Third party logistic (3PL) service provider FM Logistic India has entered in a contract with Welspun One Logistics Parks to lease warehousing space at Bhiwandi. As per the agreement, Welspun One will lease out about 9 lakh sq ft of warehousing space to FM Logistic India at its Bhiwandi facility for a tenure of five years. The company is investing Rs 900 crore to develop its 110-acre industrial park project at Bhiwandi in Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR). The project has a potential leasable area of 3.2 million sq ft. Welspun One Logistics Parks is in advanced discussions to lease another 1.5 million sq ft with other e-commerce and 3PL companies. “We are committed to solving the location needs of our clients with solutions that are driven to achieve the highest levels of compliance, safety, operational efficiency and innovation,” says, Anshul Singhal, Managing Director, Welspun One Logistics Parks. Despite the ongoing pandemic and the resultant lockdown, FM Logistic India added 10 lakh sq ft of warehousing space under its operations this year. Alexandre Amine Soufiani, MD, FM Logistic India, says, “We are committed to providing our customers with the best-in-class warehousing infrastructure. Our association with Welspun One Logistics Parks will help us further enhance our service offering to our valued customers.”

In spite of the global challenges experienced in 2020, Budapest Airport handled 13,864 tonnes of air cargo this November, which is 6.3% more than a year ago and the strongest monthly cargo performance on record. Meanwhile, the volume of goods received and launched from January to November 2020 has exceeded 120 000 tonnes. With year’s end approaching, we can state with certainty that cargo traffic at the Hungarian capital airport and the BUD Cargo City opened a year ago have proven immune to the pandemic. Dr. Rolf Schnitzler, the CEO of Budapest Airport highlighted that this is attributable not just to pandemic-related shipments, changed purchasing habits and the entire cargo community, but in particular to the 50 million EUR fully private investment undertaken by Budapest Airport into the world-class facilities of the BUD Cargo City, which attracts more and more cargo business. “Seamless cargo traffic at the airport requires many players and precise coordination. Close cooperation between shippers, forwarders, airlines, ground handlers, authorities and all colleagues working at the airport is indispensable in this process,” emphasized József Kossuth, Cargo Manager, Budapest Airport, in adding, “This year was extraordinary and full of challenges for everyone. The fact that cargo traffic at Budapest Airport has remained stable in this changed environment and even showed a significant increase in November is the result of our joint work and the exemplary perseverance of the cargo community. On behalf of BUD’s cargo team, I would like to thank everyone who supported air cargo in Hungary with their work.” The record traffic in November is attributable to several market factors. The year-end peak period usually starts in October in air cargo, and intensifies from November. The …

Jettainer, the wholly-owned subsidiary of Lufthansa Cargo AG, has announced the launch of cool&fly to maximise the efficient use of temperature-controlled ULDs, particularly for COVID-19 vaccines distribution. The product is one of a kind, comprising full cool ULD order management, steering and positioning along with monitoring as well as after-service management. It is available to airlines, no matter their other ULD management setup. Temperature-controlled Unit Load Devices (ULDs) are expected to become a limited resource within air transportation. The increasing demand for cool transport solutions and interaction between the growing number of stakeholders will prove complex and time-consuming. Securing supply and managing containers for temperature-sensitive goods is an extremely complex mission that requires absolutely accurate and attentive management. This includes on-time ordering and positioning, as well as constant traceability and monitoring throughout the entire process chain in order to be ready for an immediate response to all eventualities as there is no margin for error due to the highly valuable and sensitive goods involved. “The logistical challenges involved when transporting vaccines by air are huge. Maximising the efficient use of the cool ULDs will be crucial; reliable management of all interfaces from a single point will minimise risks during the transport. cool&fly and our highly experienced cool competence centre provide customers with the perfect solution,” said Thomas Sonntag, Managing Director, Jettainer GmbH.

