Category Archives: Technology

Raag Technologies and Services (RTS) is enabling supply chain efficiency with its IoT-enabled logistics control tower. RTS has enabled the country’s leading manufacturing and distribution companies to save costs and enhance efficiency significantly. The ever increasing need for more visibility and traceability within the supply chain has made it pervasive to generate significant interest in unified supply chain systems and lower risks. Therefore, delivering end-to-end visibility becomes an important task. RTS’s state-of-art logistics control tower, enables an enhanced visibility and traceability to the customer’s dealer/distributor network and is designed to make the various aspects and steps of the chain clearer and easier to follow. Abhik Mitra, MD and CEO, Spoton Logistics, comments, “With one stop Control tower Web Portal, RTS is enabling an effective and strong end-to-end visibility, thereby enhancing the efficiency of our supply chain and operations. By creating an ecosystem that focuses on transparency, companies can have visibility in order to reduce the risk of potential issues as well as gain data on how to better manage orders”. Commenting on the same, Narsmihan Raghavan said, “Supply chain visibility and control are progressively improving, therefore it becomes more critical than ever that supply chains find a way to establish and sustain a competitive advantage within their respective markets. The RTS’s state-of-art logistics control tower uses AI and serves as a system of engagement across trading partners, people and things to work together in real-time to serve the end consumer.”

Stellar Value Chain Solutions has selected cloud-based enterprise-class supply chain solution from Infor for digitising and streamlining its warehouse management. Easily configurable and available across all distribution centres of the company, the digitalised supply chain service will offer its clients enhanced transparency, visibility and cost-efficiency, accelerate go-to-market strategy and leverage data analytics to identify new market opportunities. “At Stellar Value Chain Solutions, we have successfully initiated a tech-driven supply chain transformation across the country by setting up modern distribution centres following global best practices. Leveraging Infor’s supply chain management excellence and futuristic warehouse management solutions, we have taken the transformation to the next level by rolling out a cloud-based enterprise-class Infor Warehouse Management Systems (WMS) in India. This cutting-edge supply chain solution is scalable and flexible which requires minimal reconfiguration to integrate with the clients’ tech platform. It helps us offer our diversified clientele superior real-time visibility, customised services and data-driven consumer insights. Our world-class tech-enabled supply chain solution will help our clients achieve incremental growth,” said Anshuman Singh, Chairman and Managing Director, Stellar Value Chain Solutions. “Digitization is a fundamental reality for businesses today. Infor is proud to be a strategic partner of Stellar Value Chain Solution’s business transformation journey to help bring disruptive change to the Indian supply chain landscape. We have the deep industry experience to understand the complexities and unique technology requirements of this dynamic and fast-evolving industry,” said Ranga Pothula, General Manager, India Business Unit and Senior Vice President, Global Delivery services, Infor, in adding, “Infor’s purpose-built industry-specific solutions in the cloud will deliver to businesses unprecedented visibility into inventory, orders, equipment, and people to enrich service levels, increase product velocity and ensure support for …

Shadowfax Technologies has announced its partnership with Vinculum to foray into Warehouse Management System across 10 centers to offer E2E services. This partnership will address the growing demand in the E2E category by offering end-to-end services across multiple industry segments like e-commerce, apparel, consumer electronics, auto, etc. Shadowfax plans to set up 50 more centers leading the warehousing space to grow from 5lac sq. feet to 12 lac sq. ft. by March 22. Commenting on the partnership, Abhishek Bansal, Founder & CEO, Shadowfax Technologies, said, “Vinculum is an established player in the WMS space. Our partnership will bring a differentiated offering for enterprises and bring them a host of benefits and features backed by solid technology and people. Speed of delivery and customer satisfaction are the two important features that Shadowfax is focusing on to stay ahead of the competition. Integrated software from Vinculum for picking, packing, and shipping from a central warehouse management platform will bring the fulfillment speed to Shadowfax E2E services provided to our clients reaching their customers swiftly, securely with real-time inventory monitoring.” On this partnership, Venkat Nott, Founder and CEO, Vinculum said, “Buyer behavior has shifted to shopping across multiple online and social channels. Online revenues have moved to over 30 per cent of overall retail revenues and expected to continue growing at a frenetic pace. Brands need to be available in channels where customers shop and are looking to fulfill from all locations where inventory is present including making inventory available with distributors for fulfillment of online orders and deliver direct to consumer. This forces brands to adopt cutting-edge technology platforms like Vinculum and fulfillment options that can best serve the customers’ demands. At …

