Sunil Kohli, Managing Director, Rahat Cargo says, “The air cargo sector has recently seen growth in the export of high-value goods and pharma, the industry is focusing on ensuring safe and seamless transportation followed by efficient deliveries. So, it’s vital to have exporters’ friendly rules & guidelines in place by the govt which could encourage them to achieve their optimal productivity in maximising the exports. It may be noted that the disruptions in the supply chain also have a direct and an indirect impact on inflation. The direct impact is related to the prices of imported goods, which rise as shipping costs increase. The indirect impact is related to an increase in the price of tradable inputs used in the domestic non-tradable sector.”

Delhi L-G VK Saxena has given the go-ahead for setting up a Special Economic Zone (SEZ)/Free Trade Zone (FTZ), at the Indira Gandhi International Airport over an area of five acres, a move that will give a major economic boost to the capital, the LG Office said in a press release. According to the LG Office, “Related to the Cargo Infrastructure and other allied activities, this SEZ/FTZ once operationalized will give a massive fillip to the logistics sector and catalyse the economic growth apart from spinoffs for generating employment”. The LG approved the proposal taking note of the strategic importance of developing an FTZ/SEZ at the Airport hub, after ensuring that DDA gives a go-ahead for the same as per provisions of MPD-2021, the release stated. “The SEZ would create economic activities through exports, warehousing, trading and provisions for related services at the Airport complex. It will also liberalize and reduce procedural complexities in terms of applications, licensing, clearances and other regulations and reduce red tape, apart from providing tax benefits to entrepreneurs,” the release said. The official press note stated that the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Government of India has identified Delhi as a Pilot Air Cargo Hub which requires Tier 1, 2 and 3 level infrastructure while DIAL already has developed Tier 1 & 2 infrastructure by way of developing two cargo terminals and logistics centres at the Airport, it will achieve Tier 3 once an SEZ / FTZ comes up at the Airport complex. “DIAL proposed the setting up of two multi-product SEZs at the IGI Airport over an area of 2.02 hectares each (5 acres) and requested for Delhi Government’s recommendation under SEZ Rules, 2006. Thereafter, …

GMR led Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) has achieved a significant milestone by transshipping over 80 lakh kgs of Bangladeshi cargo to international destinations in the last one year. The first batch of transshipment cargo left Delhi Airport on March 5, 2023. Since then, Delhi Airport has helped transship Bangladeshi Cargo to various international locations including Spain, Netherlands, and France. Delhi Airport has transshipped over 5.17 lakh MT of international cargo between April 2023 and January 2024. This achievement not only cements Delhi Airport’s status as the foremost Cargo hub in Southeast Asia but also catalyzes a favorable domino effect throughout the aviation industry. The transshipment facility for Bangladeshi cargo first began on February 26, 2023, paving the way for a faster and cost-effective route of shipping export cargo internationally. Since then, Delhi Airport has helped tranship over 80 lakh kgs (8000 MT) of readymade garments to European nations including Spain, Netherlands, and France. The European Union is the second-largest export destination for Bangladeshi apparel, followed by UK and Canada. The first batch of cargo, which left Dhaka on February 26, 2023, arrived at Delhi Airport on March 3, 2023, and proceeded for its destined location in Spain on March 5, 2023. The Government of India’s approval on February 7, 2023, allowing Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) to serve as a Cargo Transshipment hub between Bangladesh and other global destinations, has significantly boosted international ties and the national economy. This decision has not only reduced shipment costs for manufacturers but has also led to a daily increase in the export of international cargo via Delhi Airport, covering a spectrum of products, from ready-made garments (RMG) and handlooms to footwear, leather …

