RSA Global India has inaugurated Phase 1 of its automated empty container yard at Nhava Sheva, within the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA) estate at Uran in Maharashtra’s Raigad district.
Developed under the Ease of Doing Business (EoDB) initiative, the facility provides shipping lines, terminal operators, shippers and transporters with an organised location for empty container storage, maintenance, inspection and repositioning.
The facility was inaugurated by Gaurav Dayal, IAS, Chairman, JNPA, in the presence of representatives from shipping lines, terminal operators and the transport community.
The 62-acre facility is being developed in four phases under a 30-year lease from JNPA. Phase 1, which is now operational, provides storage capacity for 5,000 TEUs and monthly throughput of 7,500 TEUs, along with container maintenance and repair services.
The yard’s digital infrastructure includes a Yard Management System providing real-time visibility of empty container inventories to shipping lines and terminal operators. Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology at the gates enables automated container identification, while QR and RFID-based systems facilitate secure movement and tracking within the facility.
The yard handles dry containers, reefer containers and special equipment in Phase 1, with tank containers planned for subsequent phases. Services include empty container storage, maintenance and repair, pre-trip inspection, container surveys, fabrication and modification, repositioning transport and CFS transfers.
Transporters will have access to dedicated parking, faster gate-in and gate-out processes and on-site driver facilities, aimed at reducing waiting and idling time and improving daily vehicle utilisation.
“India’s port capacity has grown faster than the infrastructure that supports it, and empty containers have quietly carried the cost of that gap. This yard is our answer to it: organised land, a long tenure inside the port and a facility built to hold up as volumes keep rising,” said Ajay I. Shah, Chairman and Co-Founder, RSA Global.
Under the planned expansion, Phases 2 and 3 will utilise the full 62-acre site, increasing capacity to 35,000 TEUs of storage and 50,000 TEUs of monthly throughput, while also introducing tank container handling. Phase 4 will introduce full automation, including an Automated Handling and Storage Facility (AHSF), taking throughput capacity to as much as 75,000 TEUs per month.
According to Gaurav Dayal, the facility’s scale and automation will support JNPA’s throughput objectives while improving the movement of empty containers and working conditions for transporters operating through the port.
The facility has dedicated electricity and water supplies, along with on-site sewage and effluent treatment systems for recycling water and waste. More than 2,500 trees are planned across the site. Safety and compliance systems include 24-hour CCTV surveillance, controlled access, fire safety infrastructure and compliance with Maharashtra Pollution Control Board requirements.
“By bringing technological advancements through unique hardware and software solutions, we aim to turn 62 acres into a strategic advantage in our customers’ supply chain,” said Abhishek Shah, Group CEO and Co-Founder, RSA Global.
The facility is expected to support around 750 direct and indirect jobs and serve cargo and logistics activity across the western and northern hinterland of JNPA, including Maharashtra, South Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Goa, North Karnataka and Chhattisgarh.
The project has been developed pursuant to a Memorandum of Understanding between RSA Global and the Government of Maharashtra.