- The zone is inside the Vallarpadam terminal at Cochin Port.
- It is Kerala's first Free Trade Warehousing Zone, covering 75,000 sq ft.
- It offers 67 value-added services and duty-deferred storage.
- DP World positions it as a link to Jebel Ali Free Zone and beyond.
What the zone offers
The 75,000 sq ft facility sits within Cochin Port, India's first transshipment terminal, and connects to DP World's multimodal logistics network across India. It offers 67 value-added services. Ranjit Ray, DP World's Senior Vice President for Economic Zones in the Middle East, North Africa and the Subcontinent, said the zone aims to cut costs and improve connectivity for EXIM-oriented businesses and to help global companies enter the Indian market.
Connectivity
- Road: NH 66 to Mumbai, NH 544 to Salem and Coimbatore, and NH 85 to Rameswaram via Madurai.
- Rail: access within the port, with Ernakulam Junction and Ernakulam Town stations 5–7 km away.
- Air: Cochin International Airport is about 35 km away.
Regulatory advantages
The zone operates under India's SEZ Act. Companies can set up a unit without a registered entity in India, and importers can defer duty while goods are stored. Re-exports are simpler and faster. DP World presents the zone as a link to Jebel Ali Free Zone and beyond. It joins DP World's two other Indian economic zones: Nhava Sheva Business Park in Mumbai (1 million sq ft) and Integrated Chennai Business Park (600,000 sq ft).
What it means for UAE–India trade
Free-zone storage at both ends lets traders hold stock duty-deferred and ship it on when orders arrive. In the UAE, our warehousing and 3PL and customs clearance teams handle the free-zone side; see our guide to clearance across UAE ports and free zones. For sea freight on this lane, our ocean freight team can help, and India's new Vadhavan port will add capacity in the long term.
