In anticipation of the marketing of 15 billion doses of Covid-19 vaccines, Bolloré Logistics has taken the initiative to create a task force composed of experts from its network with a view to designing logistics solutions ensuring the seamless distribution of the vaccines as soon as they are marketed. Bolloré Logistics has for many years invested in infrastructures, human resources and technologies to boost its capacities in the health sector. The company brings its customers complete solutions, both internationally and locally, in compliance with the best distribution practices in the pharmaceutical industry. The controlled-temperature transport of Covid-19 vaccines is a major challenge, as some of them will need to be kept at a temperature of between +2°C and +8°C and others at a very low temperature of around -70°C. As such, Bolloré Logistics is planning ahead and preparing for all possible scenarios, including active and passive packaging solutions. The company, which has obtained CEIV Pharma certification, will rely on its own resources as well as those of its existing subcontractors to transport vaccines by air in respect of the cold chain. Supplementing these solutions, Bolloré Logistics’ collaborative platform will provide complete visibility of the supply chain and, via the Healthcare control tower available 24-7, address any potential issues (including delays, temperature differences and damage). “Ahead of the marketing of COVID-19 vaccines, we have rallied all our skills and resources to meet the logistics challenges to come. We are ready to fully play our role in the global distribution of the future vaccines alongside all the concerned players, particularly pharmaceutical laboratories and international organisations,” said Olivier Boccara, Global Chief Commercial Officer, Bolloré Logistics.

Enabling the ultra-fast delivery services of daily essentials and grocery under the Amazon Fresh Store on Amazon.in, Amazon India has announced the launch of Amazon Fresh in Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Pune and Chennai. With this expansion, Amazon India has more than 25 such Amazon Fresh centres, with a 3X increase in processing space. The company has also expanded its infrastructure with new centres in Bengaluru, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Delhi-NCR with growing customer demand for the grocery category. The specialiaed infrastructure is designed to ensure safe storage of products in the category with freezer and refrigeration zones, special packaging for frozen food among others. “The investment in these specialized centres is in line with our long-term commitment to invest in India and create hundreds of job opportunities. We are also delighted to help Indian customers get what they need, while keeping our customers and our workforce safe. In the last few months, customers have increasingly trusted us to enable delivery of essentials safely at their doorstep. We have ramped up our operational capabilities in cities where we already offered this service, and added 4 new cities ahead of the festive season to meet customer needs” said Prakash Kumar Dutta, Vice President – Fulfilment Operations and Supply Chain, Amazon India. Siddharth Nambiar, Director – Category Management, Amazon India, said, “As part of our commitment to fulfil the needs of customers, we are launching Amazon Fresh in four more cities of Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Pune & Chennai to offer customers the convenience of ordering daily essentials on Amazon.in while staying safe at home. Customers can now order the freshest fruits and vegetables as well as everyday grocery and get them delivered within 4 hours. The …

Isuzu Motors India has launched BS VI compliant D-Max Regular Cab and D-Max S-Cab, along with a new variant D-Max Super Strong with a 1,710 kg payload. The vehicles are launched with many first-in-segment features in the commercial vehicle category in the industry. With the addition of a new variant, now Isuzu Motors India offers the D-Max Regular Cab High-Ride with flat deck, D-Max Regular Cab-Chassis, S-Cab Standard-Ride, S-Cab High-Ride and the new D-Max Regular Cab Super Strong, offering more versatile options for all business and professional requirements, especially for logistics sector. Keeping in mind the use in logistics sector, the refreshed models come packed with added features both on the exterior and interior. Both the vehicles are fully loaded with occupant safety with front and rear crumple zones, cross car front beam, door side intrusion and collapsible steering column. Additionally, a segment first, the sliding co-driver seat in the new vehicles adds to the comfort of the co-driver. Powered by a 2.5 litre ISUZU 4JA1 Engine, the enhanced range of commercial vehicles project an aggressive stance with their new styling and refreshed design. With a high capacity alternator, users of the vehicle in the reefer segment can easily fit the reefer equipment without making any major modifications in the engine, saving them the initial set up cost & also providing ease of maintenance. Additionally, a Wider Cargo body, enables the user to carry more cargo thereby generating more revenue. Both the vehicles sport a bolder look with the new grille, bonnet and bumper designs. They come equipped with MID (Multi-Information Display) cluster with GSI (Gear Shift Indicator) that enables the driver to use the ideal gear in that current …

