Elixia Tech launches India’s first WhatsApp-driven, end-to-end tech-powered logistics marketplace- ‘Elixia Connect’. Elixia Connect will provide shippers and transporters a common platform to interact and negotiate to meet their on-ground logistics requirements. The USP of Elixia Connect is its operational convenience. It is a cloud-based mobile application giving better visibility and control over logistics processes – anytime and anywhere. Elixia Connect will help to expand the scope and horizon of the business. It will help to save on transportation costs without compromising on the services. Its highly intelligent WhatsApp chatbots are designed in nine Indian regional languages (English, Hindi, Marathi, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada & Bengali) to interact with the user. In addition to this, Elixia Tech has also tied up with 50+ GPS vendors through API integrations to ensure uninterrupted shipment tracking. Elixia connects also comes with an inbuilt e-way bill module helping you generate, extend and retrieve e-way bills for all trips on a single platform. Speaking on the launch, Sanket Sheth, Founder, Elixia Tech said, “We took 18 months to conceptualize and launch India’s first tech-driven logistics marketplace Elixia Connect. Our mission is to enable businesses to harness the power of technology. We aim to make Elixia Connect the “Go-To” application for all transportation needs across all segments and sectors of logistics and supply chain, including cold chain. Our mission is to be the perfect solutions provider for all shippers and transporters of all scales and sizes and bring in uniformity in terms of digitalization when it comes to managing day-to-day logistics operations.”

Modair Aviation is rapidly adding aircraft to its fleet to expand its air cargo business. Moving ahead at a great pace Modair also launched India’s first tech-enabled air logistics company ‘Modair Express’. Modair Express will be enhancing the cargo experience by offering large varieties of products and best solutions mainly for cargo operation between Tier 1 to Tier 2 & Tier 3 cities. Aiming to offer daily scheduled services linking many Indian cities to the main Indian cities, Modair Express with its special small freighter aircraft will offer flexibility in loading cargo, medicines, time-sensitive and any other type of cargo that requires special handling or care. “With plans to emerge as an air cargo behemoth, we aim to connect all the remote locations with Modair Express. The country’s air cargo business is poised to take off in a big way with the fast-emerging need of transporting imported goods and medical equipment from one region to another as quickly as possible. In particular, the growth of the ‘value buying’ segment is quite encouraging for the air cargo segment. However, the segment faces a huge shortage of dependable services providers. Modair is committed to driving the businesses of its client’s several notches higher with a modern, innovative fleet in service and on order. Modair Express experts are ready to take on the challenge to your utmost satisfaction by using our air bridge linking Indian cities, simply because “we cargo India.” said Atul Jain, Chairman, Modair Modair Express will build a strong network ensuring efficient E-commerce services on a single day and maximum connectivity for the export hubs and sub hubs by serving them. Amid the pickup in demand for both consumer and …

A digital platform for the Gati Shakti national master plan of infrastructure projects will be ready by March 31, 2022. “All infrastructure projects will be mapped on the national masterplan [portal]. 75% of data from Central ministries on their infrastructure projects have already been uploaded. We are now training State governments to share their data. We are hopeful that the national masterplan [portal] will be ready by March-end,” said Amrit Lal Meena, Special Secretary, Department for Promotion of Investment and Internal Trade. The Gati Shakti national master plan (NMP) announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 13, 2021, is a centralized portal, that will be enabling “institutionalizing” planning, designing, and execution among 17 different Ministries in the Centre as well as States. Including projects worth ₹100 lakh crore, the program aims to cut down logistical costs and improve supply chains. “The national masterplan will show us geographical features such as forests, water bodies, mines, religious and archaeological sites and help us plan alignment of infrastructure projects so that we can circumvent these. Earlier, projects would be planned from within the confines of offices,” added Meena. The portal at present has already been populated by 370 “layers” of data critical for infrastructure planning, comprising information about the road, rail, port and inland waterways, aviation, natural gas pipeline, water supply pipelines, telecom infrastructure, forest wildlife, eco-sensitive zones, water resources, rivers, embankments, canals, dams, tourism sites, economic zones, industrial parks. It also comprises features like soil type, seismicity, etc. Once ready, ready, all detailed project reports of infrastructure projects will have to be prepared on the portal, which will be scrutinized and appraised by a Network Planning Group (NPG) at the Centre.

State-owned Container Corporation of India Ltd (Concor) reported a 24.46 per cent rise in consolidated net profit as compared to the corresponding quarter a year ago, taking the profits from Rs 225.66 crore to Rs 276.35 crore for the quarter ended December 31, 2021. The multi-modal logistics company informing the regulatory filing to the BSE said, that the total income during the October-December quarter of the current fiscal rose to Rs 1,994.18 crore, from Rs 1,842.11 crore in the year-ago period. The said quarter endured total expenses of Rs 1,632 crore, as compared to Rs 1,545.79 crore earlier. Besides providing inland transport by rail for containers, Container Corporation of India is into management of ports, air cargo complexes and establishing cold chains.

