Supply Chain, Logistics and Procurement Training in Kochi
Our Kochi centre is at Carnival Infopark in Kakkanad. Of all our India locations, this is the one where international trade is not an abstraction — it is the harbour a few kilometres away, and the paperwork that moves through it.
Kochi is a transhipment and export city
The Press Information Bureau describes the International Container Transhipment Terminal at Vallarpadam as "envisaged as first trans-shipment port of India, managed by DP World", and as "located strategically on the Indian coastline", intended to become "the most preferred gateway for South India and leading trans-shipment hub of South Asia".
The Cochin Port Authority records the terminal's first phase as opening "with 1 million TEU capacity", accompanied by "a four lane NH and a new link rail to the national rail grid from the Terminal". The port also notes that "amongst all major Indian ports, Cochin is the closest to the International East West Shipping routes."
Transhipment is a distinct discipline. Containers arrive to be moved onward rather than delivered inland, which puts the emphasis on vessel scheduling, documentation accuracy, customs procedure and dwell time rather than on domestic distribution.
Two national export bodies are headquartered here
This is the fact that separates Kochi from every other city in our network, and most in India.
The Marine Products Export Development Authority is headquartered at Panampilly Nagar, Kochi. MPEDA describes itself as "established in 1972 under the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Government of India… a statutory body dedicated to promoting the export of marine products from the country", and records that "the exports have reached USD 7.45 Billion in 2024-25".
The Spices Board is headquartered at Sugandha Bhavan, Palarivattom, Kochi — "Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Govt. of India… the flagship organization for the development and worldwide promotion of Indian spices."
Two national export-promotion statutory bodies, both in one city. If your work involves export documentation, quality certification for overseas markets, or commodity trade compliance, the institutions that set those rules are local to you.
Add the Cochin Special Economic Zone at Kakkanad — which states plainly that "the Zone is run directly by the Government of India. Cochin SEZ is a multi-product Zone", one of only seven central-government SEZs in India — and Cochin Shipyard, "incorporated in the year 1972 as a fully owned Government of India company" and able to "build and repair the largest vessels in India".
Our own centre sits inside the Infopark SEZ, so the zone's compliance environment is not something we read about.
Where you will sit your exam
Kochi's Pearson VUE locator returns around 30 test centres, all third-party rather than Pearson-operated. ASCM exams including CPIM, CSCP and CLTD run through Pearson VUE or online proctoring.
Confirm your specific credential at your chosen centre before booking travel: Pearson VUE states that "some exams for APICS require special arrangements and may not be available at all of the test centers listed", and availability per exam is visible only once logged in.
For CIPS, India's only approved exam centre is in Bengaluru — around 368 km away, the shortest distance from any of our India centres. That still does not make it a practical routine option, and since the Bengaluru centre lists only the Advanced Certificate, proximity gives no usable in-person route at other levels. Candidates here sit under remote invigilation. We are a CIPS approved study centre for India registered for distance learning, and we book your exams. Diploma-level Constructed Response papers run in March, May, July and November only.
Which credential suits a Kochi role
| If your work is | Consider | Because |
|---|---|---|
| Freight forwarding, shipping lines, customs broking | Shipping and freight forwarding certificate | Sits closest to daily forwarding and documentation work |
| Export compliance for marine products, spices or SEZ units | CIPS routes, plus the forwarding certificate | Supplier and contract control alongside trade documentation |
| Transport, warehousing and distribution planning | CLTD | Logistics, transportation and distribution end to end |
| Port, terminal and vessel-side operations | CILT qualifications | A staged route through operational and supervisory roles |
| Whole-chain strategy across suppliers and export markets | CSCP | Breadth, for roles that span sourcing and delivery |
Kochi is the city where we most often recommend the freight forwarding and shipping route over a general supply chain credential. In an inland manufacturing city that would be the wrong advice. Here it is usually the right one.
A note for Kerala professionals working abroad
Many learners here are preparing for roles in the Gulf rather than locally. If that is your plan, say so at the enquiry stage — it affects which credential carries the most weight with employers in the market you are targeting, and it is a common enough situation that we would rather plan for it openly than pretend every learner stays in Kochi.
How we teach here
Programmes run online and in the classroom at Infopark, depending on the course. Format availability changes, so ask when you enquire.
The certifying body sets the syllabus and awards the credential; we prepare you for the exam. Any completion certificate we issue is for our own training. ASCM credentials are awarded by ASCM, CIPS qualifications by CIPS, CILT qualifications by CILT.
Visit or call the Kochi centre
Blue Ocean Academy — Kochi Carnival Infopark Phase 1, 2nd Floor, Infopark SEZ, Kakkanad, Kochi, Kerala 682030 Telephone: +91 484 460 4041
Speak to a course advisor and tell them whether you are aiming at a role here or overseas. It is the first question worth answering.
