Indian Institute of Freight Forwarders (IIFF) has signed the Memorandum of Understanding with International Maritime Business Academy (IMBA) to offer its course IIFF – FIATA Diploma in Logistics, Shipping and Freight Forwarding. Under the MOU, IMBA will provide IIFF Diploma courses at its institute and on the online mode. This collaboration finds its importance as students from Uttarakhand and other northern parts of India will now be able to attend the quality Diploma course in Logistics, Shipping and Freight Forwarding offered by IIFF. IIFF offers its Diploma program through an online platform, beneficial for students interested in learning about the freight forwarding, logistics and shipping industry. IIFF is the training arm of the Federation of Freight Forwarders Association in India (FFFAI) and conducts training for sharing knowledge and developing skills since the last decade. This course is validated by FIATA, successful students will get IIFF as well as globally recognized FIATA certificate.

The CMA CGM Group and Hasti Petro Chemical & Shipping (HPCSL), known as The Thar Dry Port also, have jointly received their first ever Block Train from Mundra to the Thar Dry Port (ICD) at Sanand, Gujarat. This new service is the first block train by a shipping line between Mundra and ICD Sanand. The fully loaded 90-TEU train was flagged off from Mundra port on April 2nd and was received at ICD Sanand on April 3rd in the presence of representatives from The Thar Dry Port (A unit of Hasti Petro Chemical & Shipping) and CMA CGM India. The new weekly block train service is the first and only block train service by any shipping line, for Ahmedabad, Ex- Mundra. The train provides fixed window and dedicated service for customer import shipments ensuring a reliable departure schedule. The schedule departure of train from Mundra Port will be on every Saturday/Sunday. This new service from Mundra to Sanand offers customers effective cargo handling and provides priority loading for urgent import shipments with no additional cost. Another key feature of the service is to have no partial loading from Mundra, as all the containers will arrive together as per bill of lading (BL). Going forward, the CMA CGM Group is planning on streamlining the service even more to have a priority connection with the Group’s Indamex and EPIC services, two major services of CMA CGM India, calling the Gujarat region. The company is developing sustainable door-to-door solutions to allow its customers to significantly reduce the carbon footprint of their transported goods. Compared to cargo movement via truck, the block train option reduces CO2 emissions by up to 67%.

Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (APSEZ) is announcing the acquisition of the residual 25 per cent stake in Adani Krishnapatnam Port (Krishnapatnam Port) for Rs 2,800 crore. This will result in APSEZ increasing its stake from 75 per cent to 100 per cent in Krishnapatnam Port. Together with the 75 per cent ownership acquired in October 2020, the acquisition implies an enterprise value of Rs 13,675 crore implying an EV/ FY21 EBITDA multiple of 10.3x. Krishnapatnam Port is located on the east coast of India in Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh (~180 km from Chennai Ports) close to the border between Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. Krishnapatnam Port is an all-weather, deep water port has multi-cargo facility with a current capacity of 64 MMTPA. With a waterfront of 20 km and 6,800 acres of land, Krishnapatnam Port has a master plan capacity of 300 MMTPA and a 50-year concession. The port is expected to have volumes of 38 MMT, revenues of Rs. 1,840 cr and EBITDA of Rs. 1,325 Cr in FY21. Since the acquisition, Krishnapatnam Port has focused on business process re-engineering which has resulted in EBITDA margins improving from 57% in FY20 to 72% in FY21. Karan Adani, Chief Executive Officer and Whole Time Director, APSEZ said, “The consolidation of our ownership in Krishnapatnam Port reinforces APSEZ’s stride towards 500 MMT by 2025 and achieving our broader strategy of cargo parity between west and east coasts of India. Krishnapatnam Port is on track to handle double the traffic by 2025 and will deliver high growth through a multi-product and cargo enhancement strategy while enhancing return on capital employed. We are confident that we will be able to …

The World Logistics Passport (WLP), a unique loyalty program established to increase trading opportunities between emerging markets, is expanding in India – with Hyderabad registering as a Hub and two subsidiaries of the GMR conglomerate registering as partners, both operating in Hyderabad airport. As one of the first countries to engage in the WLP, today’s announcement solidifies India’s standing in the program. More than 10 countries are now part of the major policy initiative – trading nations include Brazil, Indonesia, and South Africa, amongst others. In addition, major multinational corporations including UPS, Pfizer, Sony, Johnson & Johnson, and LG are also engaged with the WLP. Hyderabad is the second WLP Hub registered in India, after Mumbai. The city is strategically important for the country’s international exports of goods and services, totaling approximately $21bn*. With trade routes to Mumbai and New Delhi, as well as to the WLP’s global network, Hyderabad’s trade infrastructure includes Rajiv Gandhi International Airport. Earlier this year, the WLP signed Mumbai International Airport (Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport), Nhava Sheva International Container Terminal (Mumbai), and Nepal as partners. Mike Bhaskaran, CEO, WLP, said, “India, as one of the first countries to engage in our program, showed a clear commitment to thinking differently about how goods and services move round the world. Today’s announcement is yet another endorsement of this new approach to global trade, and we are eying additional expansion in the country as we look to widen our offering.” The WLP creates opportunities for business across Africa, Asia, Central and South America to improve existing trading routes, and develop new ones, through the world’s first logistics loyalty program for freight forwarders and traders. It overcomes non-tariff …

Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) has registered a throughput of over 4.7 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in container handling as against 5.03 million TEUs during FY 2020. The total traffic handled at JNPT during the Financial Year 2020-21 is 64.81 million tons as against 68.45 million tonnes in FY 2019-20. The total container traffic handled in March 2021 stood at 527,792 TEUs, which is the highest container volume handled in a month, since inception. The total traffic handled at JNPT during the month of March-2021 is 7.33 million tonnes as against 5.93 million tonnes in March 2020, which is 23.53 per cent higher than the total traffic over the same month of last year. Major improvement in average turnaround time of all vessels by 2.62 per cent i.e from 29.42 hrs to 28.64 hrs as well as for container vessels by 2.01 per cent i.e from 25.82 hrs to 25.30 hrs from Pilot Boarding to De-boarding in FY 2020-21 in comparison with FY 2019-20. JNPT has five container terminals, taking an overview of the numbers terminal wise, APM Terminals Mumbai (GTI) handled 1.66 million TEUs, DP World NSIGT with 0.78 million TEUs, DP World NSICT with 0.75 million TEUs and the Port owned JNPCT with 0.54 million TEUs. The Newly developed BMCT handled around 0.93 million TEUs during the FY 2021. NSICT and BMCTPL have recorded 41.33% and 15.36% growth in FY 2020-21 in comparison with FY 2019-20 respectively. JNPT BPCL Liquid Cargo Terminal handled highest LPG during FY 2020-21 of 1.04 million tonnes from 70 vessels which is 22.35% higher as compared previous highest of 0.85 million tonnes from 57 vessels in FY 2019-20. JNPT also handled 6,097 …

Reacting to March 2021 export figures, Sharad Kumar Saraf, President, FIEO, said. “The monthly exports showed a whooping double digit growth of almost 58.50 percent clocking USD 34 billion compared to March 2020, showing not only impressive signs of further revival for the sector but for overall economy as well. This has been mainly on account of 28 out of 30 major product group of exports showing either a very impressive high positive growth starting with triple digit and almost all ending with a very high double digit growth defying all the odds during these difficult times.” FIEO President added that the exports of other cereals, oil meals, iron ore, Jjute mfg. including floor covering, carpet, electronic goods, gems and jewellery, engineering goods, cereal preparations and miscellaneous processed item, rice, spices, cotton yarn/fabrics/made-ups, handloom products etc., meat, dairy and poultry products, ceramic products and glassware, drugs and pharmaceuticals, organic and inorganic chemicals, plastic and linoleum, handicrafts excl. hand-made carpet, marine products, man-made yarn/fabrics/made-ups etc., mica, coal and other ores, minerals including process, petroleum products, RMG of all textiles, coffee, fruits and vegetables, leather and leather manufactures, tobacco, and tea were the sectors, which contributed towards showing such a whooping performance by the exports sector during the month. Such a whooping growth in exports during the month also helped in taking the merchandise exports to over US$ 290 billion during such difficult and torrid times, which was well forcasted by FIEO said Saraf. FIEO Chief also reiterated that the support and help provided by the government especially the Union Finance Minister and Union Commerce and Industry Minister during these challenging times has been commendable. He also thanked overall exporting community for …

According to the recently released ‘economics chart of the week’ by IATA, cargo traffic has been proven to be quite resilient serving commerce and industries reliant on the deliveries of critical supplies, since the outbreak of Covid-19 while airline passenger traffic has plummeted. Due to the massive drop of cargo belly hold capacity of passenger operations, overall cargo capacity has become a constraint, and cargo yields have been rising accordingly. In a response to these cargo capacity constraints, a substantial number of airlines have been able to make use of the otherwise spare capacity of passenger aircraft, using them for cargo-only operations, also referred to as ‘preighters’. The majority of preighters have operated with cargo in the belly hold, where the passenger cabin has remained empty, but several airlines even have used the passenger cabin for additional cargo capacity.” While the largest share of cargo traffic is indeed carried by freighters, which traffic has grown significantly albeit constraint due to lack of additional aircraft, one can observe the welcome additional capacity that the preighters have provided.

