Toyota Kirloskar renews export agreement with Kamarajar Port

Toyota Kirloskar Motor has renewed its long-term logistics agreement with Kamarajar Port near Chennai, reinforcing the port’s role as a key link in the automaker’s global supply chain.

The new 10-year pact, running from April 2025 to March 2035, will see Toyota continue using the port’s roll-on/roll-off (Ro-Ro) terminal for automobile exports and imports at concessional wharfage rates. The extension comes as Toyota ramps up international shipments of its India-made Urban Cruiser Hyryder and other models to over 20 countries.

The agreement was signed in the presence of Chennai Port Authority and Kamarajar Port chairman Sunil Paliwal, and KPL managing director Irene Cynthia.

Strategically positioned on India’s east coast, Kamarajar Port has become a vital automotive export hub for southern carmakers, offering strong road and rail connectivity to manufacturing centres in Chennai, Bengaluru, Hosur, Coimbatore, and Salem. Its general cargo berth—capable of handling the largest car carriers—features a 3.7 lakh sq.m backup yard, the biggest automobile parking facility at any Indian port, with capacity for 25,000 vehicles.

Since 2012, Toyota has shipped over 180,000 vehicles through KPL, starting with just 247 Etios units to South Africa. Exports have since expanded to Africa, the Middle East, and Europe, including markets such as the UAE, Egypt, France, and Saudi Arabia.

With the renewed deal, Toyota aims to export more than 50,000 vehicles annually via KPL—over twice the volumes handled in the partnership’s early years. For Kamarajar Port, the extension underscores its growing stature as a specialised automotive logistics hub.