This facility will operate as a combined ''gateway'' and ''service centre'' until an on-airport gateway facility in Chennai is identified and built.

The new centre will serve 43 courier routes operating out of it in two cycles, thus doubling the present shipment handling capacity at the centre. DHL has 20 service centres in India, amounting to 11,000 square metres in operations space.

Inaugurating the new facility, Chris Callen, country manager, DHL Express India said, " DHL India is growing at a rate of 20-25 per cent per year. After New Delhi and Mumbai, Chennai is the third largest market for DHL in India. We have more than 5,000 customers in Tamil Nadu. The launch of the Chennai Service Centre is in line with our efforts to be a reliable and efficient business partner to our growing customer base."

The new facility, spanning two storeys, features cutting-edge technology and will combine the operations of the two existing service centres at Chennai. In addition, the new facility also houses the DHL customer service centre, an extension to the 24x7 call centre headquartered at Mumbai. The Chennai centre is equipped with the latest technology and can double up as the ''disaster recovery site'' to serve DHL operations pan India.

Since 2002 DHL has invested over Rs1,150 crore in its India operations.