With a 14 per cent growth quarter on quarter, India’s containerised export is helping the country’s trade recover, explains Maersk report on India’s import-export trade update from Q3 of 2020 (July – September). During Q3 of 2020, the Indian containerised trade contracted by about 8 per cent as compared to the same period last year. However, comparing to Q2 of 2020, there has been a 31 per cent increase in volumes, indicating that trade is on a path of recovery. Exports out of India are up by 14 per cent over Q3 of last year while they are 47 per cent higher than Q2 of 2020. Imports are however 28 per cent lower than Q3 of 2019, but have recovered by more than 30 per cent from Q2 2020. The rising demand for Indian textiles and apparels, especially to the North American markets, has driven tremendous growth in exports in the past quarter. Textiles and apparels contribute a quarter of exports to North America, and these volumes delivered a growth of 10 per cent over the same quarter last year. The exports of textiles and apparels to the Mediterranean markets also grew by 10 per cent. Other commodities that witnessed growth in exports include tile, stone and glass to the North European region, and seeds, beans, cereal and flour to the Middle East and Mediterranean countries. Imports into India start showing first signs of recovery Q3 of 2020 was yet another quarter where imports were lower than the same period in 2019, however there is some growth compared to Q2 of 2020. Imports of commodities such as paper, metal, appliances and kitchenware have increased since the last quarter, though they …

In a bid to ensure each aspect of vaccine and its handling, Spicejet has collaborated with MyLogistics Gurukul; the teams will be working together to handle the first-mile, last-mile and door-to-door delivery of vaccine when it comes out. A trained team who handles will be absolute key to avoid any loss of efficacy due thermal shock during transit and storage, familiarity with the regularity and compliances and social and commercial impact due rejection of goods and other reasons. The training is being delivered online across the country audience over two days, four hours in a daily per batch of about 25 participants and more than 500 SpiceXpress employees will be trained in the sensitive cold chain vaccine handling. The carrier has been a very active player in the COVID period for the cargo industry by adding capacity and creating new routes to serve Indian EXIM needs. The carrier has taken some great initiatives in preparation for vaccine distribution such as tying up with various industry players for seamless transportation and storage of vaccine. The one key factor for ensuring there is seamless handling of the vaccine is to train the Spicejet team in the nuances of the vaccine handling , storage and movement needs in International and domestic transportation chain. MyLogistics Gurukul is the premier training academy providing specialised training to industry personnel to boost efficiency in the logistics industry. They work closely with industry experts and create and customise programs to bridge the knowledge gap.

Wastage has always been an issue in handling perishables. Explaining further how can airlines help or come out with a solution to help reduce waste, Rajesh Menon, Regional Head Cargo –  South Asia, Middle East and Africa, Cathay Pacific Airways, expounds, “Perishable goods such as flowers, fruits, vegetables, meats, deteriorate over time, especially under extreme temperatures. It is important for airlines across to understand and cater to the individual temperature and storage needs of such products, to avoid produce from going to waste. Fresh LIFT not only includes specific temperature-controlled rooms and containers, but our teams are also highly trained and experienced in cold chain management. Furthermore, we have ensured that all our policies are in line with several international regulations including IATA’S Perishable Cargo Regulations (PCR).” “It is important to take a more sustainable approach for future generations, across our cargo and passenger business,” believes Menon. “We have also worked closely with various stakeholders to introduce the Sustainable Development Cargo Carriage Policy that allows various partners to gain an understanding of where we stand to protect the environment in the area of cargo carriage,” he adds.

The LATAM Group has commenced operating flights to Qatar to cater the demand from Chile’s fruit harvest season. The service was launched on November 30 and the first flight on the route was operated by Latam Airlines Brazil. The flight transported perishables from customers in South America to Asia and electrical goods were carried on the return route. The carrier operated its second flight to Doha on December 7, carrying more than 95 tonnes of fresh fruit. The fruits were then transported to Shanghai by Latam’s interline partner Qatar Airways Cargo. Qatar Airways Cargo helped LATAM Cargo to import more than 60 tonnes of electrical goods to Brazil and Chili to meet the Christmas season demand. “LATAM Cargo maintained its strategy of using passenger aircraft as all-cargo transport during the pandemic, which proved very helpful to mitigate the belly capacity reduction caused by the global border closure,” the carrier said.

