Commenting on what is stopping the industry from keeping pace with the government and who can take the responsibility to create more awareness on going contactless, Cyrus Katgara, President, ACFI, “Associations do need to take the responsibility and we will take the responsibility. It is the time for collaboration between all the associations, be it, ACFI, ACAAI, AMTOI, CHAA, etc. ACFI has already started training programmes on how we can go contactless. It’s all about the mind-set and will power of people to avoid contact and forget our old system of interacting with people for work. We need to have interaction for every other thing except for work. Today, also at the ground level we have examination and other queries where there is contact.

To help the air cargo industry in order to match the shipping needs with the availability of infrastructure capabilities and certifications of service providers across the value chain, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has launched IATA One Source. ONE Source lists the latest operational information on airlines, airports, cargo handling facilities, freight forwarders, ground handlers, shippers, and trucking companies. All critical information contained on ONE Source has been verified by IATA to help ensure its accuracy. IATA ONE Source is free for all service providers across the air cargo supply chain. The online programme is particularly timely amid the COVID-19 crisis when shippers of medical supplies and pharmaceuticals need accurate information for time- and temperature-sensitive shipments. “Air cargo has been essential in the global fight against COVID-19, transporting vital equipment and medicines to those who need them most. However, with over 3,500 differently sized cargo handling facilities worldwide, the industry until now has lacked visibility on the capacities and services these facilities can offer. The need for greater transparency is even more critical in the current context. ONE Source addresses this by providing a single reference point for up-to-date infrastructure and certification data, helping save time and keep air cargo moving,” said Glyn Hughes, Global Head of Cargo, IATA.

Shipping group CMA CGM has announced the enhancement of its existing China India Express (CIX) service that connects Asia with the Indian subcontinent region. The CIX enhancement will see Xingang and Pusan being added as ports of call, making CIX a more comprehensive weekly service that links key ports in China and Korea to Colombo, Nhava Sheva and Pipavav. Via the trans-shipment hub of Hong Kong, shipments onboard CIX will be able to gain access to markets situated in Central and South China through the shipping network of CNC and the CMA CGM Group. The enhanced CIX, complemented by the existing Asia Subcontinent Express (AS1) and Asia Subcontinent Express 6 (AS6) services, forms part of CMA CGM’s portfolio of Asia-Indian subcontinent services. CIX will begin its new port rotation from Xingang on October 20 and will call at Xingang, Pusan, Shanghai, Xiamen, Hong Kong, Shekou, Singapore, Colombo, Nhava Sheva, Pipavav, Port Kelang, Singapore, Hong Kong and Xingang.

Kuehne+Nagel open airside pharma and healthcare hubs in Brussels, Belgium and Johannesburg, South Africa. With the opening of airside facilities, the company has added two strategic elements to its global GxP-certified network of temperature-controlled facilities for the distribution of vaccines and other pharma & healthcare products. As many of the temperature-sensitive products have very low to no stability outside of their stated temperature ranges, direct tarmac access at Kuehne+Nagel airside facilities even further minimises the risk of temperature excursions and ensures product integrity during the logistics journey. The new premises have dedicated areas for all ranges of temperature-sensitive products:

Talking about the importance of location while building a warehouse, Thomas highlights, “One can create a location hub and build an A-grade warehouse in order to seek good returns out of that. However, when any institution fund buys a land, the overall infrastructure surrounding it, the overall transportation facility and reachability of a particular place from across the region is very important. So, by location, unlike retail or residential, it means more of accessibility from each and every standpoint; entire logistics has to move around on a 24×7 basis. If that is served, the location can be made to the best benefit. And, for that matter A-grade warehouse is very important because even if the location is slightly off but if a developer tends to make an A-grade facility, it is still workable.”

