India’s infrastructure build-out is changing the way heavy equipment moves. Refineries, power plants, metro systems and renewable-energy projects increasingly rely on large, pre-assembled modules that cannot fit into standard shipping containers. That shift is driving demand for breakbulk and project cargo logistics services that can move oversized, heavy and high-value consignments safely and on schedule.

Bhavesh Thakkar, CEO & Director of RASPN Shipping, believes this is no longer a niche requirement. He sees specialised cargo logistics as central to India’s industrial growth, with RASPN positioning itself as a space-booking aggregator and charter specialist for breakbulk vessels.

Why project cargo demand is rising?

India’s large infrastructure and industrial projects are increasingly built using pre-fabricated modules manufactured at specialised hubs and transported as complete units. Reactor vessels, transformers, wind-turbine towers and other oversized equipment often cannot be shipped in a standard 40-foot container. “It is no longer just an alternative option; it has become the backbone of these capital projects,” Bhavesh says. For such shipments, companies need dedicated deck space, geared heavy-lift vessels and customised charter solutions rather than relying on regular container-line schedules.

The sectors driving breakbulk growth

According to Bhavesh, several sectors are contributing most to India’s breakbulk demand:

• Renewable energy: Wind and solar corridors require movement of turbine blades, nacelles and tower sections, some measuring 70–80 metres.
• Power and utilities: High-capacity transformers, generators and industrial boilers are needed to expand the electricity grid.
• Oil, gas and petrochemicals: Refinery expansions and petrochemical complexes involve heavy distillation columns and reactor vessels.
• Steel and heavy manufacturing: Structural steel, heavy plates, coils and smelting machinery require specialised handling.
• Urban transit: Metro coaches, tunnel boring machines and bridge girders are key components of India’s expanding transport networks.

The challenges of moving oversized cargo

Moving cargo that can weigh hundreds of tonnes is closer to an engineering operation than a conventional freight booking. Bhavesh identifies three major challenges:

• Inland road constraints: Low-hanging power cables, narrow toll gates, sharp turning radii and older bridges require detailed route surveys and statutory clearances.
• Equipment availability: Geared multi-purpose vessels and hydraulic multi-axle pullers need advance scheduling.
• Port-to-site safety: Weight distribution, vessel stability and cargo safety require engineering assessments and approvals from Marine Warranty Surveyors.

How India’s ports and routes are evolving?

India’s maritime ecosystem has improved over recent years, supported by initiatives such as the Sagarmala Programme and private port investment. The programme focuses on port modernisation, connectivity, port-led industrialisation, coastal community development, and coastal shipping and inland water transport. Bhavesh says major ports now have deeper drafts, reinforced quayside berths capable of handling extreme point loads, and heavy-duty mobile harbour cranes for large single-lift operations. Coastal shipping and inland waterways are also becoming more relevant. The Sagarmala programme has supported multimodal terminals, intermodal terminals and inland waterway terminals, including infrastructure on National Waterways 1, 2 and 3. For project cargo, moving oversized consignments by water can help bypass congested highways and bring cargo closer to project sites.

What will change over the next few years?

Bhavesh expects India’s breakbulk requirements to evolve in three ways:

• Bigger and heavier modules: Greater modularisation will make large single consignments more routine rather than exceptional.
• More charter flexibility: Shippers will increasingly use dedicated charter voyages and flexible space-sharing models to avoid delays caused by rigid liner schedules.
• Smarter and greener logistics: Customers will seek digital milestone tracking, better use of vessel deck space and shipping routes that help reduce the carbon footprint of projects.

RASPN’s role: Matching demand with vessel capacity

RASPN Shipping operates as a space-booking aggregator and charter specialist. The company receives booking requests from freight forwarders and aims to match them with suitable vessel capacity, using bulk bookings and partnerships to secure space at competitive rates. Beyond arranging shipping, Bhavesh says RASPN acts as a technical partner for clients, supporting stowage engineering, load-bearing assessments and coastal connectivity.

“Our focus is simple: making sure the massive machinery driving that growth moves reliably, safely and cost-effectively from plant to project site,” he says.

The road ahead

As India expands its manufacturing base, renewable-energy capacity and infrastructure networks, project cargo logistics will need to become more organised, predictable and technically capable.

For RASPN Shipping, the opportunity lies in bridging the gap between heavy infrastructure demand and available vessel space bringing together forwarders, vessel capacity and specialised operational expertise. The company’s growth will depend on its ability to combine reliable charter access with the engineering and planning support that oversized cargo requires.

Interview By: Sejal Thakur