Wiz Freight, a full-stack digital cross-border supply chain start- up, has raised Series B funding of INR 125 Crore in equity led by Japan-based SBI Investment at a post-money valuation of INR 1400 Crore registering a 50% jump in the valuation from its last round. The round also saw participation from Tiger Global, NIPPON EXPRESS HOLDINGS, Axilor Technologies Fund, Arali Investments, Unikon Shipping Ventures and a few Family offices. The company plans to grow its global operations in Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and the US with the new investment and further enhance its technology-driven logistics solutions. Founded in January 2020 in Chennai by serial entrepreneurs Ramkumar Govindarajan and Ramkumar Ramachandran, Wiz helps exporters and importers in emerging markets book and manage their cross-border shipments on its tech platform with e- commerce-like convenience. Wiz’s AI-powered platform offers instant capacity discovery, dynamic pricing, optimised routing, door to door tracking, and automated customizable document workflows, saving countless hours for shippers. WIZ Freight raised in March 2022 a Series A funding of INR 275 Crores (USD 36 million) in a mix of equity and debt led by Tiger Global with participation from Axilor Ventures, Foundamental, Arali Ventures, Alteria Capital and Stride Ventures. WIZ had closed a $3.5m seed round led by Axilor Ventures in August 2021. Arali Ventures and Foundamental had also participated in the round along with angel investors Ramakant Sharma, Co-founder of LivSpace and Daniel Richner, Chairman of M+R Spedag Group, a Swiss based logistics conglomerate. With the funding at this juncture, WIZ is well positioned for expansion of its overseas operations, continued development of the Indian operations and establishing its place as a prominent leader in the logistics sector. The …

IndoSpace has signed an MoU with the Maharashtra Government at the World Economic Forum in Davos. The company plans to expand its footprint by acquiring approximately 100 acres with an investment of more than INR 700 crore in the Chakan-Talegaon region. This move is expected to create new job opportunities and boost the region’s economic growth. Rajesh Jaggi, Vice Chairman – Real Estate, Everstone Group, said: “IndoSpace’s strategic approach to enhancing Maharashtra’s industrial and logistics infrastructure has strengthened further with the signing of this MoU with the Maharashtra Government. This collaboration will propel IndoSpace’s expansion in the Chakan-Talegaon region, creating sustainable and efficient industrial spaces that will drive India’s economic growth. We are honoured by the trust and confidence placed in our expertise and look forward to this shared vision with the government.” IndoSpace is currently leading the market in Pune with the largest portfolio. The company manages over 500 acres across nine international-standard industrial and logistics parks in the Chakan area, making it the preferred choice for major companies for their industrial and warehousing needs. With nearly 10.5 million sq.ft. of built-up space, IndoSpace’s parks are strategically located for e-commerce and 3PL companies looking to speed up distribution in the Pune region. This impressive portfolio has been built with an investment of more than INR 3,500 crores.

Worldwide Flight Services (WFS), a member of the SATS Group, will deploy Cind’s ContourSpect 3D modelling software at selected stations across its Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia (EMEAA) network following a successful Proof of Concept (POC) in its cargo terminal at Copenhagen Airport. WFS is Cind’s launch partner for ContourSpect in the cargo handling industry, says a release from WFS. “The software has been developed to build ULDs more efficiently and to optimise cargo capacity, which, in turn, presents opportunities to reduce climate impact.” ContourSpect creates a 3D model of cargo loaded on an air cargo pallet and compares this in real-time with the selected virtual contour, the release added. “The tool is designed to eliminate the need for manual measurements and time-consuming quality control by immediately indicating if the ULD build-up is out of contour. This increases operational productivity and ensures all ULDs leaving the warehouse are 100% fit to fly.”

Aerial logistics drone startup BonV Aero has raised INR 6 Crore in a round led by Inflection Point Ventures (IPV). Funds will be primarily directed towards client demonstrations, team expansion and internal R&D focused on enhancing products for customers, researching propulsion systems and advancing power plants. BonV Aero revolutionizes aerial mobility through cutting-edge electric vehicles for both goods and passenger transportation specializing in state-of-the-art aerial vehicles tailored for challenging terrains like the Himalayas. Company’s focus extends to critical needs such as Indian defence logistics, disaster relief, emergency medical services, supply chain logistics and rapid commerce deliveries. BonV Aero stands as a brand synonymous with top-tier safety and unparalleled convenience in aerial transportation. BonV Aero’s startup journey is already marked by big wins like ranking amongst top 3 finalists on “Meet the Drapers” TV Show in the USA late last year. The startup is led by Satyabrata Satapathy (CEO & Co-founder), Gaurav Achha (Co-CEO & Co-founder), Abinash Sahoo (CTO & Co-founder), Rahul Kumar (Chief of Design & Co-founder), Sultan Khan (Chief of Manufacturing & Co-founder) and Umang Rathi (Chief of Operations & Software) who collectively bring diverse expertise from renowned companies like Asteria Aerospace, Bosch Automotive and ISRO.

