Shadowfax, after successful operations in 50 cities, the company is all set to scale its services to over 1200 cities, allowing more businesses and customers to access their reliable and efficient delivery services. This expansion is a testament to the commitment of Shadowfax and ONDC to advancing digital commerce in India and making logistics accessible to everyone. ONDC is enabling interoperability and unbundling in the digital commerce space in India, allowing Shadowfax to expand its services to more cities and regions through ONDC’s pan-India presence, a strong network of partners, and trusted digital infrastructure. Shadowfax is committed to providing tech-driven and customer-focused logistics solutions. With a robust delivery network and intercity and intracity capabilities, Shadowfax is a one-stop solution for businesses across categories and sizes.

The seventh edition of the Commercial Vehicle Forum (CVF) is all set to be held at JW Marriott, Pune on 25th May 2023. The show will focus on the current trends in the CV and road transport industry, disruptive innovations, mobility, sustainability and tech. CVF is one of the most awaited events for the Indian commercial vehicle and road transport sector. In fact, CVF has become the crossroads for senior level professionals from CV Manufacturers, Auto Suppliers, Associations, CV Dealers and the Government, alongside some of the worlds’ most disruptive Logistics Service Providers. The event will provide an ideal platform for all to showcase your their products and innovative solutions in the market as well as it will provide a chance to industry professionals and thought leaders to meet and greet.

Gati Limited has recorded a revenue of ₹1,469 Crores in FY23 for the express business, witnessing a growth of 18% as compared to the last year. Pirojshaw (Phil) Sarkari, Chief Executive Officer Gati said, “This performance reflects company’s focus on volume growth and operational efficiency. The year saw Gati launching its mega surface transhipment hub at Bhiwandi (Mumbai), in addition to hubs at Nagpur and Guwahati. The Mumbai hub is spread over 1.15 lac square feet with 61 bays and dock leveler. We also saw 100% implementation of digital e-dockets for retail clients and have started a pilot for MSMEs. The gross margin expansion remains on track, witnessing an improvement of 133bps over last year. In the next phase of infrastructure development, we’ll be setting up four surface transhipment hubs in Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Indore and Kolkata.” The quarter gone by saw weakness in initial months followed by a very strong March. However, overall weakness in consumer durables and automobile sector, notwithstanding the unseasonal rains dampened the sentiment a bit. Despite tough economic scenario, the company has been able to maintain its performance. Our strategy for delivering such performance remains consistent and relies on our pillars of digitalization, sales acceleration, infrastructure, and operational excellence. We mandated GPS in all Linehaul & Feeder vehicles, to enhance visibility, improve performance & optimized productivity via continuous monitoring. The Company also improvised on dashboard designs to enable real time data visibility and KPI monitoring. Gati aims to enhance customer experience and operational excellence on front-end digitalization that include CRM system for managing customer relationships, sales acceleration with cluster-based approach, data science and digital payments.

To strengthen its position as a leading fulfillment solutions provider in Direct-to-Consumer (D2C) segment, Delhivery will make a strategic investment in Vinculum, a global software leader for omnichannel retailing for D2C enterprises, brands, brand distributors, and quick commerce companies. The investment is the first part of a potential 2-stage deal that provides Delhivery the option to further increase its shareholding in the company after six months. Direct-to-Consumer enterprises are a focus market for Delhivery, and the investment is expected to strengthen its position as a leading fulfillment solutions provider in the segment. Through this investment, the two companies will build a complete integrated stack to address the entire range of post-purchase needs of a D2C brand. A deeper integration with Vinculum’s industry-leading Order Management System (OMS) will be a first-of-its-kind fully-integrated E2E offering. Rajaganesh S, Head of Supply Chain Solutions at Delhivery, said, “We congratulate the leadership team of Vinculum on building a truly world-class product that enables omnichannel retailing for brands, retailers while also powering fulfillment capabilities of 3PLs and online marketplaces. A strategic partnership with Vinculum strengthens Delhivery’s fulfillment solution to brands”. Venkat Nott, Founder, and Chief Executive Officer of Vinculum Group, added, “We are delighted with the investment to be made by Delhivery in Vinculum. This lays the foundation for deep tech integration between both companies, tremendous collaboration opportunities, and immense business value for our customers.” The investment is subject to the satisfactory completion of closing conditions.

Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL), the operator of Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru (BLR Airport), is thrilled to announce that Terminal 2 has received the prestigious IGBC Platinum certification by the Indian Green Building Council under the IGBC Green New Building rating system. BLR Airport’s steadfast commitment to sustainability is a fundamental principle ingrained in its business philosophy. This unwavering dedication is embodied by the Airport’s new Terminal 2 (T2), which continuously strives to implement sustainable processes, showcasing BIAL’s strong belief in responsible and environmentally conscious practices. Hari Marar, MD and CEO of Bangalore International Airport Ltd remarked, “I am pleased to announce that Terminal 2 has achieved the coveted Platinum rating from the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) under their newly launched IGBC Green New Buildings Rating System. This is a significant milestone for us and a testament to BIAL’s unwavering commitment to sustainability. T2 exemplifies our dedication to implementing green concepts and techniques, showcasing our efforts to conserve natural resources, energy, and water.” The design and construction of T2 adhere to several key environmental categories outlined by the IGBC Green New Buildings rating system, including Sustainable Architecture and Design, Site Selection and Planning, Water Conservation, Energy Efficiency, Building Materials and Resources, Indoor Environmental Quality, and Innovation & Development. By incorporating these green concepts and techniques, T2 effectively addresses national priorities such as natural resource conservation, demand-side energy, water efficiency, the adoption of renewable energy sources, and the optimisation of consumer and occupant health and comfort.

