Dubai-based DP World acquires feeder operators for greater reach into Indian subcontinent

Dubai-based DP World has via its 100 per cent owned subsidiary, Unifeeder, acquired Transworld Feeders FZCO, Avana Logistek Limited, including its subsidiary Avana Global FZCO, and Transworld Feeders Pvt. Ltd., the containerised Indian coastal and EXIM feeder shipping operations of Shreyas Shipping and Logistics Limited, excluding vessels and bulk operations.

Executed through the Unifeeder ISC (Indian Subcontinent) division, a majority owned subsidiary of DP World, the deal is subject to regulatory approvals.

Transworld owns and manages a fleet of 24 vessels including container/mpp and bulk carriers.

Transworld Feeders and Avana Global are independent feeder and Non-Vessel Operating Common Carriers (NVOCC) operators, offering container feeder services and regional trade solutions to a wide range of ports in the Middle East, the Indian Subcontinent and Far East.

We are proud to announce that DP World has added scale to Unifeeder’s logistics platform through the acquisition of Transworld Feeders and Avana, two strong and well-known brands operating in fast-growing markets. @TransworldTweet Read more here: https://t.co/wcwsvxqsVu pic.twitter.com/O5W1377aJG

— DP World (@DP_World) August 19, 2020

Jebel Ali serves as a central port hub for these operations.

In December, DP World announced the acquisition of a 77 per cent stake in the Singapore-based Feedertech Group, and this latest acquisition will complement the previous acquisition.

Read: DP World acquires marine logistics provider Feedertech Group

Transworld Feeders and Avana Logistek reportedly cover several main ports, terminals and inland destinations too in India.

Additionally, Avana Logistek provides first mile and last mile delivery solutions within the Indian local market.

“We are delighted to announce these bolt-on acquisitions which give us complete coverage in fast-growing markets between East Africa, Gulf, and the wider Indian Subcontinent. These new activities are in line with our strategy and complement our recent acquisitions of Feedertech and Perma Shipping. We now have the capability to offer superior connectivity between Asia, the Indian Subcontinent, the Middle East, and East Africa, and this greater scale and comprehensive network presence will allow us to reduce inefficiencies in the supply chains to the benefit of all our customers,” said Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Group Chairman and CEO of DP World.

“Transworld Feeders and Avana are both strong and well-known brands that handle approximately 1.2mn TEU per annum and operate in fast-growing markets. Our Unifeeder ISC platform will continue to operate an asset-light, independent common-user platform, as we continue to build the Unifeeder brand, which is best known for efficient connectivity, flexibility, and reliability. Unifeeder now has full-scale capability to offer feedering and regional trade connectivity in Northern Europe, Mediterranean, Northern Africa, Middle East, Indian Subcontinent and Asia.”

In May, DP World completed the early stages of integration with TradeLens, a blockchain-based digital container logistics platform.

The partnership between DP World and the TradeLens platform, which is co-developed by A.P. Moller – Maersk and IBM, will reportedly help expedite the digitisation of global supply chains.

Read: UAE’s DP World partners with TradeLens to digitise supply chains