Sarathkumara Premachandra, regional manager of CMA CGM Terminal Link (Asia), who is currently based in Malaysia, says two ports being developed by India could threaten Colombo's share of the sub-continent's transhipment business.
These were the Vallarpadam international container transhipment terminal in Cochin and a new facility planned to be built adjacent to the fishing harbour of Vizhinjam.
Cochin has already started marketing and is looking at transhipment cargo.
It also has a large amount of domestic cargo to cushion the impact of low transhipment tariffs that could help attract big shipping lines to call there, Premachandra told a recent conference on Colombo's hub prospects.
It was organised by the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport's Colombo branch.
Fierce Rivalry
The new port of Vizhinjam, on the other hand, does not have any