Category Archives: Warehousing

Ecom Express Limited announced that it has been certified as a Great Place to Work from March 2022 to March 2023. The company has been recognised for its efforts in building a high-trust, high-performance culture. The certification is a validation of all the varied efforts of Ecom Express that are channeled in the right direction to create an exceptional working environment and promote a culture that supports employee well-being, safety, and learning. Over the last nine years, Ecom Express has built its diverse and inclusive, talent-focused culture with care and trust for its employees. They are valued and nurtured, making them highly productive and result-oriented. As an organisation with 60,000+ employees (on roll and off roll), Ecom Express truly believes in the voice of its people getting heard, acknowledged, and actioned upon to enhance employee experiences and empower them to achieve their business goals.

The global integrated logistics service provider, cargo-partner, plans to expand its network across Western India by opening a new office in Pune. The logistics giant opened its offices in Vadodara and Indore in the last quarter of 2021. This takes cargo-partner’s total network strength to a total of 14 offices across India. While the company has now been present for over 15 years in the Indian market, the management believes that today’s logistics landscape requires a more decentralised approach as the cargo-partner needs to be where the customers need the company to be. “We take it personally. We intend to move closer to our customers and become faster in implementing our solutions. This is important in these challenging times with freight rates continuously rising and space in carriers coming at a premium,” said Rajesh Mallah, Regional Head – West, in an official statement. cargo-partner has dedicated a budget of more than a million EUR specifically to invest in and grow its presence in the Indian market. A sizeable share will be invested in creating new jobs and further developing the teams. cargo-partner plans to grow its workforce by an additional 50%, inviting skilled talent that wants to be part of the tech-driven vision. cargo-partner’s expansion plans are driven by the management’s confidence in providing excellent services to both existing and new customers whose demand is constantly growing. In line with the company’s vision of digitalisation and being future-ready to cater to our customers’ needs, cargo-partner is currently in transition to revamp and upgrade its systems across operations, sales, and human resources. cargo-partner with around 4 decades of experience in specialised warehousing services, has been at the forefront of delivering customised …

Ascendas Property Fund Trustee Pte. Limited., the Trustee-Manager of Ascendas India Trust (“a-iTrust”), is pleased to announce that it has entered into definitive agreements for the proposed acquisition of all of the issued share capital of Anomalous Infra Private Limited, which owns a 0.33 million square feet warehouse at the Arshiya Free Trade Warehousing Zone, Panvel, Navi Mumbai. This is a recently constructed operational warehouse and is being acquired from the Arshiya Group (“Vendor”) as part of the forward purchase agreement executed in July 2019. a-iTrust acquired six operating warehouses from the vendor with a total leasable area of 0.83 million square feet in February 2018. Like these six warehouses, the seventh warehouse will also be leased and operated by a subsidiary of the vendor for a period of six years. The acquisition of this warehouse is expected to be completed shortly. The gross acquisition consideration for this seventh warehouse is approximately Rs 2.15 billion (US $38.7 million). It comprises an upfront payment of INR1.94 billion (US $34.9 million) and additional deferred consideration of up to INR0.21 billion (S$3.8 million) to be paid over the next four years, upon achievement of certain performance milestones. Sanjeev Dasgupta, Chief Executive Officer of the Trustee-Manager, said, “The acquisition enables a-iTrust to further expand its presence in the logistics sector. Given the unique benefits offered by the FTWZ logistics segment, we are seeing growing demand in this space, and this acquisition puts us in a good position to capitalise on this growth.”

FedEx Express today revealed the findings of its ‘Future is Now’ study among Gen Z (18–24 years old). As the fastest growing economy today, India is home to a fifth of the world’s youth, with half of its 1.3 billion population below the age of 25. The study offers valuable insights into the priorities of the younger generation in the country. With the future becoming more dynamic than ever, there is a substantial shift in the way generations are embracing ‘what’s next’, with new technologies and an interest in sustainability impacting both business and individual lifestyles. This is particularly true for Gen Z. According to the ‘Future is Now’ study, 38% of Gen Z respondents associated the phrase ‘Future is Now’ with technology advances in business, healthcare, education, and transportation, 33% to sustainable development; 13% to the rise in the use of robotics and artificial intelligence; 10% to living on Mars; and a mere 6% to expecting everything to be personalised for them. “The results of this study, particularly the responses of the younger population, reinforce our commitment to experimenting with sustainable technologies that benefit and align with our customers’ goals. As an industry leader, we have a responsibility towards the next generations and take bold actions by constantly innovating to meet future expectations,” said Mohamad Sayegh, Vice President of Operations for FedEx Express in India. “FedEx is a vocal advocate for modernising technologies that enhance the next generation of transportation vehicles and devices. Globally, we are testing Roxo, the autonomous FedEx SameDay Bot for last-mile deliveries, which is designed to reduce carbon emissions, traffic congestion, and noise pollution,” added Sayegh. The study also highlights what Gen Z considers when …

