BLUE DART ENTERS INTO A STRATEGIC ALLIANCE WITH FRANCH EXPRESS

- Major expansion into over 1,000 locations in the South.

Mumbai, May 17, 2001 : Blue Dart Express Ltd., India's leading integrated air express and logistics service provider, has signed an exclusive agreement with Franch Express, a leading courier in South India. The agreement covers the Domestic Priority and APEX (Air Packages Express) services of Blue Dart. This alliance will enhance Blue Dart's expansive network across the southern region of the country, especially for the APEX product. With this alliance, Blue Dart Express Limited has added over 1,000 locations to its existing network in the southern region.

Mr. Gopinath Menon, Senior Vice President - South, said, "As a market leader, we are continuously looking at avenues to increase the depth and width of our services. Customers across more than 1,000 locations will now be able to utilise the specialised services offered by the company".

Signing the agreement, Mr. M.Kannan, President, Franch Express said, "By virtue of its strategic alliance with Franch Express, Blue Dart will have access into every location in the Southern Region, and Franch Express will have a countrywide reach. This alliance will give Franch Express access to Blue Dart's technology and its track-and-trace capability, via the net, to the most remote areas in the South".

As part of its growth strategy, Blue Dart Express Ltd. also recently opened an office in Sholinganalur, Chennai. The office, located in the Software Industrial Park, will cater to the needs of companies like TCS, Polaris, Infosys, Wipro, Maars and Pentafour.

Blue Dart Express Limited is India's leading integrated air express and logistics company with a 38% share in the domestic market. Blue Dart offers a comprehensive range of services and products for both international and domestic shippers. Blue Dart's continuous commitment towards understanding the needs and concerns of the customer has enabled it to provide unmatched standards of service quality with 99.95% reliability in the express industry. Over the years, Blue Dart has expanded the market rapidly, which is reflected in its turnover growth over the last three years. Blue Dart is the largest Global Service Participant of FedEx, the world's largest air express transportation company.

For further information contact

marketing@bluedart.com
Dated : May 17, 2001