GAC India strengthens presence in Gujarat state

GAC India, part of Dubai headquartered GAC Group, has strengthened its presence in the Gujarat region with the addition of a new logistics office in Vadodara, offering professional logistics and international transportation services.

The establishment of the new office is in line with GAC India's strategy to consolidate the company's position in the key Gujarat area.

"Expanding in this important market enables us to meet the diverse needs of domestic and international businesses in the region with our comprehensive suite logistics and global transportation services," said Gracias Thevar, GAC India's Business Manager – Logistics Services.

Elvin John, a veteran in the shipping industry with 16 years experience in freight forwarding, shipping, NVOCC, airfreight and CHA business, heads the new office. Vadodara is GAC India's eighth dedicated logistics office and the 24th in its network that span the entire country. GAC's Vadodara office provides customers with a vital connection to world trade. It adds a new link to GAC's extensive global network of more than 400 offices worldwide, connecting customers with its worldwide IT systems and quality services.

GAC has also announced organisational changes to optimise its resources in Russia with Arkady Podkopaev returning to Russia as General Manager of the new company after three years with GAC Turkemenistan. GAC Shipping & Logistics, with its head office in Moscow, has been established to consolidate the company's existing facilities in Novorossiysk (Gulf Agency Company Novorossiysk) and St Petersburg (GAC St Petersburg). It also adds a third branch office at the new port of Taman on the Black Sea, where the company will specialise in providing shipping services at liquid and dry bulk terminals.

"By restructuring its business in Russia, GAC is able to focus on our core services and customers. It also makes us better positioned and equipped to explore new markets such as marine services for the fast-growing offshore industry in Russian territorial waters," said Podkopaev.

The GAC Group's first office in the Russian Federation opened in Novorossiysk in 2001 to provide shipping services at Sheskharis and CPC-R oil terminals.

As the business expanded, additional services such as freight forwarding and crewing were added in response. In 2005, GAC opened its second Russian office, at St Petersburg, one of the country's largest ports.

Central Asia's significance as one of the world's principal oil and gas producing regions is reflected by GAC's presence in Turkmenistan since 2000 and the opening of two new branches in Kazakhstan in 2008. Globally, the GAC Group has more than 300 offices.

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