<p data-path-to-node="2"><b data-path-to-node="2" data-index-in-node="0">DUQM / KANDLA</b> — In an aggressive move to scale regional short-sea capacity and provide subcontinental manufacturing corridors with high-velocity schedule reliability, Oman’s integrated logistics and maritime carrier Asyad Line has officially operationalized an expanded direct container feeder shuttle connecting the deepwater Port of Duqm directly with Deendayal Port (Kandla) on India’s northwestern seaboard.</p><p data-path-to-node="3">Operating on a synchronized fixed-day bi-weekly rotation, the enhanced ocean loop deploys modern, fuel-efficient 2,200-TEU cellular container vessels optimized for northern Arabian Sea transit. By creating an express, open-ocean link positioned outside the sensitive maritime corridors of the inner Persian Gulf, the direct rotation achieves a blue-water transit time of under 48 hours between pilot boarding grounds.</p><p data-path-to-node="4">The expansion responds directly to surging volume demand across manufacturing, agro-industrial, engineering, and chemical trade desks in Oman and Western India. Crucially, the service provides enterprise exporters and global freight forwarders with guaranteed slot allocations that bypass traditional transshipment bottlenecks in the upper Gulf while mitigating recurring feeder bunching across intermediate relay hubs.</p><p data-path-to-node="5">Historically, containerized cargo moving between India’s western manufacturing centers and Omani industrial zones—or relaying onward into the broader Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and East African markets—was largely routed through saturated upper-Gulf relay terminals or multi-port feeder strings navigating the Strait of Hormuz. This conventional routing subjected shippers to compounding additional war-risk insurance premiums (AWRP), bunker deviation surcharges, and costly transshipment dwell times averaging six to ten days at legacy relay ports.</p><p data-path-to-node="6">The direct Duqm–Kandla shuttle eliminates these structural inefficiencies. Located on the central-eastern coastline of Oman fronting the open Arabian Sea, the Port of Duqm allows feeder ships to operate in clear open waters, providing dependable transit schedules unaffected by inner-Gulf delays.</p><p data-path-to-node="7">To maintain strict schedule integrity and handle high-density industrial payloads, Asyad Line has assigned specialized shallow-draft container tonnage to the rotation. The deployed vessels feature advanced hydrodynamic hull dynamics and electronic fuel injection systems, allowing sustained transit cruising speeds of up to 19 knots while preserving fuel economy. Their draft profile permits round-the-clock navigation along the approach channels of Kandla without requiring tidal berthing holds.</p><p data-path-to-node="8">The fleet is configured with 380 active reefer plugs and dedicated dangerous goods containment bays equipped with real-time temperature telemetry, vapor detection sensors, and automated dry-chemical foam fire-suppression systems. These technical capabilities allow the vessels to safely transport IMO Class 3, 6, 8, and 9 shipments, including liquid polymers, industrial solvents, specialty resins, and temperature-sensitive biopharmaceuticals. Select vessels in the service pool are also equipped with dual 45-tonne shipboard cranes, ensuring continuous self-sustained loading and discharge cycles during peak quayside traffic.</p><p data-path-to-node="9">The scheduled feeder shuttle serves as a major commercial conduit for bilateral trade:</p><ul data-path-to-node="10"><li><p data-path-to-node="10,0,0"><b data-path-to-node="10,0,0" data-index-in-node="0">Industrial Feedstock Inflows:</b> It accelerates predictable delivery schedules for high-density polyethylene (HDPE), polypropylene (PP), and synthetic resins produced across Duqm’s expanding petrochemical complex directly to plastics converters, packaging mills, and automotive fabricators across Gujarat, Rajasthan, and the National Capital Region (NCR).</p></li><li><p data-path-to-node="10,1,0"><b data-path-to-node="10,1,0" data-index-in-node="0">Engineering and Ceramic Exports:</b> Westbound sailings provide Indian ceramic tile manufacturers in Morbi, textile mills in Ahmedabad, and light engineering fabricators in Rajkot with fast-track feeder connections directly into Duqm, where cargo can interface with Asyad Line’s mainline services heading toward the Red Sea, East Africa, and Europe.</p></li><li><p data-path-to-node="10,2,0"><b data-path-to-node="10,2,0" data-index-in-node="0">Minerals and Building Materials:</b> Eastbound runs accommodate dense containerized mineral exports, industrial salt, and calcined gypsum extracted from Oman’s interior basins, providing essential raw inputs for India’s expanding cement and infrastructure industries.</p></li></ul><p data-path-to-node="11">To ensure that the 48-hour ocean crossing translates into immediate dockside cargo clearance, terminal systems have been linked through digital customs protocols. Inward cargo manifests, bills of lading, and commercial invoices submitted through the Royal Oman Police Directorate General of Customs' Bayan portal are electronically reconciled with Indian Customs' ICEGATE platform while vessels are underway. Containers transit under tamper-evident RFID digital seals with integrated GPS tracking, allowing bonded boxes to clear terminal gates via automated green channels without physical examination holds.</p><p data-path-to-node="12">At Kandla, import boxes transfer directly from vessel cranes onto waiting tractor-trailers and scheduled freight trains connected to the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (WDFC) feeder routes, keeping total landside dwell to under 24 hours.</p><p data-path-to-node="13">Speaking at the commercial launch at the Port of Duqm, senior maritime operations executives from Asyad Group stated:

"Expanding direct short-sea feeder connectivity between Duqm and Kandla is fundamental to our strategy of building resilient maritime corridors across the Arabian Sea. By offering a direct connection that completely bypasses regional waterway chokepoints and intermediate hub delays, the service provides industrial shippers in Oman and India with guaranteed schedule integrity, lower landed transport costs, and direct access to global trade lanes."</p><p data-path-to-node="14">Port authorities at both gateways confirmed that dedicated berthing priority and coordinated container yard slots have been permanently allocated, with commercial booking offices reporting near-capacity utilization across chemical, engineering, and agricultural accounts.</p>