Bhopal, May 15: The Inland Container Deport established by Madhya Pradesh Audygik Kendra Vikas Nigam in Mandideep industrial area near here has transacted business to the tune of 45 M tonnes per month during the year 2007-08 using 1500 containers. Air cargo facility is also going to be launched soon.

Exports to the tune of only Rs 20 crore were made by Mandideep industrial area in the year 1990. The figure was increasing gradually. By the year 2007, the quantum of trade rose stupendously to over Rs 2000 crore and this necessitated establishment of the container depot to manage the export business of this magnitude in a better and organised way.

Container Corporation of India was already in the quest of setting up a container depot in this area. The state government also took concrete steps to put the plan of a container depot into practice. In September 2005, Container Corporation of India started preliminary preparations for establishing the Inland Container Depot by undertaking infrastructure development at a cost of Rs two crore 75 lakh on six hectare land. The depot started transactions to the tune of 2400 million tonnes using 80 containers. In just two year, the number of containers rose to 650 with per month transactions rising to 19 thousand 500 tonnes. This established the depot as the biggest in central India after Nagpur. By the end of financial year 2007-08 transactions at the depot had risen to 45 thousand million tonnes with the number of containers increasing up to 1500.

In view of success of the container depot, Container Corporation of India is going to start air cargo service also for Mandideep industrial area and other nearby areas. The air cargo service would ensure to transport products of this area's industrial units to foreign countries more quickly and safely.