With an aim to remodel its core business processes and further expedite the adoption of next-generation technologies and digital-driven solutions Safexpress then collaborated with IBM to design and build ‘PROPEL-i’, an innovative scalable logistics platform, deployed in a secure & resilient cloud environment. The digital platform enables the company to attain agility in demand management, obtain advanced and flexible dynamic pricing modelling capabilities and provides enhanced visibility and transparency for its customers. Commenting on the collaboration, Kapil Mahajan, Group CIO, Safexpress said, “Being a technology driven organization, our next wave of business strategy was focused on building a cognitive enterprise that can keep up with the speed of transformation around us. ‘PROPEL-i’, which is our new transportation management system (TMS) platform, has been built with Design Thinking at its core and centered around 4 key pillars: People, Process, Data and Technology. Its micro services based cloud native architecture will further strengthen our position as a market leader both from logistics and technology standpoint and help us respond exceptionally faster to the market dynamics while minimising time, cost and effort on new product development lifecycle.” Kamal Singhani, Country Managing Partner, IBM Services, India/South Asia adds, “PROPEL-i is a major milestone for Safexpress as well as India’s logistics sector and is a testament to the continued success of the company’s longstanding association with IBM. By leveraging our deep industry expertise and access to technological innovations including cloud & AI, Safexpress will be able to leverage the new digital platform to manage their growing business, enrich customer experiences as well as boost revenues by acquiring new accounts & by optimizing costs.” ‘PROPEL-i’ is an internal logistics operations management suite of applications custom-built by …

Cargo Service Center (CSC) Group has launched the industry’s first real-time temperature monitoring and cargo tracking app, named Turant, which provides real-time temperature tracking of pharmaceutical shipments inside the terminal that departs from Mumbai International Airport (MIAL) offering end-to-end visibility. End-to-end supply chain visibility has always been a concern for pharma shippers and the COVID-19 crisis magnified this need. Addressing this key concern, the TURANT app will provide customers all critical real-time information including temperature of the shipment during transit, all accessible on a mobile phone screen. “This is the first time in history that a cargo terminal is providing its customers with real time temperature tracking and status of shipments. CSC is the first in the world to provide you with this level of transparency. And this is just the beginning; going forward, you can expect a lot more innovation from our team,” said, Tushar Jani, Chairman, CSC. The Pharma Excellence Centre in Mumbai has been temperature-mapped and the temperature of the terminal is being monitored electronically. The TURANT app provides this information right into the palm of your hands. All you need to do is to download the app. Once installed on your phone, you need to select the airport, enter the Air-Way-bill number and the shipment becomes visible through the app. “At CSC, we have used the latest technology and innovation to bring transparency of our operations to our customers. Therefore, we have launched TURANT, which is CSC’s real-time temperature mapping and tracking app. This app will be an absolute blessing for all the quality heads in the various pharma industries,” said Pramod Pereira, AGM-Quality, Training & Procedures, CSC. Applauding CSC for its pathbreaking initiative, Manoj Singh, …

Tata Motors has announced its earnest commitment to the nation by providing refrigerated trucks for smooth movement of the countrywide COVID-19 vaccination drive. The company offers the widest range of trucks for end-to-end transportation of the vaccine. These vaccine trucks and vans are available on the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) portal for purchase. To ensure reliable, safe and speedy transportation of the vaccines, the new range of vehicles have been designed and engineered as per the temperature, volume and weight requirements. The vehicles are available in a variety of capacities and tonnage points to suit the diverse needs, with 20 and 32 cuM refrigerated trucks in the Intermediate Commercial Vehicle (ICV) and Medium Commercial Vehicle (MCV) segments, respectively, with the availability of insulated vans in the ICV and MCV segments. Insulated vaccine vans in the Small Commercial Vehicle (SCV) and Pick-up (PU) range are also on offer, to facilitate last-mile and for rural transportation of vaccines. Girish Wagh, President – Commercial Vehicle Business Unit, Tata Motors, says, “We are pleased to extend support as the nation readies to rollout the first phase of the vaccination, contributing for the safe and speedy distribution of vaccines across the country. By staying mindful of Government regulations and vaccination manufacturer needs, our range of superior products endeavour to contribute towards the vision of the Aatmanirbhar Bharat.” Tata Motors has tied up with leading reefer (refrigerated load body) manufacturers of the country, furthering its preparation of offering ready-to-use reefers and insulated vaccine vans. Over the years, Tata Motors has sold a substantial number of reefers to various cold chain customers, primarily constituting pharma companies. Combined with their specialised focus on applications concerning vaccine distribution, these vehicles …

The temperature-controlled supply chain facility for international cargo at Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru (KIAB/ BLR Airport) has received a fillip with the introduction of Envirotainer, a world leader in active cold-chain solutions for air cargo. BLR Airport is now the fourth airport in the country and second in South India to partner with Envirotainer. This enables pharmaceutical companies and their logistics partners to move temperature-sensitive cargo across the world, while maintaining the integrity and quality of products throughout journey. This essentially means that temperature is maintained throughout to create an unbroken cold chain from manufacturing to the point of consumption. Backed by two dedicated cold zones, operated by Air India SATS Airport Services (AI-SATS) and Menzies Aviation Bobba Bangalore (MABB), the new cold-chain solution will boost the movement of pharmaceutical products from major manufacturing clusters such as Hyderabad, Goa, Vishakhapatnam and other places in South India. Pharmaceutical products account for 13 per cent of the total international cargo throughput from BLR Airport each year, with USA, UK, Australia, Canada, France, Vietnam, Philippines, Germany, Nigeria, Algeria, Uganda and Russia being the top destinations. AI-SATS will provide the handling and storing services for Envirotainer.

