South Africa favoured setting up of a joint shipping company along with India and Brazil to make the most of their vast coastline, which put together will spread over nearly 17,000 km.

"We are thinking of launching a joint shipping company and 70 to 80 percent of the preparation is already over," South Africa's head of Asia and Middle East section in the Department of Foreign Affairs Jerry Matjila said.

Observing that it was a private initiative among shipping corporations in the three countries, he said the proposal, linking Mumbai, Cape Town and Sao Paulo, was placed before the leaders of the three countries when they met for the IBSA Summit recently.

IBSA is a trilateral, developmental initiative between the three nations to promote South-South cooperation.

The proposal would create a lot of opportunities for the business people in the three countries and it could be broadened by inducting countries like Sri Lanka and others, he said.

On the aviation sector, Matjila said both India and South Africa are yet to take full advantage of the potential, as the private sector capacity was yet to be utilised.

While only South African carriers operate flights to India, there was no reciprocal arrangement from the Indian side, he said, adding that if private operators have capacity, India could allow them.

Mr. Rajeev Mehta

(Tradeindia Expert)

Mehta Stores

Managing Director, Mehta Stores
New Delhi, India