DP World, UAE Region and Jafza joined hands with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) as event partners for the Auto Resurgence Summit 2020 that shed light on how the automotive sector can respond positively to the global pandemic.

Speakers highlighted the significance of creating a self-reliant, sustainable and stable market, emphasising the need to adopt measures like increased localisation, use of technology, new-gen mobility and increased participation in the global value chain. Ahmad Al Haddad, Chief Operating Officer, Parks and Zones – DP World, UAE Region participated in the ‘Emerging, Enabling Strategies and Technologies for Supply Chain’ session and explained how Jafza can facilitate India’s auto export operations.

Jafza, the leading business and logistics hub in the Middle East, recorded business worth a total trade value of AED 38.8 billion and an increase of 5 per cent in its customer base year-on-year for 2018/2019 in the automotive sector. This sector plays an integral role in Jafza’s success story. Its outstanding performance and exceptional connectivity have cemented Dubai’s position as the preferred logistics and distribution centre for the automotive industry in the region.

The automotive and spare parts sector boasts more than 600 companies, including key players from over 65 countries. The segment employs over 7,400 employees, working in a facility that spreads over an area of 1.37 million square meters. Some of the principal customers include the world’s biggest names like Toyota, General Motors, Ford, Volkswagen, Daimler, Honda, Nissan Motor Corporation, among others.

The Indian connection 

DP World’s network spans a wide range of ports in the Indian subcontinent. It is the first global operator with a pan-India license in Indian freight rail industry and has expansion plans to enhance market access across Indian cargo centres. DP World India boasts of six terminals, seven inland container depots/ private freight terminals, five container freight stations, 20 rail rakes, two upcoming free trade warehousing zones and 1.5 million square meters of warehousing facilities. It has also been growing its logistics operations through a series of recent acquisitions in India. Unifeeder — through its Unifeeder Indian subcontinent (ISC) arm, majorly owned by DP World — acquired Transworld Feeders and AvanaLogistek.

Mohammed Al Muallem, CEO & Managing Director, DP World, UAE Region and CEO of Jafza said: “We were thrilled to be a part of the Auto Resurgence Summit 2020. Joining hands with CII was a great opportunity for us to tap the Indian market and reach out to our partners there. The pandemic has revealed the vulnerability of supply chains and demonstrated the need to have resilient ones. Businesses in the region and around the world have suffered extensively due to the global crisis. Import and export activities slowed down because several global factories shut and markets across the world are strictly adhering to lockdown measures. During such a challenging time, we believe that it is imperative for the automotive industry around the world to unite and support each other to tide over the turbulent business landscape.”

Digitalising the business landscape

Despite the global disruption, Jafza has employed technology-enabled solutions to optimise the supply chain. To facilitate ease of trade under one single-window “Dubai Trade,” Jafza offers a tax-free business environment with reputable regulatory bodies. The 1,110 plus services are accessible online to over 180,000 registered companies. This outstanding digital model of communication has minimised the need for manual transactions and personal visits and reduced import and export time by 50 per cent.

Al Muallem added: “Technology plays a pivotal role at Jafza. The internet has proved to be a major catalyst in shaping human lives and digital profiles. The change in consumer behaviour has had a positive impact on the business.We foresee greater importance of the use of technology to ensure safety across the supply chain. The rebound may take some time, but, necessary enhancements need to be in place to earn the confidence of consumers.”

Last year, DP World, UAE Region launched The India-UAE Bridge, a major project that aims to attract Indian trade and investments to its flagships, Jebel Ali Port and Jafza. Through this endeavour, DP World offers end-to-end solutions to companies and entrepreneurs and acts as a platform that allows ingenious Indian business minds to share their ideas with the Middle East and the world. The businesses will gain great exposure and avail the benefit of Jafza’s excellent multimodal connectivity to shipping lines and services, through key ports in the region.