Boeing released the Boeing Cascade Climate Impact Model for public use to support commercial aviation’s path toward net zero carbon emissions. Cascade, a data modeling tool that identifies the effects of a range of sustainability solutions to reduce aviation’s carbon emissions, is accessible on Boeing’s new Sustainable Aerospace Together hub, www.sustainabilitytogether.aero. Cascade examines the full life cycle of alternate energy sources for aviation – from production through distribution and use – and quantifies the ability to cut aviation’s carbon emissions. Data modeling also measures airplane fleet renewal, operational efficiency, renewable energy sources, future aircraft and market-based measures as pathways to decarbonization. “We created Cascade to serve as an industry tool that creates a common framework among aviation, energy, finance and policy,” said Boeing chief sustainability officer Chris Raymond. “By putting data first and sharing this model with the public, we are enabling collaboration, feedback and alignment across industry, government and others who work together to achieve a more sustainable aerospace future.”

Antonov Airlines transported an Intelsat commercial satellite on board of one of its AN-124-100M aircraft from Moffett Federal Airfield, Mountain View, California, U.S.A to NASA’s Shuttle Landing Facility in Titusville, Florida, U.S.A for a launch by the U.S. aerospace company SpaceX. “The cargo with total weight of more than 55,000 kilograms consisted of eight pieces including Intelsat 40e (IS-40e) satellite and its hosted payload in a container measuring 1,280 cm in length, 488 cm in width and 419 cm in height, along with associated parts and support equipment. To оnload and offload cargo, a special Antonov-made ramp system was used in conjunction with onboard winches and cranes as well as external cranes,” says an official release. Virginia Lloyd, Director, Global Logistics and Warehouse Management, Maxar says, “Due to the nature of the cargo, AN-124-100 is the only aircraft available that can haul the size and weight (approx. 36,000 kg) of the spacecraft shipping container. In addition, the AN-124-100 does not require special ground support equipment to load and unload the cargo.” Intelsat IS-40e will provide focused coverage over North America for commercial aviation, maritime, land mobility and networks customers, and its hosted payload, a NASA instrument called Tropospheric Emissions: Monitoring of Pollution (TEMPO), will observe air pollution across North America, the release added. “The satellite was assembled and tested at Maxar and then delivered to the Cape Canaveral launch site,” says Iryna Kyianytsia, Commercial Executive, Antonov Airlines.

The latest report by Technavio on the low-cost carrier market, 2023-2027 estimates to register an incremental growth of by USD 248.65 billion, decelerating at a CAGR of 15.15% during the forecast period. The market is fragmented due to the presence of diversified international and regional vendors. The rising demand for air cargo is notably driving the global low-cost carrier low-cost airline market growth. The market is fragmented, and the degree of fragmentation will decelerate during the forecast period. Competitors have to focus on differentiating their product offerings with unique value propositions to strengthen their foothold in the market. Market vendors also have to leverage the existing growth prospects in the fast-growing segments, while maintaining their positions in the slow-growing segments. Air Arabia PJSC, Air Canada, Capital A Berhad, Cebu Pacific, Deutsche Lufthansa AG, easyJet Airline Co. Ltd., Fly LEVEL SL, InterGlobe Aviation Ltd., Jet2 Plc, Lion Air, Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA, PAL Holdings Inc., Pegasus Air Transport Corp., PT Garuda Indonesia (Persero) Tbk., Qantas Airways Ltd., Ryanair DAC, Singapore Airlines Ltd., Southwest Airlines Co., Vueling Airlines SA, and WestJet Airlines Ltd. are among some of the major market participants.

Satish Lakkaraju, Senior VP, Global Head, Air Freight & Pharma, WIZ Freight, Radar Ventures said, “One of the pain points that pharma customers, shippers, and agencies face today is manual Corrective Action and Preventive Action (CAPA), which needs to be digital and takes data from multiple sources to accumulate and do multiple analysis.” He added, Industry must adopt digitalisation fully. IoT is one of the most advanced things that has come into being lately. Today, with technology, you can identify the reasons why cargo has been lying on the tarmac for longer than the time specified for that shipment.” He shared his views in Digital Conclave organised recently by CSC and CargoTalk. “If we can integrate data with airports, then you are stimulating a larger and faster report. Also, India has a first-mover advantage as all the tech companies are here. Global companies are also coming up with live data. Today, it is possible to get the data even from the middle of the sky, so customers get more visibility. Control towers are going to be established, even for the road trucking industry. Tech helps you be proactive in your entire approach. The mindset of stakeholders in pharma needs to change. There are current challenges in this sector. Tech does not come cheap; skill sets are expensive.”

Mark your calendar for the second edition of Annual Supply Chain and Logistics Conclave 2023 on 25th May, 2023 at The Lalit, New Delhi. This year’s event will highlight use cases on how to navigate supply chain disruptions, as well as how India Inc. is implementing process automation, advanced technologies, and decision-making analytics at various stages of supply chain and logistics. Leaders from various industries will convene to discuss best practices for creating a sustainable supply chain, increasing visibility across the supply chain, demand planning strategies, cold chain challenges, and warehouse management. The event is being organised this year to provide a rich content platform for all stakeholders in India’s supply chain and logistics ecosystem.