At the inauguration of the 3rd edition of LOGIX India in Dubai, H.E. Dr. Thani Bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of State for Foreign Trade, UAE, said: “The India-UAE Comprehensive Economic Cooperation and Partnership Agreement (CEPA) shall result in accelerated trade and investment and shall open a new world of opportunities.” Dr. Thani Al Zeyoudi said India is the UAE’s largest non-oil trade partner and the future is bright for India-UAE collaborations in global supply chain logistics. Thanking H.E. Dr. Thani Al Zeyoudi for inaugurating the event, Dr. A Sakthivel, President, FIEO, said, “India is committed to spending US $1 trillion on various infrastructure in the next 5 years, which will facilitate our logistics by bringing efficiency and reducing its cost.” “Logistics is an important component of the economy, and its role in manufacturing and exports can hardly be undermined. The logistics cost in India is about 14% of GDP, as against the international benchmark of 8-9%. However, the focus of the government on addressing the cost through various measures has already started yielding results. The government is implementing the dual Bharatmala (road network) and Sagarmala (waterways network) to improve the logistic backbone,” added Dr. A. Sakthivel. HE Ahmed Mahboob, Director General of Dubai Customs and the CEO of Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation, said, “UAE has made significant progress in technology upgradation in customs and the logistics sector and looks forward to supporting India in its mission for logistics sector transformation.” Complementing FIEO on organising LOGIX India in the UAE, Sandeep Kumar Bayyapu, Deputy Chief of Mission, Indian Embassy, UAE, mentioned, “The Indian economy is on the upswing. We have become the fastest-growing major economy in the world. …

Maersk Kanoo UAE, an integrator of container logistics, today inaugurated its first Integrated Logistics Centre in Dubai, UAE, at DP World’s leading trade and logistics hub, Jafza. The Maersk Integrated Logistics Centre was inaugurated by Richard Morgan, Regional Managing Director, Maersk West & Central Asia and Christopher Cook, Managing Director, Maersk UAE, in the presence of Maersk’s top W&D customers in the UAE. “It is an important milestone for us today as we inaugurate our first Integrated Logistics Centre in the UAE and strengthen our commitment towards our customers in the Middle East. Our journey towards creating end-to-end logistics solutions is taking a definite shape as we continue to connect and simplify our customers’ supply chains through solutions that are designed and executed considering their specific requirements and challenges,” said Morgan. Ocean shipping and inbound logistics and distribution have traditionally been shared amongst multiple stakeholders in the region, resulting in complex logistical requirements. With the brand new Integrated Logistics Centre in Dubai, Maersk is taking an important step towards building a truly integrated solution for its customers wherein the customers will get a single window access to multiple logistics requirements, not only for the goods flowing in and out of the UAE but even other Middle Eastern countries that use Dubai as a gateway to global trade. Decarbonising logistics and services Maersk has a strong commitment to decarbonising logistics and services. The facility will have solar panels on its rooftop to cater to all of its electricity requirements for facility operations. The 434 MWh/year clean energy production of this installation will reduce more than 1,700 tonnes of carbon emissions over 10 years, an equivalent decarbonisation feat achieved by planting over …

MSC is pleased to be part of the Freight Logistics Optimization Works (FLOW) data-sharing initiative, launched at the White House on March 15, 2022. This major project will help to clear supply chain bottlenecks by improving freight information exchange between key stakeholders and consumers, leading to faster delivery times and reduced costs for consumers. A diverse taskforce representing many stakeholders FLOW includes 18 initial participants, with the aim of welcoming more in the future. Representing diverse perspectives across the supply chain, partners include US-based port authorities, terminal operators, private businesses, logistics, and warehousing companies, as well as the ocean carriers MSC and CMA CGM. The FLOW partners will work together with the US Administration to develop a more efficient and transparent way of sharing information. The idea is to create a new digital tool where each company can share accurate, cargo-related data in real-time. “We are pleased to join and support the FLOW initiative led by the US Department of Transportation, as we strongly believe that a common and interoperable digital infrastructure throughout the container shipping industry is a critical step to making supply chains more efficient, secure, and resilient. Collaboration with governments and other key industry stakeholders is of paramount importance to MSC, and there is no doubt that this initiative will strengthen the foundation for the seamless, end-to-end exchange of information we all need to keep global trade moving today – and tomorrow,” said André Simha, Chief Digital and Information Officer at MSC. Shaping the future, together MSC is committed to building strong, cross-industry partnerships that pave the way towards a better future for shipping by taking advantage of digitalization opportunities. Examples of the company’s recent collaborations include …

