manufacturing Powerhouse in the Making

For any region to become a hub for manufacturing, the key is to have “world-class” logistical infrastructure. The exporters of the Mysuru region lacked it so far. With the establishment of MMLP/ ICD at Kadakola, this infrastructure gap will be filled, and the region will witness a spike in the export activity. More exports means more economic activity which means more regional prosperity. This will also trigger an increased investment flow from MNCs into the region, thus creating a whole lot of decently paid JOBS locally. 

Local Logistics Industry will bloom like never before

The Mysuru region comprises the districts of Mysuru, Hassan, Chikmagalur, Mandya, Coorg, Chamrajanagar, Shimoga etc grow a lot of horticulture and agriculture produce along with industrial products, which can easily be distributed within India and abroad using the MMLP/ICD at Kadakola. The well connected goods transportation network from Kadakola to the major hubs within India through railways, will result in the booming logistics industry in the region.  

Consistent efforts yield good results :

Indian Railways loads two-wheelers from Kadakola in Karnataka to Changsari in Assam. Total distance is close to 3,000 kms.

Indian Railways facilitates easy movement of automobiles !#MoveItLikeRailways pic.twitter.com/EZ4iIims4g

— Ministry of Railways (@RailMinIndia) October 10, 2020

Conclusion

The Presence of MMLP/ ICD in the Mysuru region is a sure shot success for the economy of the region. With this, prosperity will eventually embrace the region and bring in the much needed peace and tranquility.