Daimler India Commercial Vehicles (DICV) has unveiled the BharatBenz ‘BSafe Express’, a specialized reefer truck designed for the safe transportation of COVID-19 vaccines. Equipped with state-of-the-art connectivity, the BSafe Express uses newly developed refrigeration units that ensure the temperature and stability of the vaccines is accurately monitored and maintained at all stages of delivery. The reefer is mounted on the BharatBenz 2823R heavy-duty chassis.At the premiere of the truck in the Indian capital Delhi, Satyakam Arya, Managing Director and CEO, Daimler India Commercial Vehicles said, “The combination of a strong, reliable chassis with a lightweight, insulated reefer and state-of-the-art connectivity device makes BharatBenz’s ‘BSafe Express’ the perfect solution to India’s cold-chain infrastructure challenge. With this truck, we can deliver vaccines in perfect condition to even the most remote destinations, bringing hope of a return to normalcy to over 1.3 billion people.” India has recently started its corona vaccination campaign, aiming to vaccinate 300 million people by July 2021. The BharatBenz BSafe Express offers a solution to Indian logistics companies in the efforts to contribute to the nation’s goal of bringing COVID under control as quickly as possible. A daunting challenge in the second most populous country in the world.

Crystal Logistic Cool Chain (Crystal) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Pluss Advanced Technologies (PLUSS) for the supply of indigenously developed precise temperature control boxes required of maintaining the effectiveness of the vaccine during transport. According to the MoU, PLUSS will supply its patented product – Celsure®, developed using its proprietary Phase Change Material technology, for transportation of the Covid-19 vaccines from the manufacturer to different parts of the country. Crystal specialises in refrigerated warehousing (cold storages), refrigerated transportation on a pan-India network. “Transportation of the vaccine while maintaining the precise temperature control is as important as the vaccine itself. This partnership is a very significant step towards ensuring the COVID-19 vaccine reaches its destinations in a way that maintains its efficacy,” said Samit Jain, MD, PLUSS. While, transporting pharmaceutical products, biological products or vaccines in particular, the need to maintain precise temperature ranges is very important and the efficacy of vaccine can be impacted if the temperature goes above or below the specified range. PLUSS, an India based material solutions company has designed and manufactured a precise temperature-control delivery solution that is required for vaccine delivery to the last mile. “Crystal Group has always been championing warehousing services and we see a major role for Crystal Logistic Cool Chain to play in transportation and storage of the COVID-19 vaccine. With PLUSS’ temperature control boxes we will ensure last mile delivery, to even the remotest parts of India,” said Akash Agarwal, CEO, Crystal Logistic Cool Chain.

PLUSS Advanced Technology (PLUSS) has been granted patent by European Patent Office, Germany for its ‘Celsure’ box designed and manufactured using the proprietary Phase Change Material (PCM) technology, to transport vaccines and perishable commodities at a specific temperature range. The patent was granted to the innovative method of arranging PCMs which leads to precise temperature control in varying ambient conditions and increases operational efficiencies for the end user. The patent has also been applied in USA, Singapore, Brazil and India. PLUSS expects these patents to be granted soon as well. “This is a major endorsement for our research and development and also India’s preparedness in efficient cold chain supply management. These boxes will play a vital role in maintaining precise temperature during transport of various COVID-19 vaccines being tested in India and abroad. The technology is already commercialized and is used by various multinational pharmaceutical and logistics companies in India. We are in conversations with Covid-19 vaccine distribution stakeholders to make our products available across the country. The latest MoU being with SpiceJet,” said Samit Jain, MD, PLUSS. While, transporting pharmaceutical products, biological products or vaccines in particular, the need to maintain precise temperature ranges is very important and the efficacy of vaccine can be impacted if the temperature goes above or below the specified range. PLUSS’s proprietary, made in India PCM technology ensures that precise temperature ranges are maintained and at costs much lower than similar international solutions. Celsure is a simple box-in-box transport solution developed by the R&D team at PLUSS which uses indigenously developed Phase Change Material (PCM) that will maintain the right temperature from a few hours to a few days to ensure that vaccines retain …