Air Cargo Agents Association of India (ACAAI) is organising its annual convention at a European destination, for the first time in its history, from November 16-19, 2016. “Europe is a strategic and traditional stronghold from Indian exports’ point of view, albeit we are witnessing sluggish growth at present. This edition is expected to witness the presence of dignitaries apart from more than 400 ACAAI delegates from across India,” informs, Sunil Arora, Secretary General & Chairman Convention, ACAAI. “The list of dignitaries includes the Indian Ambassador to Greece and it is expected to include high officials from the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Government of India. In addition, several overseas delegates from various trade associations will also be present at the convention to interact with their present and prospective Indian partners,” he adds.

Express Industry Council of India (EICI) and its members welcomed the Prime Minister’s announcement to demonetise Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 notes. “There are some procedural issues that express companies have been facing while plying their vehicles carrying urgently required express shipments on the national high ways. The vehicles must pass multiple toll plazas and drivers carry cash to pay the toll charges,” says, Vijay Kumar, Chief Operating Officer, EICI. While every effort is being made by our members to ensure their drivers carry the new higher denomination notes as well as use other alternative payment systems available post November 11,2016, due to unprecedented rush in the banks as well as limits for cash withdrawals, it is turning out to be difficult to implement.

DHL invested in the industrial hub of Madhya Pradesh with the opening of its first facility in Indore. This service centre will cater to Indore and its nearby towns such as Dewas and Pithampur – a major Special Economic Zone (SEZ) and one of the largest hubs for the manufacturing industry in the country. Covering an approximate radius of 15km, this will reduce the transit time for the import and export of shipments. Additionally, the service center’s proximity to the airport will warrant early deliveries and accommodate to later cut offs times.

Air Cargo Agents Association of India’s (ACAAI) 43rd convention, that is scheduled from November 16-19, 2016 in Athens, Greece convention will be a full of serious business discussions and leisure programmes. Says Sunil Arora, Secretary General & Chairman Convention, ACAAI, “Athens is a lucrative destination for tourism and, thus, the 43rd convention would make a difference by adding value for precious time and money. We will analyse the current global economic scenario and its impact on the Exim industry, particularly on air cargo industry in India. Apart from the rapid changes in the dynamics of economy, we would also focus on challenges from technology, e-commerce, safety/security aspects, profitability, etc.” “There will be five business sessions and out of them three will follow round-table format. Topics of the business sessions are: Revitalising Air Cargo – Global Recession, Securing the Air Cargo Supply Chain, Airline – Forwarder Synergy, Technology Driven Process and Quality and Cost – The Management Challenge & Future Vision. We are expecting exchange of radical ideas to sail through turbulences we face very often,” informs Arora.

At least six new mega ports have been cleared to be built under the ambitious Sagarmala Project, taken up by the Ministry of Shipping. The National Perspective Plan (NPP) for the much talked about project envisions these new infrastructural facilities as part of its multi-pronged strategy to enhance India’s cargo handling capacity. The Ministry of Shipping’s project, that aims to modernise India’s ports, is estimated to save up to Rs 40,000 crore per year spent on logistics by key industries. The new ports will also boost up coastal shipping, thus decreasing the dependence on transportation through railways and roadways. This is likely to cut down the inland transportation costs by up to 80 percent. Presently the country has 12 major ports.

As per Maersk Line, India maintained its strong trading position with the United Kingdom (UK) registering a 6 per cent year on year growth in EXIM container trade volumes for the first half of 2016. This despite a 2 per cent decline in the UK’s EXIM container trade volumes with the rest of the world during the same period. The full year container trade volume growth forecast for 2016 is expected to slightly lower at four to five per cent, but better than the three per cent growth witnessed in 2015. In terms of overall trade, India ranks 3rd on EXIM trade volumes with the UK with a share of six per cent behind China (38 per cent) and USA (8 per cent).

Gati Kausar initiated its first temperature controlled warehousing facility in India near Delhi, on National Highway 8. It is a state-of-the-art facility developed with superior technology and high quality design elements, in line with ISO 22000 standards. The new facility is spread over 4 acres, and currently has a capacity of more than 5000 pallets. It has multiple chambers that cater to temperature requirements ranging from -25 to +25 degrees C. K L Chugh, Chairman, Gati said “The launch of our first Refrigerated Express Distribution Center opens up an entire new world of business opportunities for Gati. This facility is the first in a network of cold stores planned across the country. As this network takes shape in future, Gati-Kausar will evolve into a formidable end-to-end Cold Chain Solutions company.”

Airports Authority of India (AAI) has launched an air cargo and logistics subsidiary AAI Cargo Logistics & Allied Services (AAICLAS). This new subsidiary will be allowed to develop its own distinct culture, organisation structure and business model while at the same time draw upon the strength of its large patent organisation, AAI. “The vision of the company is to become the foremost integrated logistics network operator in India with primary focus on air cargo handling and allied services,” informs Guruprasad Mohapatra, Chairman, AAI.

The 23rd biennial convention of the Federation of Freight Forwarders’ Associations in India (FFFAI) has been scheduled to take place from January 19-21, 2017 at Crowne Plaza Hotel, Kochi (Cochin). The theme of the convention will be relevant to prevailing scenario of global business as well as logistics Industry. At FFFAI Convention in Kochi there will be delegates from wide spectrum of logistics industry, across India. FFFAI will also organise the ‘FIATA World Congress 2018’ from September 24-29, 2018 in New Delhi. The last convention held in Mumbai in 2015 witnessed participation of more than 400 delegates. “The FFFAI Convention 2017 will also be attended by overseas delegates including a Malaysian delegation,” informed Samir Shah, Chairman, FFFAI

Safeducate announced India’s largest and first-ever of its kind Logistics Job Fair. The aim is to bridge the skill gap and make fresh talent available to the industry. This Logistics Job Fair will be held on October 22, 2016 at seven different locations across India at Delhi, Jaipur, Lucknow, Indore, Kochi, Ranchi and Ambala simultaneously. Over 1200 jobs in the field of supply chain and logistics will be offered during the Logistics Job Fair. The students will get an opportunity to evaluate if their existing skill sets match up to the industry requirements. Divya Jain, Founder & CEO, Safeducate, said, “Safeducate Logistics Job Fair is a unique and first of its kind endeavor by us in the field of supply chain and logistics industry. This Logistics Job Fair will provide students with the tools and resources to make important and valuable career decisions. During the Logistics Job Fair, job seekers will take their first steps towards meaningful employment by meeting with prospective employers.”