The Indian Institute of Freight Forwarders (IIFF) – education wing of Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations in India (FFFAI) has decided to launch its 2nd batch of IIFF-FIATA Online Diploma Course in Logistics/ Shipping and Freight Forwarding, tentatively from November 1, 2021. The 1st batch of the online diploma course received tremendous responses from the industry professionals as well as fresh aspirants. The IIFF-FIATA Diploma Course has been validated by the International Federation of Freight Forwarders Association (FIATA), which is recognized across the world. Commenting on the crucial role played by IIFF in skill development for the logistics industry practitioners. Shankar Shinde, Chairman FFFAI and IIFF stated that the Logistics industry is leading towards more professional mode and it is now perceived as choice of an industry to work for, rather than ‘entry by accident’ or ‘inherited business’. With huge opportunity for Global exposure and experience, Logistics is the best industry which provides such a large scope of personnel and business development. “Accordingly, we have to enhance our Logistics courses to meet the expectations of the next generation,” the FFFAI Chairman emphasised.

Air freight rates were 86 percent higher in August 2021 compared to the 2019 baseline and 20 percent more than the 2020 level. Rates will remain high on huge demand growth against the limited capacity increase, according to the DHL report on the Airfreight state of the industry. Volume growth was strong at +21 percent year-on-year in August 2021. The airfreight market is set to see strong demand due to the upcoming ecommerce events like Black Friday and Singles Day. Another key reason for the high demand is the conversion of ocean freight to air due to port congestion in the U.S. Rates continued to remain high in August as manufacturers were replenishing stocks using air freight, the report said.

DB Schenker and Lufthansa Cargo became news when a cargo flight flew on rotation between Europe and Asia, whose fuel requirements are completely covered by Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). To continue their contribution towards a greener future, DB Schenker and Lufthansa Cargo extend their weekly CO2-free freighter flights between Frankfurt and Shanghai. The joint mission will be continued throughout the entire winter flight schedule until March 2022. Now Nokia has signed up for the initiative. Every week, the global telecommunication network provider will avoid greenhouse gas emissions by using the world’s only freighter flight 100 percent covered by Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), produced from renewable waste, such as used cooking oils. The fuel requirement for the flight rotation from Frankfurt (FRA) to Shanghai (PVG) and back is covered entirely by SAF. This saves around 174 tons of conventional kerosene every week. During the summer flight schedule 2021, the initiative successfully achieved a net reduction of 20,250 tons of greenhouse gases (CO2e). In the upcoming winter flight schedule, from the end of October 2021 to the end of March 2022, another 14,175 tons are expected.

Dachser, DB Schenker, duisport and Rhenus established the Open Logistics Foundation in Berlin. The purpose of the non-profit foundation is to build a European open-source community aiming to promote digitalization in logistics and supply chain management based on open source and standardize logistics processes through de facto standards. Not only is a technology initiative like this unique in logistics to date, the founding members are also taking on a pioneering role as to the future topic of open source. “We want to drive the digitalization of logistics forward together. That is why open source is an important success factor for the entire logistics industry and, at the same time, a driver for harmonized processes in digital supply chains. We consider the Open Logistics Foundation to be the first step towards a platform economy based on European legal standards and values. It is both a beginning and an appeal to the logistics sector to think of technology and processes together and actively participate in the open-source community,” the founding members declared in a joint statement. Now it is about anchoring open source in the logistics sector and implementing the internal structures to work with the corresponding hardware and software. The foundation addresses all logistics-related companies and their IT developers. Through Open Logistics e.v., the funding association, which was also founded in Berlin, it is open to new members from all areas of logistics, ranging from industry, retail and services to freight forwarders and political organizations. Numerous companies already announced their participation in the funding association, including AEB, BLG Logistics Group, GS1 Germany, Lobster Logistics Cloud and the Bochum-based Setlog Holding, but also associations such as the Fraunhofer Gesellschaft zur Förderung der …

As India’s most-awaited festival, Diwali, is around the corner, Shiprocket has released its annual Festive Season Report for the D2C sector. The report highlights various aspects such as growth in the number of sellers from Tier-II and Tier-III cities, top cities for delivery and pickup, most popular categories, and more. The report focuses on shipment trends just before the grand festive season in the D2C sector between August 2020 and August 2021. As opposed to 2020, Shiprocket has observed a 191%+ increase in sellers in the Tier-III market while the Tier-II cities saw a surge of nearly 176%, and Tier-I cities registered an increase of over 138%. The report also revealed an uptick of over 213% in the percentage of first-time sellers in Tier-III cities, while Tier-II and Tier-I cities saw a growth of more than 138% and 175%, respectively. The platform now has over 47,000 sellers from Tier-III cities as compared to the 16,000+ sellers in 2020. Shiprocket also noted that offline channels were the most popular this year, having registered a growth of over 301% compared to last year. While the social media witnessed the growth of more than 153% growth, followed by online stores that saw an increase of 115%+ sellers. Among the various channels, marketplaces observed the least change at just over 71% compared to 2020.

