In a joint venture with Apeejay Infra-Logistics Pvt Ltd (AILPL), UK-based Eredene Group, which has a 50 % stake, is set to develop an integrated logistics park in Haldia.

“In this view, the Haldia Development Authority has already earmarked ninety acres of land for them in its industrial zone area and the lease acquirement is in process. This logistics park site is just about 7km from the Port of Haldia and near to 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,” said Mr Parwez Ahmed Siddiqui, chief executive officer of HDA.

Haldia is situated 90 km downstream from Kolkata at the confluence of the Haldi and Hooghly rivers, and ranks as the 5th largest port in India. It is 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 think that this should have been built at least 15-20 years before,” .
Eredene has invested with Apeejay Surrendra Group, the owners of Typhoo Tea and a global Indian business which employs more than forty thousand people in real estate, tea, hospitality, shipping and retail.