The International Air Cargo Association (TIACA) has announced that Glyn Hughes will take the newly created role of Director General of the association. He will manage the team, work with the Board of Directors, the members and the industry partners to establish and implement TIACA’s vision and strategic objectives and advance the overall cargo agenda. Hughes is set to start his tenure at TIACA in February 2021. “Over the past year TIACA has fundamentally transformed itself which will enable the association to serve its current members better with greater relevance and attract new ones. I fully support TIACA’s new direction and its unique position to unite and represent the entire airfreight industry. I will be honoured to work with such an engaged Board of Directors, the team and the members to implement TIACA’s new vision and mission,” states Glyn Hughes. “Our industry is and will be facing challenging times ahead and I am determined and excited to contribute to making it stronger and to work with all to lead this industry towards a more efficient and sustainable future.” Hughes brings over 36 years of industry experience including leadership roles in air cargo, passenger, financial, training and industry affairs. Before joining TIACA, Hughes led a team of cargo experts at IATA, as its Global Head of Cargo. “Although the COVID-19 crisis has brought a spotlight on air cargo working hard to deliver essential medicine and supplies fast and safely, despite the global lockdown, the global pandemic has also highlighted the urgent need for air cargo to accelerate its digital and sustainable transformation, to develop collaborative business models and speak with a united voice to come out of this unprecedented crisis more …

Terminal Pipavav has commenced Integrated Container Tracking (ICT) system introduced by National Industrial Corridor Development Corporation Ltd (NICDC) under Logistics Data Bank (LDB) project. NICDC Logistics Data Services (NLDS) has completed vital infrastructure at APM Terminals Pipavav to commence the near real time visibility of the container movement across the supply chain. This will help in tracking the container from port to Container Freight Stations (CFSs), Inland Container Depots (ICDs) and end users and would help in enhancing the visibility and efficiency of the container movement thereby improving the competitiveness of the Exim trade. LDB was developed to address the critical issue of tracking movement of containers across various ports and provide insights to trade. It integrates the information available with various agencies across the supply chain to provide detailed real time information within a single window. With this expansion 100% of India’s container volume will be covered under LDB project. Currently around 28 million EXIM containers pan India have received services. Jakob Friis Sørensen, Managing Director, APM Terminals Pipavav said, “It’s an honour to become a part of this nation-wide project of NICDC that will streamline container movement across logistics value chain and identify inefficiencies and bottlenecks to develop strategies to ensure the development of the sector.” He adds, “The visibility of containers throughout the entire supply chain provides multiple benefits to trade, including transparency, integration, lesser paperwork and improved planning for arrival, unloading and final delivery.” A separate Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) has been formed by the Govt. of India between NICDC and NEC Corporation, Japan namely “NICDC Logistics Data Services Limited” (NLDSL) to execute LDB across entire logistics value chain. LDB is now functional at 17 ports, …

Express expects unprecedented online shopping and shipping volumes during the upcoming peak season of 2020. With continued globalisation and the Covid-19 pandemic driving consumers to shop online like never before, especially during upcoming mega shopping days such as ‘Black Friday’ and ‘Singles Day’, DHL Express is expecting an all-time high in e-commerce trade around the globe. Having already experienced around 35% e-commerce shipment volume growth in 2020, the upcoming peak season will further accelerate this and result in more than 50% higher shipment quantities compared to last year’s peak season. “The pandemic has resulted in an exponential rise in online shopping. With most physical stores closed altogether during the lockdown, and those that are open hindering people’s ability to social distance, many consumers have switched to e-commerce. While our economy is opening up and people are cautiously venturing out, the online purchasing trend will continue this festive season,” said R.S Subramanian, Senior Vice President and Managing Director, DHL Express India. He adds, “DHL Express is a key enabler of trade globally, and our mission of Connecting People and Improving Lives has been so apt in the current circumstance. Beyond the immediate response to the pandemic, logistics will be key to supporting long-term economic recovery for the nation.” “Over the years, we have seen consumers and even businesses shift their purchases online, but the pandemic has truly pushed the trend to leapfrog a few years ahead,” said Ken Lee, CEO, DHL Express Asia Pacific. “At DHL Express, it is our mission to enable global trade and support our customers during the most important days of their business. The upcoming peak season will be challenging to the logistics industry, but we stand …