FedEx Express in its ‘Future is Now’ study’ offers insights into India’s readiness to embrace the future. India is at the cusp of change, with the pandemic accelerating the country’s digital transformation. From healthcare to education, banking to manufacturing, technology is transforming every sector, giving rise to a future full of possibilities. According to the study, which surveyed more than 4,000 respondents in 18 cities, 79% stated that India was prioritizing technology like Artificial Intelligence, the Internet of Things, and Blockchain to deliver a future-ready world. Approximately 83% believed technology they’d seen in science fiction movies is either already a part of their daily lives, or likely to be in the next few years. Mohamad Sayegh, Vice President, India Operations for FedEx Express, said, “At FedEx we have a legacy of innovation spanning several decades, and we constantly innovate to create solutions for the world in responsible and resourceful ways. With the shift towards digital transformation accelerating, innovations and cutting-edge technologies with a focus on sustainability are poised to drive the future of business. Further progress in Blockchain, IoT, Automation, and Robotics is not only going to lead the way for the logistics industry, but all industries in the future.” The ‘Future is Now’ study focused on three main views: being dynamic, how India is open to experimentation and innovation, and to what degree the country is sustainability conscious. The findings indicated that future success will likely rely on businesses structuring their approach around these three outlooks.

GEODIS has expanded its road network in Southeast Asia to Vietnam; another step towards its ambition to develop a scheduled road service connecting Singapore to China. GEODIS’ own fleet of vehicles and expanded network of partners enables full and partial loads to be carried by road along the Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand axis, and now Vietnam. The addition of the service to Vietnam will serve businesses driving the manufacturing boom in that country over recent years, helping the region become a vital supply chain node for many high-tech, retail, and FMCG businesses. Launched in November 2019, the Road Transport service of GEODIS in Southeast Asia was created to meet the needs of companies looking for a day-definite road transportation solution for their cargo, in the range of 30 to 1000 kilos per shipment. The expanded road network for Full Truck Load (FTL) and Less than Truck Load (LTL) service provide freight management from first to last mile and offers additional options for existing GEODIS customers, in addition to air and ocean transport modes. The door-to-door road option has the advantage of loading space flexibility, with benefits of lower rates than air freight, shorter transit times than ocean freight, and on-the-ground expertise for customs clearance.

Cargolux introduced sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) program in the airline’s services and takes Cargolux’s sustainability engagement one step further, cementing the company’s commitment to decarbonizing its operations. The airline aims to being carbon neutral by 2050 and has acted to be fully compliant with upcoming proposed European regulations and offsetting schemes. This new milestone is an additional step in the company’s endeavor to reduce CO2 emissions and lays the foundation for a customer sustainability program, that will offer more sustainable options for their transportation requirements. “Our commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility is intrinsic to our business model and the introduction of SAF in our operation is a significant step forward for Cargolux. We are pleased to be part of an industry-wide initiative to make our business, our industry and our world more sustainable”, says Richard Forson, President and CEO, Cargolux.

COGOS has ramped up its fleet by more than 1000 vehicles to meet the festive demand. This new addition of fleet will address the surge in demand during the festive season which is expected to be high till the end of Q3, FY 2021- 22 According to reports, this festive season has seen a 100% spike in demand from Tier 2 & Tier 3 markets. With the additional fleet, COGOS also expands to 30 new towns and improves reach. COGOS has seen a huge hike in demand for E-Commerce and FMCG Retail. However, this year segments like pantry products, beverage and pharma have also seen an uptick. There is an increase in demand observed for Mini Trucks 1 tonne & 2 tonne and medium trucks above 4 tonne. During this season, driver fleets are ensured higher earnings. Every driver on the COGOS platform enjoys the season perks, and payouts are increased by 15% during the festive peak. In the foreseeable future, COGOS plans to continue to work with the newly added driver fleet for the quarter. Prasad Sreeram, Co – founder & CEO, COGOS said, “This festive season we are observing about a 100 % increase in demand from last year. With the COVID subsiding, consumers are willing to spend. Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities have witnessed good demand which has led to the spike in demand for inter and intra-city logistic services. We have massively improved driver onboarding making it easier, simpler, faster and thorough at the same time to ensure a faster response in the festive season.”

FM Logistic aims to double its revenue to €3 billion in 2030 with a strategy centered on omni channel supply chain services, urban logistics, sustainability, distribution and customer experience. The company outlined its strategy, “Powering 2030”, at a press conference in Pune. FM Logistic aims to become a reference partner in the field of sustainable, omnichannel supply chains. Earlier this year, the company introduced its new tagline, “Supply Change”. The new tagline acknowledges that supply chains must transform to foster a more responsible consumption and sustainable economy. Alexandre Amine SOUFIANI, MD, FM Logistic India, asserts, “Despite the economic turmoil caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, FM Logistic in India has proved its resilience. We recorded a growth of 58% in turnover during the first half of this financial year and we aim to finish the year at 35-40% growth. In our endeavour to become the reference partner in the field of sustainable omnichannel supply chains in India, we continue to carry out our expansion plans and reinforcing our offer of end-to-end supply chain services. We are focussed on developing Grade A Multi-client Facilities (MCFs), dedicated warehouses near our customers’ manufacturing centers, and modern urban logistic hubs – all interconnected with an agile and dense transportation and last mile delivery network. We continue strengthening our value added services like copacking, automated labelling and last stage customisation for digital marketplace readiness. ”