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 …

Blue Dart has introduced the ‘Ugadi Express’ offer to commemorate the New Year festivities. Ugadi Express enables customers to send their loved ones the warmth and joy of the New Year in the form of gifts, sweets, and much more. Offering a reach of over 220 countries and territories across the globe, Ugadi Express offers premium and reliable services at discounted rates. Leveraging this offer, customers can avail a 40% discount on international shipments weighing 5 kg and a 50% discount on international shipments weighing between 10 kg and 20 kg. The offer is valid in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Telangana till April 02, 2022. Blue Dart’s focus on curating premium experiences for customers has always set its services apart in a highly competitive environment. The brand has successfully stayed ahead of the curve by understanding the pulse of its customers and introducing relevant services even before the need arises. Ketan Kulkarni, Chief Commercial Officer, Blue Dart, says, “World over, people are eager to address and accept the pandemic as an ‘endemic’; however, fear of contagion continues to linger. The festivities of the New Year necessitate being in the presence of loved ones, presenting and receiving the festive spirit in the form of gifts, sweets, and much more. Given the fear of contagion, our customers continue to remain wary. To provide a reliable, responsive, and resilient solution for them, we have launched ‘Ugadi Express’. Our customers deserve to experience the closeness of their loved ones and their support, no matter where they are in the world. Moreover, even as the pandemic increases distances, Blue Dart works hard to ensure that the world continues to remain a small …

The Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between the UAE and India paves the way for a new era of joint economic growth and prosperity in the two countries, improves mutual access to markets, enhances economic and investment opportunities and paves the way for broader prospects, said His Excellency Ahmed Mahboob Musabih, Director General of Dubai Customs and CEO of Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation. Speaking at the 3rd Edition of LOGIX India, in Dubai, supported by the UAE’s National Association of Freight and Logistics (NAFL), His Excellency said: “The agreement aims to raise the value of non-oil trade from $40 billion annually to $100 billion within five years, which creates tremendous opportunities for the business community and companies in both countries.” Key logistics players in India and the UAE are utilising the three-day event, held at Hotel Le Meridien Dubai, to work out ways and means to improve the prospects of the freight and logistics market. “From strategic cooperation, it has also established tremendous opportunities in vital sectors such as trade, investment, hospitality, aviation and renewable energy and petrochemicals, noting that the UAE, thanks to its advanced and pioneering services, establishing its position as a major logistics gateway for the flow of international trade and investment around the world,” he said. Nadia Abdul Aziz, President of the UAE’s National Association of Freight and Logistics (NAFL) has suggested a logistics corridor apart from a trade corridor for which more investments should be made into sea freight between the two countries, so that logistics cost will be reduced. Nadia said more synergy should be created between the Indian and the UAE freight forwarders, who will be the main strategic people who …

The Executive Committee of the Federation of Freight Forwarders’ Associations in India (FFFAI) hosted its 4th EC Meeting on March 23, 2022 in Dubai while participating in the World Expo 2020 in association with the Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) organised event, the 3rd Logix 2022, which started on March 21, 2022. On this occasion, the three-day FFFAI delegation, headed by Shankar Shinde, Chairman, FFFFAI, had various meetings and conferences, including the importance of the India-UAE CEPA agreement. FFFAI Executive Committee members included representatives from its 28 member associations from across the country, and the logistics sector was represented by a delegation. During the 3-day delegation, there were various business networking meetings organised with trade and logistics associations. Shinde pointed out that the initiatives of FIEO-FFFAI in organising the delegation to the event for logistics are very important as logistics is the backbone of the economy and plays an important role in supply chain and cost-effective solutions to boost the economy. The 3-day mega international buyer-seller meet LOGIX INDIA is an initiative focused on improving cost-effectiveness and operational efficiencies and creating an effective trade logistic system. According to FIEO sources, the first two editions of the show, which were held in New Delhi, witnessed over 3,000 B2B meetings. The past editions of the show had over 120 international delegates from over 24 countries and around 140 Indian logistics, warehousing, and shipping companies. The show is aimed at exploring investment opportunities in infrastructure development, warehouse consolidation, technology integration, IT enablement, and the skilling of manpower. The third Logix India 2022 brought together people, processes, and technology to improve global supply chain logistics. Currently, India’s logistics sector is highly fragmented, and …

Easterly Asset Management’s Maritime Logistics Equity Partners (MLEP), formed last year to invest in critical maritime shipping assets, announced today that it has acquired three additional vessels through MLEP I, its first chemical tanker investment tranche. The newly purchased vessels are all 24,000 dwt coated chemical tankers, larger than the four J19 stainless steel chemical tankers previously acquired by MLEP I. “The new acquisitions through MLEP I show the appeal of our focus on benefitting from the substantial dislocations and opportunities in international shipping markets by acquiring and making available for hire pre-owned chemical tankers,” said Darrell Crate, Managing Principal of Easterly Asset Management and MLEP’s Chief Executive Officer. “We’ve seen that the demand for such tankers has the potential to generate a high level of income for investors, and we continue to seek new investment opportunities in the shipping sector.” Launched in September 2021, MLEP is taking advantage of the limited supply and growing demand for chemical tankers, a low future orderbook for new ship construction, and increases in trade. In addition to the four J19 stainless steel chemical tankers previously purchased, MLEP has acquired three coated tankers: Easterly Hawk (built in 2008) Easterly Osprey (built in 2009) Easterly Falcon (built in 2009) In November 2021, Easterly launched MLEP II, which has a goal of raising $150-250 million of equity. It plans to acquire all sizes of chemical tankers, including both stainless and coated MRs and handysize tankers, with the target of acquiring 15–25 vessels. Both of MLEP’s investment tranches capitalise on shortages in tanker capacity brought about by growing global demand for the transport of bulk liquids such as palm oil, molasses, feedstock, and other commodities and the limited construction of vessels …

