Tushar Jani, Group Chairman, Cargo Service Center shares, “In 2023 India has shown marginal growth, in the increase of air cargo throughput of 6.5 MMT, however, the growth has not been significant due to the recession in Europe and a slowdown in the United States. India’s major trade partners are the European Union and the United States. Indian imports from China have reduced by about 18%. India’s exports to Africa have reduced slightly. Overall, this has impacted the growth of air cargo throughput. The distribution between belly and freighter has now stabilized at 70% belly and 30 % freighter. The current trouble in the Red Sea will increase some air cargo volume however if the airline increases freight rate, then it will become counterproductive. The industry must work towards keeping a reasonable rate to achieve good growth and allow the supply chain to remain more productive and stable with air cargo compared to increased sea freight cost, provided air cargo remains affordable.”

A.P. Moller – Maersk and the Government of Tamil Nadu signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to explore strategic opportunities together and enable the state’s growing trade. Tamil Nadu is currently the third-largest contributor to India’s GDP, with the potential to become the second-largest next year. It is also the third-largest exporter from India, with an ambition to become a 1 trillion USD economy by 2030. Maersk will now explore opportunities to invest in land development to create logistics hubs. These logistics hubs will implement the best practices from global examples to drive maximum efficiency while delivering resilience to customers’ supply chains. Maersk will also study the customer needs for storage facilities and build modern, state-of-the-art warehousing facilities that would incorporate the latest Warehouse Management Systems for the most efficient inventory management and focus on waste reduction. Finally, Maersk will also invest in building a fleet of electric trucks that will ensure sustainable and environment-friendly distribution. This is an imperative for some of the top customers of Maersk who have set for themselves stringent NetZero targets and who reply on logistics partners who can deliver decarbonised solutions.

Astral Aviation has appointed Euro Cargo Aviation as its GSA in Europe, US & UAE, and Take Off Aviation as its GSA in South Africa. The partnerships became effective on January 1 and will see Euro Cargo Aviation and Take Off Aviation marketing the cargo airline’s cargo capacity to potential clients, businesses, freight forwarders, and other relevant entities within the designated regions. Astral Aviation chief executive Sanjeev Gadhia said, “We look forward to our partnership with Euro Cargo Aviation who will act as an extension of our esteemed company, representing its cargo services, driving sales, ensuring operational efficiency, and maintaining customer satisfaction for its scheduled and charter network from Europe, USA & UAE, which will be directed towards Astral’s strategic hubs in Dubai and Nairobi while Take Off Aviation will promote Astral in South Africa.” Kenya-headquartered Astral Aviation has hubs in Nairobi, Dubai, Johannesburg and Liege.

Welspun One Logistics Parks (WOLP) announced the signing of its second Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Tamil Nadu Government, solidifying its commitment to the state’s economic development. This strategic move entails an investment of INR 2000 Crores over the next 5 years and follows a successful INR 2500 Crore MoU inked in 2021. The new MoU, signed at the Tamil Nadu Global Investors Meet 2024, outlines Welspun One’s commitment to drive the proposed development of industrial and logistics parks with an estimated investment outlay of INR 2000 Crores over the next 5 years. This initiative is expected to generate direct employment opportunities for 5000 people and contribute to the development of ancillary industries, creating indirect employment opportunities for 10,000 people. This signifies the Tamil Nadu Government’s support for Welspun One beyond the financial commitment. It encompasses essential infrastructural and regulatory support, prioritizing uninterrupted power supply and other infrastructure assistance on a best-effort basis. The agreement underscores a mutual dedication to fulfilling of agreed-upon obligations, facilitated by Guidance, the nodal agency for investment promotion and facilitation under the Government of Tamil Nadu.

UPS and Guidance, the Government of Tamil Nadu’s nodal agency for investment promotion and single window facilitation signed an investment Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to open more tech centers in India. The technology centres in India will continue to collaborate closely with UPS’s global tech teams for in-house technology development – solutions that make the company a world-class logistics provider with the best digital customer experience. This latest expansion builds on an initial investment announced in 2023, when UPS unveiled a strategic investment plan of $15-$20 million in its technology centres in India. In August 2023, the company opened its first technology centre in Chennai. The technology centres also show UPS’s commitment to the advancement of women and people from rural areas, including providing them opportunities for fulfilling careers in technology. o As part of its upskilling initiatives, students from the rural areas of Tamil Nadu have already joined the UPS technology centre as interns under the state government’s Naan Mudhalvan scheme. o The Women in Engineering Program, one of the Business Resource Groups at the technology centres, supports the representation of women in engineering through training, mentoring and development programs. o The technology centres also offer UPS ‘Returnship Program’ or ‘Paalam’ (meaning a bridge) – a unique opportunity for experienced technology professionals to re-join workforce after a career break. “Chennai can power innovation for the world as a world-class technology and innovation hub. It’s fueled by India’s ability to scale up talent pools and support innovation for global businesses and economic acceleration. We’re thankful to the Tamil Nadu government and the Guidance team for their support in developing a high-tech future powered by digitization, data analytics and automation. The …