Stressing on why looking at logistics sector from the lens of cost would be unfair, Pawan Kumar Agarwal, Special Secretary (Logistics), Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Government of India, says, “The estimate of costs that we have is somewhat ambiguous; we don’t have a good idea of what these costs are and what it should be and therefore we don’t reach to the right conclusion.” Having said this, he maintains, “There are several issues that may need to be done from the users of logistics industry.” The country has done very well over the last few years in making huge investments in infrastructure. Private sector has also supported government in creating infrastructure, the new warehousing capacities has largely been created by private players, a lot of expansion in fleet of vehicles has happened. Now the biggest challenge with us is to ensure that we optimally use the available infrastructure; of course there are gaps in infrastructure and more investment is needed. However, our primary concern should be whatever assets that are created should be optimally used,” he adds Agarwal shares his perspective at the virtual seminar organised by PHD Chamber of Commerce on ‘How Logistics will contribute to Atmanirbhar Bharat’.

ONE India (Ocean Network Express) became the first Carrier to launch their Electronic Delivery Order (e-DO) via Port Community System (PCS1x) by going live for Nhava Shiva India. While urging all other carriers to step forth and commence eDO release via PCS1x, Dr Janardana Rao, MD, IPA (Indian Ports Association), says, “This initiative will significantly improve efficiency while also taking Indian logistics closer to becoming a paperless regime. With the roll-out of the service, ONE India customers will be further facilitated and gain considerably; saving time and money in clearing cargo and speed up delivery order extension and the empty offload processes. Field agents of importers and customs brokers need not wait at line offices and can be utilised more productively. Indian Ports Association (IPA) launched a value-added Electronic Delivery Order (eDO) facility – on its cloud based new generation Port Community System ‘PCS1x’. Government has ensured that the facility can be availed free of charge by all stakeholders on PCS1x.

Imperial Logistics has expanded its latest multi-user warehouse capacity, located in Werne, Germany, by 30 per cent with the leasing of a further adjacent unit. The additional space brings the total under-cover storage area to almost 30,000 sqm. The extra warehousing will be part-racked for pallets, while some of the new floor space will be left open for handling and storing of outsize goods. The facility now has a total of 25 truck doors, together with a large yard and parking area of 7000 sqm. which is ideal for manoeuvring large items. The complex also features container loading and unloading facilities, and incorporates a paperless order picking system. The expansion of the facility has been necessitated by organic business growth within the facility’s two launch customers, but some 50 per cent of the additional capacity created will be reserved for anticipated new clients. “Our multi-user warehousing concept is already facilitating major efficiencies for our two launch customers at the site, and is gaining considerable attention among other potential customers. We expect to fill the additional space quite quickly, and we still have the option to expand further,” says Christian Lohmann, Vice President Commercial Industrial at Imperial’s International business.

Logistics providers are challenged to rapidly establish medical supply chains to deliver serums of unparalleled amounts of more than 10 billion doses worldwide with first emergency use authorisations for COVID-19 vaccines expected to be effective in the last quarter of 2020. Currently, more than 250 vaccines across seven platforms are being developed and trialled. As COVID-19 vaccines have leapfrogged development phases, stringent temperature requirements (up to -80°C) are likely to be imposed for certain vaccines to ensure that their efficacy is maintained during transportation and warehousing. This poses novel logistics challenges to the existing medical supply chain that conventionally distributes vaccines at ~2–8°C. In the paper, DHL evaluates how the transport of vaccines as highly temperature-sensitive product can be managed effectively to combat the further spread of the virus

Under the Turant Customs programme, the Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBIC) have announced the roll out of faceless assessment at an all India level in all ports of import and for all imported goods by October 31. The pilot programme of Faceless Assessment was launched in Chennai on August 14 and was subsequently expanded to Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Delhi, Mundra and Visakhapatnam for goods primarily falling under Chapters 39, 84, 86 to 92, 72 to 83 and 50 to 71 of the Customs Tariff Act, 1975. The key elements of the Turant Customs programme are faceless, contactless and paperless customs clearance processes. This includes faceless or anonymised assessment, self-registration of goods by importers, automated clearances of bills of entry, digitisation of Customs documents. The phased launch of the Turant Customs programme in select ports of import was aimed at testing in a real-life environment, the IT capabilities as well as the responsiveness of the trade and Customs officers to the various initiatives. “The results have been reviewed and these have confirmed that the stated objectives are being met. The stage is now set for extending the Turant Customs programme across all Customs ports pan India and thereby ushering in a more modern, efficient, and professional Customs administration with resultant benefits for trade and industry”, CBIC noted.