In a bid to offer services on P-CaSo, Portall Infosystems has announced collaboration with BoxnBiz, an inbuilt cloud-based Indian freight forwarding solution-based offering air freight, ocean freight & customs clearance. P-CaSo, a collaborative platform for the ecosystem is integrated into the Indian Port Community System to bring various services, including services such as eBL, blockchain document transfer (BDT), trucking aggregation services, eVGM and e-learning, certificate of origin. The addition of freight quote to the existing pallet of services will allow PCS 1x users to access the ocean freight portal’s booking, get instant freight quotes for FCL & LCL services along with end to end tracking & visibility with 3000+ port pairs to serve import & export needs, saving and sharing documents and payments. Shirishchandra Shah, Chief Product Officer, Portall Infosystems, said, “Our partnership with BoxnBiz would bring synergy & value additions in the maritime community as we once again make our footprint in the digitisation space. I thank Indian Ports Association for their wholehearted support & wish BoxnBiz a very best of luck in their journey with us.” Biplob Barik, Founder & CEO, BoxnBiz said, “With this partnership, we expect that the adoption of digitalisation in the international shipping space will increase and the maritime sector will take a greater step towards digitalization. The present pandemic has no doubt shaken the way businesses work. Now it is time to change and we want to contribute to this journey together with Portall.”

IAG Cargo has launched a preighter service with carrier Iberia Airlines utilising A330 wide-body aircraft. The aircraft has been modified by IAG Cargo’s sister company Iberia, and comes ahead of the peak season for air cargo and as demand for cargo services grows. The A330 ‘preighter’ service – an Iberia wide-body passenger aircraft with all the seats removed – will be serviced by IAG Cargo, providing extra capacity to deliver the logistics programs for its customers across the world. The new service will commence four times a week between Los Angeles and Madrid and provides much needed capacity ahead of the peak season. It took the team just a week to remove the seats on the plane and just a few weeks to fully convert the aircraft. The operation has seen all Economy, Premium Economy seats and crew rest removed along with separation panels. Carpeting was reinstalled with lights indicating the 33 cargo positions. Cargo will be held in place with netting fastened to floor rails where the seats were anchored. The aircraft now has the capacity to carry over 200 cubic metres of cargo. “It’s been exciting to work with Iberia to provide this service, which will enable our customers to keep operating at optimum speed and efficiency. We are seeing increasing demand from customers and shippers for a more tailored service, which is increasingly important as we approach peak season. For distant markets, air freight makes a global logistics program possible,” said Fernando Terol Armas, Director of Spanish Hub and Operations at IAG Cargo.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has renamed the Ministry of Shipping as the Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways during a launch event of Ropax ferry service between Ghogha (Bhavnagar) and Hazira (near Surat) in Gujarat, via video conferencing. “The name of Ministry of Shipping is being changed to Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways,” said PM Modi said. The decision to change the name of the Shipping Ministry is part of government’s efforts to revamp the ports and create world-class Inland Water Transport. “The Ministry of Shipping encompasses within its fold shipping and port sectors which include Shipbuilding, Ship-repair, Major Ports, National Waterways, and Inland Water Transport,” the ministry wrote in a blog published on its official website. According to the ministry, “The capacity of the ports in terms of their berths and cargo handling equipment needs to be vastly improved to cater to the growing requirements of the overseas trade. The shipping industry needs to be enabled to carry higher shares of the sea-borne trade in indigenous bottoms.”

Strategically located on Durgapur Highway, National Highway – 2, Safexpress has launched its ultra-modern Logistics Park in Kolkata. Kolkata is a hub for various industries in India, and several well-known brands have their manufacturing plants located here. Being one of the largest industrial hubs of West Bengal, Kolkata is a crucial location from supply chain & logistics perspective. Keeping this in mind, Safexpress has established its state-of-the-art Logistics Park at Kolkata. This facility will serve as a nodal point for supply chain and logistics in the region. This facility is based at a strategic location and has strong connectivity with all Indian states. The company has made a significant investment to set up this world-class Logistics infrastructure in Kolkata. The development of Safexpress Logistics Park in Kolkata has been done on a land area of over 2.75 lakh square feet. This Logistics Park is enabled with state-of-the-art transhipment and 3PL facilities. It will boost the industrial growth of this region. Supply chain & Logistics has a very crucial role to play in the development of numerous industries spread all over West Bengal. Safexpress Logistics Park at Kolkata will help greatly in minimising the infrastructure gaps and serve the supply chain & logistics requirements of the entire West Bengal region. The Logistics Park enables loading & unloading of over 100 vehicles simultaneously, which ensures smooth and uninterrupted movement of goods. Operations at the Logistics Park are highly streamlined, which ensures the country’s fastest transit-time from Kolkata to across India. The Logistics Park has state-of-the-art fire-fighting equipment and trained manpower to deal with any emergencies. This facility is a perfect mix of nature-friendly initiatives and technology. Safexpress has taken special environment-friendly initiatives …