GEODIS has committed to offering humanitarian aid to the people of Ukraine. This aid will be provided through the mobilisation of the group’s logistics capabilities for the transportation of essential goods, alongside a fundraising initiative in collaboration with the French Red Cross. GEODIS will provide free transport and storage of goods from France and other European Union countries to the regions that have taken in Ukrainian refugees. To deliver these services, the group will rely on its local teams, who are already setting up the appropriate transport and logistics resources to support the humanitarian aid and relief efforts. In particular, GEODIS will provide warehouse sites in strategic locations close to the Ukrainian border. The management of GEODIS has also decided to support the French Red Cross in its operations through a fundraising campaign that will be open for all employees of the group to contribute to. Every euro donated will be matched by GEODIS on a one-for-one basis. All donations received by the French Red Cross will be used to support people directly affected by the conflict by helping to meet their needs for water, basic necessities, medical supplies, first aid, and psychological and social support. Marie-Christine Lombard, Chief Executive Officer of GEODIS, said: “We want to express our support for the Ukrainian people, who are experiencing the horror of the conflict. In addition to financial donations, the entire GEODIS Group has decided to contribute to the humanitarian effort by exercising its expertise in organising transport and storage. Our network and our teams, whether at the head office or at the local level, are fully dedicated to facilitating the flow of goods linked to international solidarity.”

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. …

Inland water transport (IWT) has a 2% modal share in freight movement. Based on the findings of feasibility studies and detailed project reports (DPR), about 5149 km of 26 national waterways (NWs) have been determined to be viable for development for shipping and navigation purposes. The use of waterways is determined by a variety of criteria, the most important of which are vessel availability, uninterrupted fairway, and cost-effective first and last-mile connections. The availability of boats in the private sector has been limited for a variety of reasons, the majority of which are market-driven. In the case of a fairway, the development is only sustainable to the required level if the conservation works conducted are supplemented by sufficient water releases into the stream. Given the circumstances, there has been a positive trend in IWT traffic increase, from 19.77 MTPA on February 2, 2001, to 96.31 MTPA in 2021-22 (till February). According to the 2014 RITES Report on the “Integrated National Waterways Transportation Grid,” the cost comparison between the Inland Water Transport (IWT) mode and other dominant modes of surface transport is as follows: NW-1 (The Ganga) freight flow has increased from 4.89 million tonnes (MT) in 2016-17 to 9.21 million tonnes in 202-21, representing an 88 percent increase during 2016-17 and a 17 percent CAGR. The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) has taken on the execution of the World Bank-assisted Jal Marg Vikas Project (JMVP) at a total cost of Rs. 4634 crore, including work on activities in line with the Arth Ganga Concept at a cost of Rs. 746 crore. The JMVP-II was designed in July 2020 based on the Arth Ganga idea, with the goal of enhancing socio-economic development …

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 …

LATAM Airlines Group announced that it will compensate the CO2 emissions of the first nine routes in Chile, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, and Colombia every Friday through its “Let’s Fly Neutral on Friday” programme. Through this initiative, which is part of the group’s sustainability strategy, LATAM will support conservation projects that prevent deforestation in strategic ecosystems in South America by offsetting CO2 emissions generated on routes, including passenger and cargo flights. Emblematic passenger routes will be offset at a regional level, including Santiago-Chiloé, Galapagos-Guayaquil, Arequipa-Cusco, and Rio de Janeiro-São Paulo. LATAM will also offset cargo flights on routes including Iquitos-Lima, Guayaquil-Baltra Island, Brasília-Belém and Bogotá-Miami routes. LATAM plans to gradually incorporate new routes and more conservation projects into each country in the coming months. “This initiative is another step that we have been implementing to reach carbon neutrality by 2050. Let’s Fly Neutral on Friday will allow us to turn one day of the week into an opportunity to support strategic ecosystem conservation projects in the region. These projects not only offset CO2 emissions, but they also contribute to protecting biodiversity and the economic development of communities,” said Juan José Tohá, Director of Corporate Affairs and Sustainability of LATAM. Each carbon dioxide (CO2) tonne emitted on these routes will be offset with a carbon credit, equivalent to one tonne of CO2 captured by a conservation project. The carbon offsetting of these routes will initially be managed through the CO2BIO flooded savanna conservation project, located in the Colombian Orinoquía, a strategic ecosystem that has iconic biodiversity. The initiative will conserve 200,000 hectares of floodable savannah, providing habitat for more than 2,000 species. Over the next few months, LATAM Airline Group hopes to …