Amit Maheshwari, CEO, Softlink Global shared his expectations from the upcoming budget and says, “I have clear expectations for the upcoming budget to support both the tech and logistics sectors. Specifically: Invest in infrastructure enhancements including improved roads, ports, and railways. Efficient infrastructure is the backbone enabling logistics operations and the wider economy. Incentivise adoption of modern technologies such as AI, IoT, and blockchain to increase supply chain transparency, boost efficiency. Introduce incentives for environmentally sustainable practices – electric vehicles, energy-efficient warehouses. This facilitates alignment with global climate goals. Fund skills training programs specialized for logistics and technology talent development. A competent workforce drives innovation and excellence. Simplify complex regulatory frameworks that hinder smooth logistics operations. Streamlining processes can facilitate easier compliance. Expand access to financing and tax benefits essential for SMEs to sustain and scale operations in the competitive logistics technology segment. Promote international trade by easing cross-border processes. Simplification leads to improved global competitiveness. Offer R&D incentives to stimulate continued innovation in logistics technology for ongoing evolution. The budget is a timely opportunity to enable logistics industry growth from a technology lens, bridging both spheres for higher efficiency, sustainability and global impact.”

Apollo Supply Chain, launched ‘alfa’, a comprehensive e-commerce fulfilment and shipping service for D2C brands. With strategically locating fulfilment centers across cities including Delhi NCR, Kolkata, Guwahati, Bengaluru, Chennai, and Hyderabad, alfa aims to cut logistics cost, improve delivery speed and has plans to expand its network for even swifter and efficient logistics service. Highlights of alfa’s services • In-house operations expertise • Plug and Play Infrastructure • Pay-per-use fee structure • Same Day Delivery • PAN India coverage • Custom packaging • Return to Origin (RTO) reduction tools • Reverse pick-up quality control • Performance dashboard and analytics • Multi-carrier shipping support • Value-added services tailored to client needs In response to the prevailing issues encountered by Direct-to-Consumer brands in the e-commerce fulfilment space, alfa identifies and tackles key pain points to ensure a seamless experience for e-commerce customers. alfa addresses a major industry challenge related to limited control in fulfilment centres. These centres are often outsourced to third-party providers, leading to frequent breaches of order processing service level agreements (SLAs). alfa’s strategic solution involves in-house operations, providing superior control and ensuring adherence to industry standards.

Kami Viswanathan, President – MEISA, FedEx Express shares his expectations from the upcoming budget, “FedEx advocates for a strategic allocation towards infrastructure development for more efficient multimodal logistics. Additionally, we emphasize a focus on digitization in the logistics sector to accelerate speed and ease of doing business. Recognizing the impact of the National Logistics Policy and PM Gati Shakti National Master plan, alongside prioritizing road, sea, and rail cargo infrastructure, we see the expansion of airports as exciting avenues for growth. We urge a consistent budgetary emphasis on expanding airport infrastructure for cargo, strengthening regional airports and developing dedicated transhipment hubs to optimize belly and freight capacities. We underscore the importance of digitally advancing customs clearance processes through cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, blockchain, and big data. This approach promises improved risk management, compliance, efficiency, and analytics.” As India targets lowering of logistics costs and a top 25 global rank by 2030, we anticipate budget initiatives that will sustainably boost manufacturing and trade, particularly benefiting and incentivizing SMEs. We also anticipate initiatives towards greater trade facilitation and further fostering a business-friendly environment aligning with the USD 5 trillion economy goal.”

Kamesh Peri, CEO, Celebi Delhi Cargo Terminal Management India, says, “Achieving 10 Million MT any 2030 requires meticulous assessment of demand, capacity and infrastructure issues. Outside of traditional international and domestic traffic, focus on transhipment volumes is a must. Developing cargo hubs would be another significant enabler. Tier 2 and 3 cities will have to emerge as crucial players, housing dedicated cargo terminals. Further, developing a robust road feeder network to supplement air capacity gaps in certain regions needs to be considered. This intricate air-ground expressway will seamlessly connect Tier 2 and 3 with key cargo hubs. Admittedly challenges exist, Policy inertia sometimes stifles progress, so all the government bodies along with trade need to come together as one unit, indicating a cargo movement, streamlined participation and decision making.”

Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) announced the news of its latest expansion, with the addition of Silk Way West Airlines, operated by Hercules Aviation (GSA). The carrier will be using B777 aircraft, boosting its capacity by 100 MMT on the DEL-GYD route. “This expansion not only signifies our commitment to excellence but also accelerates more efficient cargo movement between India and Azerbaijan,” DIAL’s LinkedIn post said.

The European Union’s new customs pre-arrival safety and security system – Import Control System 2 (ICS2) – will introduce a new process for entry of goods by maritime and inland waterways, road and rail in the EU as of 3 June 2024. This is the third phase or release of the implementation of the new system that will extend safety and security data reporting requirements to all modes of transport. Similar requirements already went into force for air transportation of goods. With this third release, maritime and inland waterways, road and rail carriers will also need to provide data on goods sent to or through the EU prior to their arrival, through a complete Entry Summary Declaration (ENS). This obligation also concerns postal and express carriers who transport goods using these modes of transport as well as other parties, such as logistics providers. In certain circumstances, final consignees established in the EU will also have to submit ENS data to ICS2. Traders are strongly advised to prepare in advance for Release 3 to avoid the risk of delays and non-compliance. Affected businesses will be required to make sure they collect accurate and complete data from their clients, update their IT systems and operational processes, and provide adequate training to their staff. From 11 December 2023, traders will also need to successfully complete a self-conformance test before connecting to ICS2, to verify their ability to access and exchange messages with customs authorities. EU Member States will grant authorisation, upon request, to the affected traders to gradually connect to ICS2 within a time-limited deployment window. Member States can grant the deployment window anytime within the following timeframes: from 3 June 2024 to …