The Indian government’s recent amendments to the Motor Vehicle Act, particularly focusing on hit-and-run cases, mark a significant shift in road safety and legal accountability. I aim to delve into the implications of these changes and explore a balanced approach. The amendment has significantly increased penalties for hit-and-run offenses. Drivers involved in such incidents now face up to 10 years in prison and fines up to Rs 7 lakh. While the intent is commendable—prioritizing safety and accountability—it’s crucial to examine the broader impact on the transportation sector. The transport community, especially truck and commercial vehicle drivers, have expressed serious concerns. The new law’s severity, they fear, could unfairly impact their livelihood. The industry’s response, including protests and strikes, underscores the need for a law that balances safety with fairness. A solution lies in finding middle ground. This necessitates dialogue among the government, transport unions, and industry stakeholders, ensuring that all voices are heard and considered. Laws should not only enforce safety but also respect the realities of those on the road. At Softlink Global, our commitment to safety and compliance remains unwavering. We’re adapting to these changes through enhanced driver training and leveraging technology for compliance. Moreover, we believe technology can significantly contribute to safety and efficient compliance monitoring. A more balanced approach might include tiered penalties based on the severity of incidents, emphasizing driver education, and allowing a period for the industry to adapt to new norms. Policymaking should involve a collaborative effort, reflecting inputs from diverse stakeholders.” While road safety is paramount, the well-being of those who drive our economy cannot be overlooked. The goal should be to formulate laws that are just, enforceable, and effective in achieving …

Global air cargo is yet to see any significant uplift from the recent disruptions to container shipping in the Red Sea, according to the latest figures from WorldACD Market Data. “There is likely to be some conversion of sea freight to air freight in the coming weeks if the disruptions continue,” the update added. Preliminary figures for the final week of 2023 indicate that tonnages in December were five percent above their level in December 2022, with the final two weeks of the year also showing a five percent increase compared with last year, in line with the year-on-year (YoY) improvement recorded across last month. “Those figures confirm what WorldACD predicted last week that the fourth quarter (Q4) was the only quarter in 2023 showing positive growth (three percent) in tonnages compared to last year, following significant but gradually diminishing YoY declines in the first three quarters (Q1: -11 percent; Q2: -8 percent; Q3: -3 percent). Whereas the first half of 2023 saw tonnages decline nine percent YoY, the second half was characterised by an improving YoY performance for each consecutive month, closing with flat H2 compared to last year. This means that global tonnages for the full year 2023 ended up five percent lower than in 2022.”

Giving a significant boost to ‘green mobility’, UltraTech Cement has introduced five electric trucks for transport of clinker from its integrated cement manufacturing unit Dhar Cement Works, located in Madhya Pradesh, to its grinding unit Dhule Cement Works, located in Maharashtra. To ensure reliable transportation, UltraTech has also set up three charging stations, one at each of the units and one enroute. The transportation of clinker using these five electric trucks in place of fossil-fuel based trucks will help to reduce transport emissions by about 680 MT of CO2 annually. Mr. K C Jhanwar, Managing Director, UltraTech Cement Limited, said, “At UltraTech, we are committed to driving sustainability across the value chain of our operations. It is heartening that we have been able to accelerate our progress on sustainable transport. The successful pilot of electric trucks, in addition to the CNG and LNG trucks already deployed in our operations, is a significant step in our efforts to enable ‘green mobility’.” UltraTech is committed to enabling sustainable transport and has pledged to deploy 500 electric trucks and add 1000 CNG/LNG vehicles in its operations by June 2025 as part of the Government of India’s eFAST initiative. Towards this objective, UltraTech is engaging with its logistics partners for the deployment of CNG and LNG trucks to replace conventional diesel vehicles. UltraTech is among the first cement companies in India to have introduced ‘Green Logistics’ in the form of CNG vehicles in 2021 and LNG vehicles in 2022. Through concerted efforts with logistic partners, the Company currently has more than 390 CNG trucks and 50 LNG trucks operational across 17 manufacturing units.

Jawaharlal Nehru Customs House (JNCH) along with BCBA organised an Open House and interactive session to discuss EXIM trade issues. The session was organised for members and stakeholders of the trade regarding imports and exports related issues on December 28, 2023. JNCH gave a presentation on upcoming TRS Time Release Study 2024. Sanjeev Harale, Senior Vice President, BCBA gave the welcome address all the dignitaries present. Akshay Patil, Deputy Commissioner of Customs, gave a comprehensive slide show presentation on the Time Release Study and explained in detail its important points in establishing the predictability in the release of export and import goods. A detailed presentation was presented by BCBA an insight on the TRS Facilitation measures to improve the process and timeline for clearance of Import and Export Cargo. During his address by Chief Comm. of Customs, Rajesh Pandey elaborated the gathering about the trade facilitation measures and initiatives taken by JNCH for facilitation of trade. Other dignitaries were commissioners of Customs, Zone II and trade and senior officers from trade bodies. Sanjeev Kumar Singh – Commissioner of Customs (NS-II), Mumbai Zone II, JN Customs, Ashwini Kumar – Commissioner (Nhava Sheva –III), Mumbai Zone-II, JN Customs, Sonal Bajaj – Commissioner of Customs, NS – V, Mumbai Zone II, JN Customs were also present at the interactive session. The session concluded with vote of thanks to the chair by Ganpat Korade, Hon. Treasurer, BCBA, He thanked the presence of Customs officials, Customs Brokers, and trade on the occasion.

Chennai-based supply chain startup Wiz Freight has raised INR 93.3 Cr (around $11.2 Mn) as part of its Series B funding round. Led by Japan-based SBI Investments, the round also saw participation from Tiger Global, Nippon Express Fund, Axilor Technologies Fund, Arali Investments and Unikon Shipping Ventures. According to an Entrackr report, the startup plans to raise $30 Mn in the Series B round in two tranches of $15 Mn each, at a valuation of $175 Mn. As per the filings, the Wiz Freight board has passed a special resolution to issue 1,790 Series B compulsorily convertible preference shares (CCPS) at an issue price of around INR 5.21 Lakh each. SBI Investments led the round with INR 33.3 Cr while Tiger Global, Nippon Express Fund, and Axilor Technologies Fund pumped in INR 18.71 Cr, INR 16.62 Cr, and INR 10.42 Cr, respectively. Arali and Unikon also participated with INR 14.32 Cr cumulatively.