APM Terminals Pipavav, achieved the highest berth productivity of 157.6 moves per hour during ‘MOL Gateway’ vessel of Thailand-India-Pakistan (TIP) service, a part of Ocean Network Express (ONE). TIP service operates through Ports of Pipavav, Bin Qasim, Karachi, Nhava Sheva, Colombo, Port Klang, Singapore and Laem Chabang. The commodities carried by the vessel were cotton, groundnut, sea food, white goods, agri commodities, automobile spares, machinery, electronic items, PVC resin, sanitary items and PPP granules. The service connects the Indian markets of Punjab, Gujarat, New Delhi with the Far East, thereby benefiting exporters & importers from these markets. Commenting on the achievement, Jakob Friis Sørensen, MD, APM Terminals Pipavav said, “The higher berth productivity on TIP (ONE) service after MECL service is yet another testimony of our efficiency that aims to help our customers. We are proud of our competent staff and infrastructure capability that help us to manage transit cargoes in a seamless and effective way. We also believe this efficiency is what sets up apart in terms of our service to our customers.”

Continuing the expansion of its global eCommerce business, CEVA Logistics announced today that the company has won a five-year contract with ABOUT YOU, one of Europe’s fastest-growing fashion platforms. CEVA will manage a new 40,000-square-meter fulfillment operation in Wroclaw-Magnice, Poland, using its automation and technology capabilities to deliver greater productivity and shorter lead times for ABOUT YOU’s eCommerce activities. Under the terms of the long-term deal, the CEVA Logistics contract logistics team in Poland will be responsible for managing the new highly automated and technology-driven facility that will provide ABOUT YOU with the responsive logistics needed for its international expansion. In addition, the facility will bring business and economic benefits to local communities. Approximately 1,000 employees are currently being recruited and trained to support the warehouse’s 24-hour operations. By strategically locating the new fulfilment distribution center in Wroclaw-Magnice in southwestern Poland, CEVA Logistics can easily serve ABOUT YOU’s customers across numerous countries. ABOUT YOU and CEVA are committed to operating the new facility in a sustainable manner, with numerous solutions being implemented at the greenfield site, including solar panels for clean energy.

Hikvision, an IoT solution provider with video as its core competency, announced a new technology partnership with Irida Labs, a vision AI solution provider from Europe, to integrate its IP cameras and HikCentral software with Irida Labs’ PerCV.ai Industry 4.0 Package. The integration provides intelligent vision AI solutions for manufacturing and logistics sectors to manage warehouse and plant in real time. Utilizing the Hikvision Intelligent Security API (ISAPI) protocol and Embedded Open Platform Program (HEOP), the integration allows the PerCV.ai algorithm to run inside Hikvision DeepInView camera series for edge processing. Operators can easily monitor manufacturing and logistics processes using PerCV.ai Industry 4.0 Package user interface. The combination of video, AI, and edge computing empowers real-time pallet and parcel monitoring, product inspection, forklift and truck monitoring, personal protective equipment (PPE) detection, and critical equipment interaction monitoring. The real-time AI-powered analytics also enables actionable business and process insights. “We are excited to join the Hikvision Technology Partnership Program (TPP). Now, our AI vision software PerCV.ai supports Hikvision DeepinView cameras and HikCentral software through this program,” says Vassilis Tsagaris, CEO at Irida Labs. “We would like to thank Hikvision for working closely and supporting our team during the last few months, making this integration truly added-value for our customers.” “The combination of the AI-enabling camera platform and the intelligent algorithm of PerCV.ai really makes a strong and flexible package for the users. With solutions like this, staff safety and warehouse processes are taken to a new level,” added Adler Wu, Global Technology Partner Alliance Manager at Hikvision.

Cargolux Airlines has launched a new online booking portal as part of the freighter operator’s investment in its digital capabilities. The new portal enables customers to log on, request an instant spot quote according to personalised criteria, as well as having visibility of allocations, “thereby enabling for the selection and booking of the best option”, the company said. “The online portal offers transaction options for all customer profiles, from international groups to local independent forwarders,” Cargolux said in a release. Mathieu Weber, vice president digital sales & marketing, added: “With this new portal, Cargolux is moving closer to an omni-channel connectivity experience for customers. The portal offers tailored quoting and booking in a few clicks and we are confident that this handy and timely solution will be highly appreciated by our customers.”

GreenBase, a joint venture between the realty major Hiranandani Group and US-based private equity firm Blackstone Group announced its plans to invest over INR 3,000 crores to develop industrial, logistics, and warehousing parks across key cities in India. The joint platform is looking to build and expand its portfolio by at least 15 million sq ft, taking it to more than 20 million sq ft in the next five years. The company is targeting a valuation of between Rs 5,500 crore and Rs 6,000 crore for its portfolio once the proposed expansion is completed. “The demand scenario for India’s logistics sector looks promising with rising consumerism and higher economic activity. We are optimistic about the growth in this segment, led by a conducive economic scenario, and our plans have been aligned to make the most of this rapid progress.” said N Shridhar, CEO of GreenBase. He adds, that the joint platform is also considering a plan to list the industrial and logistics portfolio through a Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) in India or even overseas. GreenBase plans on financing the proposed investment through equity worth Rs 1,000 crore and the balance with leverage. The company’s current leverage level stands at around 25-30% of its existing capital.

Understanding the importance of efficient cargo movement, the Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, in a meeting with officials of his ministry and the Commerce Ministry, emphasized kickstarting multi-modal logistics hubs in India. Taking to his Twitter handle, the union minister said, alongside necessary infrastructure, it was equally important to make our cargo movement processes seamless and customer-friendly. The Minister informed of chairing a meeting with officials from the Ministry of Civil Aviation and the Department of Commerce to discuss the way forward for kickstarting multi-modal logistics hubs in India.