To help companies manage their logistics efficiently and prepare it for unpredictable situations, TruckNet Digital has launched ‘Transportation Management Platform’ for manufacturers across India. Ever since the COVID pandemic hit the country, businesses have been facing unpredictable out-of-stock situations, stranded trucks, and a lack of visibility into their supply chains. With TruckNet they can now monitor their consignment independent of transporters and can facilitate all their customer interactions digitally. Through this platform manufacturers can simplify logistic operations through automation and transparency. With better visibility on shipments and digitalisation of invoices and receipts, customers will be happier to work with manufacturers. With built-in vendor management and advanced freight reconciliation, your vendor payments are on time and without duplicates. Rewarding high performing transport vendors also helps reduce costs in the long term. Digital invoices, electronic proof of delivery, and anytime anywhere accessibility to logistics and billing helps customers reduce cash cycle times by a week or more. According to Anjani Mandal, Co-founder and CEO, TruckNet Digital, “Manufacturers and distributors need a smooth and functioning network between a company and its suppliers to get the product to the final buyer. Companies require an efficient transport management system providing them with complete visibility and control over their transport operations. This is what we offer them through TruckNet Digital. ” Commenting on TruckNet’s offerings Vivek Malhotra, Co-founder and Chief of Strategy & Marketing, TruckNet Digital, says “Companies will no longer be impacted by unpredictable situations like lockdowns and can be equipped ahead of time. TruckNet makes managing transportation for multiple offices and warehouses across geographies easier. Companies can avail services TruckNet offers based on their requirements and upgrade as and when required making it very economical and convenient for them” …

Shadowfax India has launched RedSeer Shadowfax Logistics Index (RSLI) to provide a definitive view of the eCommerce sector’s quarterly performance on supply chain and logistics and indices them across parameters of growth, performance, efficiency, customer and merchant experience. Amazon, Ajio, Dmart, Zomato, Udaan, Xiaomi and BigBasket have emerged as the leaders in the newly launched RSLI report. The eCommerce sectors covered in the RSLI include horizontal, vertical, omni-channel, direct-consumer, hyperlocal (FoodTech, eGrocery etc.) and eB2B. The index is built on a framework of four pillars which is further measured on 15 metrics. The four pillars are growth index, performance and efficiency index, merchant experience index and customer experience index. The study’s methodology took a multi-pronged approach towards building the index which includes expert interactions, customer surveys, and competitive intelligence among others followed by data analysis. The scores on a standard scale of 0-100 at parameter level were then multiplied with the weightages to arrive at the final index score. In the horizontal retailers’ segment, Amazon led the segment but both Amazon and Flipkart were fairly close on all the parameters. However, Meesho stood out in terms of growth and reverse shipment experience. AJIO led in the vertical segment while DMart led in the omnichannel space. Xiaomi led in the D2C segment, while BigBasket led in the eGrocery (Hyperlocal) segment, Zomato led the food tech (hyperlocal) segment and Udaan in the eB2B space. Commenting on the launch, Abhishek Bansal, Co-founder and CEO, Shadowfax says, “Logistics is emerging as the bellwether sector indicating the economic recovery and fiscal wellbeing of India. The pandemic, while it has presented a multitude of challenges, has also presented an unprecedented opportunity for the sector. Many critical …

Beehive Logistics (India), GSA Cargo Uzbekistan Airways, has announced that it is now operating cargo flights from Hyderabad carrying essential pharmaceuticals supplies to Uzbekistan and Russia, as part of its expansion plan. It has been operating flights from Delhi and Mumbai earlier. Due to the on-going pandemic crisis, the demand for undisrupted pharmaceuticals supply has increased manifold. To accommodate the requirements of pharmaceuticals companies in Uzbekistan, CIS nations and Russia, Beehive Logistics has now started operations from Hyderabad too. The GSA has also signed an exclusive contract with JODAS Expoim, a leading pharmaceutical company located in Hyderabad, to supply pharmaceutical goods to CIS nations and Russia. It is a modern research-driven organisation that has quality and affordability at the heart of its activities. With the JODAS Expoim and other leading pharma companies as the key shippers, Beehive Logistics have sent more than 4,39,985 kg of essential pharmaceuticals, vaccines, medical supplies and general cargo in November 2020. The flights operate back to back with Uzbekistan Airways’ Boeing 767 aircraft.   Naveen Rao, Group Chairman, states, “Since, Hyderabad is known as the pharmaceuticals and vaccine hub of India. It made sense to expand our operations in Hyderabad apart from Delhi and Mumbai. We have been continuously working hard during this unprecedented time and our goal is to ensure an unbroken supply chain of pharmaceuticals supplies to Uzbekistan and other CIS nations along with Russia. And our exclusive contract with JODAS pharmaceuticals gives a competitive advantage as Russia and CIS nations are the main importers of pharmaceuticals goods from JODAS Expoim. This is one more step towards our goal.” On this alliance, Sashi Shankar P. Singh, Co-founder and Director, JODAS Expoim comments, “We have been supplying pharmaceutical goods to Russia and CIS Nations …