Cyrus Katgara, Partner, Jeena & Co, says, “Ensuring data integrity across medical products and services throughout the supply chain is a significant challenge, alongside other areas in the sector that require improvement. While efforts are underway to address various issues, the shortage of skilled workforce remains a major pain point.” Focusing on Govt’s initiatives to improve multimodal infrastructure, he adds, “Governments and private sector are actively investing in the enhancement of transportation infrastructure. These investments aim to facilitate the accommodation of temperature-controlled vehicles and facilities through various upgrades and expansions. Furthermore, there is a notable integration of advanced technologies such as GPS tracking, temperature monitoring systems, and remote control mechanisms into reefer vehicles. This integration is geared towards improving the precision and efficiency of managing temperature-sensitive shipments, thereby optimizing overall logistics operations. Additionally, the establishment of strategically located cold chain warehouses along transportation routes is playing a pivotal role in ensuring the seamless transfer of goods between different modes of transport while maintaining the requisite temperature conditions. Along with infrastructure and technological advancements, the government is instituting regulations and standards to ensure the safe and efficient transportation of perishable goods. These regulations encompass vehicle specifications, driver training protocols, and strict adherence to temperature maintenance guidelines.”

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced launched IATA digitalisation leadership charter at the IATA World Cargo Symposium in Hong Kong. Cathay Cargo, CHAMP Cargosystems, Global Logistics System (HK) Company (GLS), IAG Cargo, IBS Software, LATAM Cargo and Lufthansa Cargo are the inaugural signatories of the charter, says an official release from IATA. “The digitalisation leadership charter aims to accelerate the air cargo industry’s digitalisation journey by committing to five key guiding principles. Developed in consultation with IATA’s cargo advisory council members, airlines and the wider air cargo community, the charter seeks to drive innovation, enhance efficiency and promote a sustainable and harmonised digital transformation. Central to the charter is the importance of data sharing using IATA ONE Record for smooth and efficient data exchange.” Brendan Sullivan, Global Head of Cargo, IATA says: “Digitalisation is imperative for the air cargo industry. It requires alignment to ensure a unified and effective approach. IATA has introduced the digitalization leadership charter to spearhead this alignment. By adhering to the charter’s principles—adopting industry-wide standards, championing sustainability, ensuring ethical technology use and upholding digital leadership — the charter sets a benchmark for excellence.”

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the Smart Freight Centre (SFC) announced a partnership to provide consistent and transparent CO2 emissions calculations for air cargo shipments. This is an important step for the global air transport sector to advance its decarbonization efforts. The two organizations will focus efforts on developing the cargo component of IATA’s CO2 Connect offering, which successfully launched its passenger version in 2022. The IATA CO2 Connect platform uses primary industry data to power highly accurate carbon calculations. The collaboration with the SFC Clean Air Transport Program will promote a common methodology in CO2 emission calculations and ensure accurate and consistent CO2 calculations are distributed to the industry’s biggest shippers and freight forwarders in air cargo, supporting them with pre-shipment and reporting purposes.

Revent Precision Engineering, in collaboration with ECS Mobility, announces the establishment of a new state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Dharuhera, Haryana. The manufacturing facility is equipped with cutting-edge technology and maintains the highest standards, ensuring that the processes meet the quality benchmarks demanded by the market. This marks a significant step in the roadmap to expanding product offerings in the existing automotive segment. Revent Group companies have a presence in domestic and export markets with 13 manufacturing plants across India, creating over 1500 jobs in the coming 10 years. This facility will manufacture ring gears on flex plates, flywheels, and independent ring gears, with a production capacity of over 5,00,000 units in the initial years, and the company will be scaling up the manufacturing unit in the coming years. As these products are in synergy with the existing product line and line of business, it will allow the company to expand its part portfolio in the auto component industry. Revent has been offering diversified one-stop solutions in Ferrous and non-ferrous Castings, Forgings and allied Machining processes, serving a diversified customer base in Passenger and Commercial vehicles, Construction Equipment, Farm Equipment, Two Wheelers and Three Wheelers and other non-automotive sectors like Railways. Speaking on this partnership, Mr. Prakash Khose, MD & Group CEO, of Revent Precision Engineering, said, “We are delighted to introduce the state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in partnership with ECS Mobility. It is a momentous step towards our commitment to serving a diverse customer base. This strategic alliance will help us expand into the auto component industry and add new clients to our portfolio. We are committed to maintaining the highest standards of manufacturing processes to meet the quality benchmarks.” The …

