Gateway Distriparks aims to quadruple domestic cargo volumes in 2 years via Ankleshwar deal

Gateway Distriparks Ltd (GDL) sees strong growth potential in the domestic cargo segment from its newly signed 15-year agreement with the Sawariya Group of Industries for the upcoming Multi Modal Logistics Park (MMLP) in Ankleshwar, Gujarat.

Samvid Gupta, Joint Managing Director at GDL, told CNBC-TV18 that domestic container movement could rise from an initial 1,000–1,500 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) per month this year to 4,000 TEUs per month within the next two years. “There’s good potential, and we can take this up to 4,000 TEUs per month over the next couple of years,” Gupta said.

Domestic operations will start immediately, while EXIM and Inland Container Depot (ICD) services are expected to commence by April 2026. Gupta noted that the Ankleshwar region currently has only one other ICD, which is already operating at full capacity. This opens up scope for shifting significant cargo volumes from road to rail, particularly for shipments headed to JNPT. EXIM volumes could reach 5,000 TEUs per month in the first few years and may scale up to 10,000 TEUs over time.

However, Gupta pointed out that shorter lead distances in this project compared to GDL’s northern operations will impact margins, with the company expecting an EBITDA of around ₹3,000 per TEU.

The venture will be entirely asset-light, with leased trains and containers, and will operate on an EBITDA-sharing basis. “What we’ve signed is zero investment from our side,” Gupta said, adding that any container purchases for domestic volumes in the future will be “very nominal.”