The Hindu Business Line : ‘Volvo Ocean Race will blow business our way’

With Kochi being the official stopover port, the big sporting event, slated for the year-end, will benefit water sports and tourism as well as the major trade and export sectors.

V. Sajeev Kumar

Kochi has now become the official stopover port in the prestigious Volvo Ocean Race 2008-09. It is for the first time in the 35-year history of the race that an Indian port has been chosen for the stopover. The 10-day event, jointly organised by the Port and Kerala Tourism, will offer enormous business opportunities for the entire region. The Port Chairman, Mr N. Ramachandran, spoke to Business Line on the steps taken by the port to make the event a success. Excerpts from the interview:

As Chairman of the Port, what do you feel about conducting the race here, especially at a time when the port is on the threshold of developments?

The conduct of Volvo Ocean Race stopover in an Indian Port is recognition of the growing economic importance of our country and of the port, which has been witnessing enormous expansion and modernisation. Kochi is fast forging ahead as an exciting international sailing hub and a vibrant leisure and lifestyle destination.

Kochi city will see a 10-day visual extravaganza of the most exciting water sports action that India has witnessed. Besides, the event will also attract hundreds of other luxury yachts and sailing vessels of different kinds, making it truly spectacular. The race is scheduled to stop over in Kochi from December 3 to 13.

How is it going to benefit the port in terms of immediate revenue and future developments?

The media avenues that the event offers, for high visibility of our country, our products and services across the world, are tremendous. Apart from live telecast of race events at stopover ports, the race will be extensively covered in electronic, print and news media across the world. Large sections of the international print and electronic media persons will cover the events at Kochi, and reach out to billions of readers and audiences across the globe. The India stopover is also to be seen as a unique business event, as several high-profile global corporate leaders as well as some of the world’s top brands and businesses that sponsor the competition boats and teams will gather here.

The race events are designed to enable the global corporate sponsors to hold networking conclaves with leaders of commerce and industry of the host country at the stopover ports. The stopover will help showcase India as an emerging economic giant while highlighting the country’s business potential as well as the opportunities for tourism and leisure.

The race is, thus, truly a unique mix of the ultimate in sport, glamour and hard-nosed business. The Port expects to raise the expenditure required for hosting the event through sponsorships. Already, we are flooded with offers from various business houses in India and West Asia.

What are the port’s own plans to capitalise on this opportunity?

Kochi has already established itself as the most preferred destination in India for luxury cruise passenger ships.

In fact, during 2007-2008, the Port had the highest number of 42 luxury cruise lines stopping over, followed by 31 at Mormugao and 26 at Mumbai.

The Port is in the process of building the necessary offshore and onshore infrastructure, including a Race Village, to host sporting as well as corporate events. Needless to say, preparations for an event of this size calls for substantial financial and other resources.

With patronage and guidance from all the stake-holders, we will be able to make this a truly grand event.

Which sectors of trade and industry are going to be benefited by the event?

Water sporting, tourism and hospitality are are the major sectors that will benefit. Besides, major trade and export sectors will benefit immensely.

On preparations under way in terms of infrastructure and other facilities…

I am confident about our ability to provide the marine and onshore infrastructure required for the event. A Race Village is under construction, together with adequate office space for the organisers and team sponsors.

We will also have a full-fledged media centre. Our roads and public spaces are also being upgraded for the purpose.

We will need to make substantial investments towards construction of the Race Village and related infrastructure and we hope to raise the funds through sponsorships.

An international cruise terminal offering the services on a par with global standards is planned. We already have a good number of offers for the main sponsorships. I do not anticipate any problem in raising the necessary funds.

MR N. RAMACHANDRAN, CHAIRMAN, KOCHI PORT

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