Harpreet Singh Malhotra, CMD, Tiger Logistics (India), feels, “Union Budget 2018 is a mix of growth, expectations and opportunities. This budget provides expected attention on infrastructure by outlaying Rs 2.04 lakh crores for smart cities. The expectations of GDP to grow by 3.3 per cent and exports by15 per cent are good signs.” “Textile sector, Indian Railways, metro network, elevator facilities and highway construction received much attention which will benefit logistics industry in a long-term. This budget has liberalised agriculture industry for which India is always a premier and provides attention to farmers and the poor, which is a good growth sign for this government. Agri business is also getting benefitted and expected to grow in a fast pace. Food processing and aquaculture industry will provide huge benefits to cold chain logistics industry,” he adds.

Nihar Parida, Director, Minerva Integrated Logistics, says, “The Union Budget 2018-19 gives an impression that cold chain logistics is the new future. With so much boost given to the agriculture and agri processing, the cold chain storage and transportation will definitely boom.”

Federation of Freight Forwarders’ Associations in India (FFFAI) will be hosting the first international logistics congress; ‘FIATA World Congress 2018’ (FWC-2018) from September 26-29, 2018 at Pullman-Novotel Hotel, Aerocity in New Delhi. To provide an update about the FWC-2018 at a well-attended press conference FFFAI office bearers and FIATA leaders from abroad announced that the World Congress will be attended by more than 1500 Indian and overseas delegates from different parts of the world. “We are bullish about huge success of this event in New Delhi. Our government, which is very pro-active to facilitate logistics industry in the country, has promised full support to make FWC 2018 a grand success,” said, Ashish Pednekar Chairman, FFFAI

Focusing on the concept of cold chain, Pawanexh Kohli, Chief Advisor & CEO, NCCD, says, “Cold chain is amalgamation of many technologies due to it’s concept of an integrated flow of produce from farm to fork so that there is a synonymous flow from fork to farm of value. Cold chain system cannot be developed in isolation; railways need to be used, trucking needs to be used but the question remains where it should be started from? The source is farms; cold stores must source from farms. To implement farm-to-fork connectivity, pack-houses are required; we have to make the product ready to get into the cold chain.”

The Indo-Iran Joint Business Seminar, focussing on Chabahar Port opportunities in Free Zone and Transit Corridors, was held in the capital recently to update all the stakeholders about developments happening at Chabahar port and investment opportunities available in transport and logistics sector. Mansukh Mandaviya, Minister of State for Shipping, Road Transport & Highways and Chemicals & Fertilizers, Government of India spoke about the initiatives taken by the Government of India to enhance bilateral cooperation in the maritime sector. Dr. Abbas Ahmad Akhoundi, Minister of Roads and Urban Development, Islamic Republic of Iran talks about crossing corridors from Iran which connects India to the international markets, i.e. Nort-South which connects India to Russia, Caucasus & CIS, South-West which connects India to Europe and India-Iran-Afghanistan which is connecting India to Afghanistan from Chabahar (road) or from Bandar Abbas (railroad).

The Uttar Pradesh government is drafting its own logistics policy, as higher industrial activity, economic growth and the government’s recent policy decisions are triggering unprecedented growth in the sector. “With both the Eastern and the Western freight corridors and several industrial corridors passing through Uttar Pradesh, we are at a good position to take advantage of this logistics revolution which we expect to see in the next two years,” Rajiv Kumar, Chief Secretary, UP State Government. The policy will entail the establishment of at least five industrial parks across the state; the smallest with an investment of Rs 200 crore. The policy will also include various incentives for logistics players if they invest in this sector in the state.

Maersk Line has announced its intent to push for acceleration in trade in the country. In June 2017, Maersk Line moved the first-ever container shipment from Visakhapatnam to Nepal, via an exclusive block train service aptly named “Kathmandu Express”. This service offers a guaranteed fixed transit time from the load port to ICD Birgunj, just over the Nepal border. Maersk Line is the first shipping line to introduce this innovative product. Since its launch, momentum has built up quickly based on customer demand, and the company expects 5-6 block trains moving monthly from Vishakhapatnam to Birgunj.

Essar Ports has completed its investment of over Rs 2,800 crore in its Salaya and Vizag terminal projects that has the potential to increase the company’s revenues by 30 per cent in FY2018-19 on the back of third-party cargo growth. Rajiv Agarwal, CEO, Essar Ports, said, “The two fully integrated and automated facilities at Salaya and Vizag further the goal of port-led development set by the Government of India. It is also a manifestation of Essar’s vision of building world-class core sector assets of national importance.” Essar Bulk Terminal Salaya has also commenced commercial operations at its 20 million tonne dry bulk terminal at Salaya with the berthing of its first vessel.

Rahat Sachdeva, Vice President, Rahat Continental was awarded the esteemed ‘Face of the Future’ award. Sachdeva has done his Bachelors in Business Administration from Oxford Brookes University. He started his career with SDV (now known as Bollore Logistics) at their Heathrow office managing their Aerospace Imports division and then moved back to India in 2006 to join his family business. Sachdeva has taken his family business to new heights, be it bringing innovation in the business or managing and aligning the branches, etc. In 2011 they started their international office in London followed by another one in New York in 2014.  Rahat Continental, is a 140-crore company with the vision to be world’s best freight forwarding company by 2025.

Akash Bansal, Head – Logistics, OM Logistics was awarded the prestigious ‘DDP Game Changer’ award. With 16 years of diversified experience in managing logistics and supply chain across the various industry verticals, Bansal is associated with OM Logistics since 2001 heading Marketing & Sales on pan India basis. He has exhibited leadership in multiple roles and has proven to be a leader with an entrepreneurial business approach, and a track record of growing business results consistently for over many years.