Adani Group is the world’s second largest solar power company. We are the largest airport operator with 25% of pax traffic and 40% of air cargo. We are the largest Ports & Logistics company with 30% of national market share, says Gautam Adani, Chairman, Adani Group in his speech. “We are India’s largest integrated energy player. Our presence spans across generation, transmission, and distribution, LNG and LPG terminals, city gas and piped gas distribution. We are the country’s second largest cement manufacturer. And we have declared our path forward in new sectors including metals, petchem, aerospace and defence, data centres, super apps, and industrial clouds. Under the PPP agreement, we were selected by the Gujarat government to develop a full-fledged commercial port in Mundra. Keep in mind, while I knew our end objective was to build a port, we had not even laid a brick in our life. Thereafter, the next opportunity followed when the Gujarat Government announced the SEZ policy in 2005. The 40,000 acres of marshy land around Mundra port that was considered of very little value, had now become a priceless asset. We moved quickly to convert the land originally allocated for salt works – into what is now the country’s largest multi-product SEZ – supported by an unparalleled world class infrastructure including ports, rail, and air networks,” he adds.

DHL Express has opened its first automatic shipment sorting hub in New Delhi, India. In 2003, DHL Express opened India’s first ever air-side Express Facility and connected India to the global network with its first dedicated international freighter. This pioneering move led the way for Indian businesses to experience seamless express connections to global markets. In 2017, DHL Express expanded its air-side operations with a new Export Express Terminal to expand EXIM capacity and streamline processes, to support the growing exports trade out of North India. With the current expansion, the total DHL Express Delhi Gateway capacity will grow by nearly 6 times since its inception two decades ago. This new shipment sorting hub spread over 34256 Sq Ft houses the automatic sorting machines with capacity to sort 2000 pieces per hour delivering a 30% improvement in productivity. The 18 sorting chutes, 11 truck docks, and 8 telescopic conveyors help in processing the inbound shipments faster and in turn improve transit times for customers. This is the first auto sort machine to be deployed for any international express processing in India, streamlining processes and delivering better service quality for our customers. The facility also stages outbound export shipments, thereby freeing up space at the existing Export Facility which can then be used for enhancing transit times and service quality for customers. The new shipment sorting hub is LEED gold certified and uses Green Guard certified furniture, energy-efficient air conditioning and lighting systems, while incorporating 20% recycled materials in its interiors. At the inauguration, John Pearson, CEO, DHL Express said, “For over 40 years, at DHL Express we have been committed to providing Indian businesses with a world-class logistics experience. We …

IndoSpace announced the launch of its first in city warehousing facility in Chembur, under the brand name INLOGIS, a cutting-edge in-city warehousing solution in the heart of Mumbai. The facility spans over 1.5 lakhs+ sq. ft offers scalability options ranging from 5000 to 35,000 sq. ft, enhancing urban logistics across several sectors. Strategically located in Chembur, it provides seamless connectivity to South Mumbai, Western Suburbs, Eastern Suburbs, and Navi Mumbai, thus serving over 50% of Mumbai’s population and meeting the growing demand for quick and efficient urban distribution services. It is well connected to major transport routes like the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL), Mumbai-Pune Expressway, JNPT Port, Easter Freeway, Eastern Expressway, Airports including the upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport. Customers in the city increasingly prioritise speed, often preferring to pay more for quicker delivery services. INLOGIS Chembur is poised to transform the logistics industry by utilising vertical space development and maximising Mumbai’s urban landscape’s potential for efficient and last mile warehousing solutions. INLOGIS Chembur has also installed highly efficient cargo elevators and docking stations designed for rapid servicing, resulting in improved dispatch lead times. INLOGIS Chembur targets pivotal sectors such as 3PL, eCommerce, retail, and consumer durables. In response to the growing demand for quick urban delivery, INLOGIS Chembur is set to become a crucial part of the urban warehousing infrastructure. Rajesh Jaggi, Vice Chairman – Real Estate, The Everstone Group, highlights that the focus on urban warehousing is a strategic response to the needs of metropolitan consumers and businesses. INLOGIS Chembur is expected to set new benchmarks in the industry and pave the way for rapid economic growth. IndoSpace’s latest offering is a step towards creating a seamless …