With Coimbatore likely to see the development of a multi-modal logistics park, the Coimbatore bypass will be a happening location for several sectors, said J. Sathish, special invitee to the governing council of the Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Coimbatore.

The second panel discussion, as part of G Square presents “Coimbatore Unlimited: Co-create, Collaborate, and Celebrate”, powered by Rashtra News, was held at Taj Vivanta here on Friday.

Speaking at the discussion on ‘Coimbatore Bypass: the Emerging Logistics Hub’, Mr. Sathish said Coimbatore is one of the two locations proposed for the multi-modal logistics park. The park is expected to be developed on 150-170 acres, and will have storage, loading and unloading and all other facilities in one location. The eastern part of Coimbatore is seeing a lot of development.

According to K. Sukumar, Chief Executive Officer of TVS Supply Chain Solutions, India, the country is a large consumption as well as export economy. So there is a lot of globalisation and regionalisation happening. In the logistics sector, warehouses are turning green and accommodating multiple users. Use of recyclable materials and automation are gaining momentum as customers want retail shelf-ready packaging and solutions.

P. Shanmugam, Chairman and Managing Director of Shaan’s Cargo, said the Container Corporation of India identified Irugur (on the Coimbatore bypass) as its location for an inland container depot almost two decades ago. So the bypass and nearby areas would be critical to the logistics sector for a long time. The government and the industry should explore the possibility of establishing a free trade warehousing zone here that will make logistics cost-effective for all stakeholders. He also suggested development of a connecting road between the airport and the Highways for easy movement of cargo.

According to Mr. Sukumar, any area above 50,000 sq.ft. for warehouses will see demand. There are players who are willing to develop and market these spaces if land is available.

K. Ilango, Managing Director of RSM Autokast and CODISSIA Industrial Park, who moderated the event, said that while Coimbatore is known for its strengths in several sectors, the big growth story happening here is in the logistics sector. News 18 Tamil Nadu was the TV partner for the event.