The Dredging Corporation of India has signed a historic Ship Building Agreement for the first Make in India project for the construction of the first Beagle Series 12 Trailing Suction Hopper Dredger of 12000 Cubic Meter capacity at Cochin Shipyard Limited today in the presence of Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, MoS Shripad Naik, and Secretary for Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Dr Sanjeev Ranjan. Speaking on the occasion, Sarbananda Sonowal said the Ministry, noting the importance of dredging for the operation of ports, has issued Dredging Guidelines for Major Ports. He said the need for sufficient dredgers is of utmost importance for timely completion of dredging and that the new dredgers would be able to bring in the much-needed efficiency and timely completion of dredging. He said this in turn would enable the smooth operation of vessels. Sonowal said the dredger built under the ‘Atma Nirbhar Bharat’ concept is one of the largest initiatives under Atmanirbhar Bharat and is a true reflection of international collaboration for Make in India. He said the Ministry, under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, would be able to fulfill the objectives of the Maritime India Vision 2030 with well-equipped dredgers for the operation of ports to bring down the logistical cost of the cargo. Sonowal said that this Ship Building Agreement would also benefit from the Shipbuilding Financial Assistance Policy (SFAP) (2016) of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways for Indian Shipyards for shipbuilding contracts secured between 01.04.2016 and 31.03.2026. Financial assistance is granted under this policy to Indian shipyards equal to 17 per cent of the lower of “contract price” or “fair price” or “actual payments received”, …

The FIATA Multimodal Transport Institute (MTI) gathered to address the implications of the ongoing events in Ukraine for freight forwarding and logistics spanning sea, rail, and road transport. Aside from the catastrophic human repercussions, which the industry is particularly sensitive to, global supply chains, which have already been weakened by the effects of the pandemic and the current maritime crisis, are being severely disrupted. Driver shortages, difficulty transporting freight within the impacted zone, and capacity challenges have all been cited. Rising fuel prices are projected to be a concern for the whole industry. It was observed that multimodal solutions are critical to guaranteeing the movement of commodities throughout the impacted area during this war, with border crossings apparently feasible by rail transit via Moldova and the Port of Galati, or via Romania, which gives port access. Trans-Caspian routes are projected to be crucial. Members of FIATA should be aware of the sanctions imposed by certain countries in reaction to the conflict, and should visit the appropriate government pages on a regular basis. Countries currently enforcing relevant sanctions include, among others, Australia, the European Union, the United Kingdom, and the United States. It is understood that more sanctions are being considered.

The Major Port Authorities Act, 2021 regulates, operates, and plans major ports in India and vests administration, control, and management of such ports in Major Port Authorities Boards. The legislation enables these ports to operate more efficiently as a result of improved decision-making autonomy and modernisation of their institutional framework. These ports have been given the authority to establish a scale of rates for port services and assets. Tariffs can be set by PPP concessionaires based on market conditions, for example. The compact Board of Directors, comprised of experienced independent members, is capable of boosting decision-making and strategic planning. Prior to the implementation of the Act, the overall capacity of major ports and the volume of cargo handled were as follows: *million tonnes per annum Connectivity is a vital enabler for ports since it is the end-to-end efficacy of the logistics chain that promotes industrial competitiveness. The Sagarmala initiative features a particular pillar of port connection projects to improve connectivity between ports and domestic production and consumption hubs. Under Sagarmala, 190 road and rail connectivity projects costing Rs 1.22 lakh crore have been identified for execution, with an emphasis on connecting large and minor ports. Fifty of these projects have been finished, while the remaining 140 are in different phases of development and execution. The Ministry of Road, Transport, and Highways (MoRTH), major port authorities, and other state organisations are principally in charge of implementing these projects. The government has launched a number of programmes aimed at port modernisation, automation, and digitalisation, with a focus on ease of doing business. This includes the implementation of web-based e-forms, direct port delivery, container scanners, radio frequency identification-based technologies for gate automation, a …