The real estate sister company of FM Logistic, Batilogistic and Lodha have signed a deal of Rs 106 crore to develop 30 acres land parcel at Palava Industrial and Logistics Park for FM Logistic India, with a total development potential of around 1 million square feet of warehousing space. This agreement is strategically signed to catalyse the job market in the region. Further expanding FM Logistic India’s businesses, Batilogistic will undertake the development of this land parcel in phases over next three to four years. This development is part of the 290 acre Palava Industrial and Logistics Park that also includes a joint venture between ESR and Lodha. Palava Industrial and Logistics Park is now emerging as a world-class hub in the Mumbai region driven by its high quality infrastructure, well planned parks and proximity to Navi Mumbai, JNPT port and upcoming international airport. Also, the park benefits from its easy connectivity to the full social eco-system of Palava City. The park offers a range of options including built to suit structures, standard structures and land parcels. Commenting on the deal, Alexandre Amine Soufiani, MD, FM Logistic India, says, “We are committed to providing our customers with high value and high efficiency Grade-A warehousing infrastructure. Globally, FM Logistic, in collaboration with Batilogistic, is a pioneer in developing and maintaining Grade-A warehousing facilities that provide cutting edge supply chain technologies to our customers. Through our association with the Lodha Group we will gain significant presence to service the neighbouring industrial areas of Thane, Navi Mumbai and Kalyan. The Grade-A logistic facility will be designed according to the best industry standards with high spec buildings, 100% compliance to norms and stringent safety …

Apollo LogiSolutions has collaborated with leading players across technology, cold chain warehousing, pharmaceutical, healthcare, airline and airport sectors for its new ‘integrated vaccine delivery platform’. To enhance the current Covid-19 vaccine distribution model in India with its new solution, Apollo LogiSolutions has already on-boarded UNICEF backed blockchain technology firm StaTwig for technology capabilities; Coldman, Kool Solutions and other major companies for effective cold chain warehousing of 70,000+ pallet capacity at 10 locations in India and GMR-Hyderabad airport and Indigo airlines for air transportation. By collaborating with IndiGo, the company plans to bolster its initiative of contributing towards world’s largest vaccination drive. Apollo LogiSolutions’ ‘integrated vaccine platform solution’ is designed to address the end-to-end supply-chain related challenges and bring more transparency and effective tracking for effective Covid-19 vaccine distribution in the country. Announcing the new solution, Raaja Kanwar, Vice chairman and Managing Director, Apollo LogiSolutions, said, “It’s a proud moment for everyone at Apollo LogiSolutions to have been able to build a solution that will help India in its mission to immunize its people against Covid-19. We have already partnered with some of the most trusted names in the industry and will continue to add more to make the platform more robust as part of our commitment in creating an effective end-to-end distribution platform for the Covid-19 vaccine.” He added, “As India grows, the logistics segment will need to scale, adapt and transform itself to the needs of businesses and consumers. Apollo LogiSolutions is aggressively working towards introducing innovative technologies, tools and operational excellence to streamline the fragmented sector, make it future ready and drive better efficiency.” Sid Chakravarthy, Founder, StaTwig mentioned that “India manufacturers 60 per cent of global vaccines …

DB Schenker and Lufthansa Cargo launched the first regular carbon neutral cargo flight connection in history. With the take-off of a Boeing 777F, the companies kicked off weekly flights between Frankfurt am Main and Shanghai Pudong, where the fuel requirements are covered entirely by Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). This will save around 174 metric tons of conventional kerosene each week. Jochen Thewes, CEO, DB Schenker, says, “As of now, carbon neutral supply chains are also feasible with airfreight. Our weekly flights between Frankfurt and Shanghai are the kick-off of a new era. We are proud to have already convinced so many customers of this future-orientated product. Next, business and politics have to take charge to create more capacity for regenerative fuels and clean aviation.” Dorothea von Boxberg, CEO, Lufthansa Cargo, adds, “With the world’s first sustainable cargo flight with DB Schenker at the end of 2020, we demonstrated that flying without fossil emissions is already possible. We have jointly launched the world’s first regular sustainable cargo flight connection. This paves the way for many more connections of this kind. We are counting on the determination of our industry and the dedication of consumers to get this off the ground together.” Sustainable Aviation Fuel is produced mainly from biomass waste, such as used vegetable and cooking oils. Thus, when burned in the engine, the same amount of carbon dioxide is released which was previously removed from the atmosphere during the original growth of the plants. In addition, greenhouse gases produced during the manufacture and transport of the fuel are fully offset by sustainable compensation projects. This ensures that flights are completely greenhouse gas neutral. The weekly volume of SAF procured by …