Mediterranean Shipping Company S.A. (MSC), the world’s largest container shipping line, has introduced a feeder service connecting the Haldia Dock Complex of the Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port Authority with the newly operational container transshipment terminal at Vizhinjam, Kerala, managed by Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd. Previously, containers for the Kolkata/Haldia trade route were transshipped through Colombo, a regional hub. The new "Haldia Shuttle" service, operating every ten days, marks the first feeder service linking an Indian gateway port to Vizhinjam after India established the transshipment facility to reduce its reliance on Colombo. The service will also stop at Paradip port, with calls at terminals managed by J M Baxi Ports & Logistics Ltd at both Haldia and Paradip. MSC feeder vessels can benefit from concessions offered by the Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port Authority. These include a 20% discount on vessel-related charges for loading 601–1,000 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) per call, and a 30% discount for over 1,000 TEUs per call. These incentives, valid for two years, apply to feeder vessels operating between Haldia and transshipment ports like Colombo, Singapore, Port Klang, and Vizhinjam. Since its trial launch in July 2024 and commercial operations starting in December, the Vizhinjam terminal has become a key hub for MSC, handling over 100,000 TEUs during the trial phase alone. India transships approximately 3 million TEUs annually through Colombo, Singapore, and other regional hubs, with Colombo managing 2.5 million TEUs. This reliance results in additional logistics costs of $80–100 per TEU due to extra port handling charges. By using Vizhinjam as a direct transshipment point, these costs could be significantly reduced, enhancing efficiency for the Indian maritime sector, as highlighted in the Maritime India Vision 2030 blueprint. (ET)