According to the World Bank’s Logistics Performance Index, India’s logistics sector is valued at $160 billion and employs over 22 million people directly. It is expected to grow at a 10% CAGR to $215 billion by 2022.Rudimentary methods of fleet management in today’s scenario are heavily impacting business efficiency as well as the safety of vehicles and drivers. Adoption of technology, especially AI and IoT, will have a transformative impact on the Indian logistics industry. The shift has already begun, with many companies introducing smart solutions to help fleet owners and operators manage their business efficiently. LocoNav offers a bespoke and comprehensive full-stack SaaS-based fleet technology solution that benefits several fleet owners and drivers across India and the world. Here is a detailed look into its Fleet Management Solution. LocoNav’s Fleet Management Solutions help fleet owners and operators run and manage their fleet in a safe and efficient manner. It can be used for all kinds of on-road vehicles such as cars, taxis, bikes, buses, trucks, ambulances, police vans, and even construction vehicles, helping fleet owners from different industries to keep track of their vehicles and stay on top of their business. It integrates over 2200 devices around the world and shares real-time alerts, rich analytics, customised reports, and more in a super easy-to-use interface which is available in over 14 languages such as English, Hindi, Punjabi, Arabic, Spanish, etc. Here are the top 12 key features of the Fleet Management Solution offering: Vehicle tracking: With the help of a simple GPS tracker attached to the vehicle, fleet owners and operators can easily track the vehicle’s live location, speed, and distance covered on each and every trip. Fleet managers can …

Locus, a global B2B SaaS logistics planning and dispatch optimization platform for last-mile delivery enterprises, announced its recognition as a Representative Vendor in the 2022 Gartner Market Guide for Supply Chain Network Design Tools. Gartner delivers actionable, objective insight to executives and their teams. “High-impact disruptions have made the structural design of networks and product flows harder to hold steady. The frequency with which organisations review the design of their supply chain networks has increased from being measured in multiples of years to months or even weeks, due to shifts in markets and consumer behavior.” Gartner said in the report. “A well-planned network design is indispensable for running frictionless last-mile deliveries. Given the growing complexities of modern supply chains, more brands are now rethinking their distribution networks. With ‘what if’ simulations and supply chain digital twin representations, we help enterprises design flexible and optimal distribution networks for the smooth flow of merchandise. Being listed as a representative vendor in the latest Gartner Market Guide is an absolute honour for us as we strive to make last-mile logistics effortless for enterprises across the globe with our tech,” Nishith Rastogi, CEO & Founder of Locus, said. Locus uses machine learning and proprietary algorithms to offer solutions like route optimization, real-time tracking, vehicle allocation, fleet utilization, insights and analytics.

With the resumption of international flights to and from India, the Bangalore International Airport (BLR Airport) has been witnessing 25 daily international departures, a significant increase from the earlier 10 per day. The airport has reinstated more than 90 per cent of routes compared to pre-COVID-19. With the gradual increase in international operations, BLR Airport’s route network is expected to be further enhanced with the resumption of routes and additional flights to cater to the demand.

Last year, in March, LATAM officially received the second of ten 767 Boeing Converted to Freighter (BCF) cargo planes contemplated in its cargo fleet growth plan, announced in 2021. With this, it has increased its offer for this type of transport by nearly 10 percent, reduced the average age of its aircraft, and will finish Q1 with 13 B767 cargo planes. By 2023, the company plans to have a cargo fleet composed of up to 21 freighters and practically duplicate its offer.

GEODIS announced that it has signed a binding agreement to acquire Keppel Logistics. The project will significantly increase GEODIS’ Contract Logistics footprint and e-commerce fulfillment services in Singapore and Southeast Asia. This project is a significant step along GEODIS’ strategic roadmap for the Asia-Pacific region, where GEODIS currently employs 3,700 people spread over 76 sites. The acquisition will reinforce GEODIS’s position as a leading logistics service provider, further expanding its footprint by adding to recent investments in contract logistics sites in India, South Korea, and Australia.

European Cargo Limited recently closed a significant minority equity investment by Priority 1 Logistics Holdings LLC, a newly-formed subsidiary of U.S.-based Priority 1 Holdings LLC. Proceeds of the investment will be used to eliminate third-party debt, convert EAL’s A340 fleet to full cargo freighters, acquire additional aircraft, complete heavy maintenance checks, and pay shareholder dividends, says the release. Paul Stoddart, Chairman of ECL, commented: “This is a major step forward in the growth of European Cargo. We have positioned our airline to provide our valued freight customers with a reliable air bridge to meet the increasing demand for air freight. “The investment by Priority 1 into ECL will help us continue to build a sustainable, successful, and profitable business following one of the most difficult periods in aviation history due to COVID-19. “This partnership with Priority 1 provides us with additional financial resources as well as deep commercial aviation expertise, which will increase our capacity and ensure that we meet our rapidly accelerating customer demands.”

Following last year’s well-perceived first Masterclass on Pharma Logistics—an international joint initiative between the air cargo industry and world-renowned academic institutions—a second edition will take place from September 5 to 9, 2022 at Khalifa University of Science and Technology, Abu Dhabi. Apart from highlighting the current critical aspects of pharma logistics, this masterclass aims to create a unique opportunity for industry professionals to gain more in-depth knowledge, as well as for academics and Ph.D. students to obtain advanced insights into how pharmaceutical supply chains are organised and logistics processes are optimised through applied technology for the pharma and life science sectors.

In a major land deal in NCR, the Capital Markets division of leading independent real estate advisory ANAROCK Group has successfully closed the sale of a 41-acre land parcel on the Ballabhgarh-Sohna Highway. Pardos Logistics, a subsidiary of Pardos Real Estate (a development platform incubated by the DMI Group’s Alternative Investment Fund) will utilise this land parcel to develop 1 million sq ft of prime warehousing space. The prevailing land prices around the Ballabhgarh-Sohna Highway region range from Rs 1.4 to 1.5 crore/acre. Akshay Uday, Sr. Vice President – ANAROCK Capital, says, “The land, which was acquired from a group of Delhi-based investors, will be developed over a period of 18 months with an investment corpus of approximately Rs 200 crore. The land is ideally located, benefiting from proximity to critical road infrastructures like the Delhi-Vadodara Expressway, Eastern Peripheral Expressway, National Highway 8, and KMP Expressway.”

Wiz Freight, a full-stack digital cross-border supply chain start-up, has raised a Series A funding of Rs 275 crore in a mix of equity and debt led by Tiger Global with participation from Axilor Ventures, Foundamental, Arali Ventures, Stride Ventures, and Alteria Capital. The investment marks the largest Series A funding in Indian logistics. With the new investment, the company plans to accelerate its technology R&D and global expansion into Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. Founded in August 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 document workflows, saving countless hours for shippers.

The India Cargo Awards commenced with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, recognising true leaders and their hard work, passion, and commitment to the industry. This year’s awards were all the more meaningful since they were a homage to all those who overcame unprecedented challenges during the pandemic. The event was attended by Chief Guest Amrit Lal Meena, Special Secretary (Logistics), Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Department of Commerce, Government of India, and Guest of Honour Piyush Shrivastava, IES, Sr. Economic Advisor for the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Government of India.