Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik launched the first of its kind heavy lift logistics drone, made by Odisha-based start-up ‘BonV Aero’, which has the capacity to transport 50kg over 10kms. The Chief Minister was at the opening day of ‘Odisha Skill Conclave 2023’, where he also took a trial of the drone. Satyabrata Satapathy, the co-founder and CEO of BonV Aero said during the event, “Start-up has successfully done a trial of this ‘RM001’ Electric Aerial Vehicle carrying 50-kilogram cargo at the altitude of 8000-10,000 feet in the Tawang of Eastern Command of the Indian Army forward post in Arunachal Pradesh. Next, a high altitude trial on 14,000-16,000 feet will be done”. “In its next phase, the startup aims to develop its flagship platform ‘RM002’ that can transport 200 kilograms of freight over 40 kilometres,” he added. He further said that these multi-utility air vehicles are very helpful in the disaster response and the movement of any kind of cargo or goods where surface logistics are either unfavourable or time-consuming.

The Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India (DFCC) commenced operations on the Rewari Gati Shakti Cargo Terminal (GCT) in public-private-partnership (PPP) mode. This becomes the first operational GCT with complete investment from a private player and zero revenue-sharing on account of the Indian Railways. The Rs 8-crore GCT in Haryana, built solely for container traffic, along the edge of Line 10 of the New Rewari station on Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC), will be operated by Pristine Mega Logistics Park, which got the project in a race against state-owned Container Corporation of India (Concor) and shipping major DP World, officials said. “It’s a revolutionary departure from the existing practice in Indian Railways where a part of the terminal access charge is shared by the GCT operator to railways. This measure will ensure that the development of the terminal is achieved with no investment by railways or DFCC,” the railway-owned firm said. The terminal has been made operational within 75 days of awarding of contract. Senior officials present at the inauguration said private sector interest was evident from the fact that all three companies had made bids for zero revenue sharing, which means railways would keep all the revenue from terminal usage fees. Typically, only a certain part of the terminal access charge (TAC) is shared with the railways by the operator, due to a policy on land management framed last October. The proportion of sharing between the private operator and the railways is a key bidding metric.

DHL Express has ordered nine Mammoth Freighters-converted Boeing 777-200LR freighters from lessor Jetran. The first cargo aircraft will be delivered in 2024, with the remaining aircraft to be supplied until early 2027. The 777-200LRs will replace DHL’s older Boeing 747 freighters as part of the sustainability-focused plan to modernise DHL Express’ long-haul intercontinental fleet. DHL Express said ordering converted freighters with a shorter useful life provides an efficient bridge between current and new airframe technologies, such as those used with the new generation 777-8F and Airbus A350F widebody freighters. “We are excited to welcome Mammoth-converted 777-200LRFs to the DHL Express family,” stated Robert Hyslop, executive vice president global aviation at DHL Express. “With the modernisation of our intercontinental fleet, we can simultaneously enhance our proven ability to meet growing demand, improve our environmental footprint and deliver best quality service to our customers. “We are pleased to continue demonstrating to partners and customers alike how these advancements elevate our service and bring us closer to our Sustainability Roadmap goals.” The Mammoth converted 777-200LR freighter has similar characteristics to the production freighter. With a payload capacity of 102 tons and a range of 9,200 km, the 777F has the largest capacity and range of all twin-engine freighter aircraft and is more reliable than older B747 planes, said DHL Express. It is also more fuel-efficient and reduces CO2 emissions by 18% compared to legacy airplanes. Between 2018 and 2022, DHL bought 28 new 777-200Fs from Boeing – 18 of those aircraft are currently in service. The remaining aircraft will be delivered from 2023 to 2025. The aircraft form a key part of DHL’s intercontinental air network, in which DHL Express operates more than …

Californian autonomous cargo aircraft developer Natilus has successfully completed multiple flights of the subscale prototype of its 3.8 ton payload unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The flight tests for the ‘Kona’ short-haul UAV mark a significant milestone for Natilus by validating wind tunnel tests conducted over three years, testing the aerodynamic performance of the Natilus blended-wing-body (BWB) aircraft design. The subscale prototype of the domestic feeder aircraft took off from a private runway in Southern California and reached speeds of 70 mph. Natilus said one the key challenges with the BWB design has been stability – and the test flights validated that the Natilus configuration can fly without the help of a complex autopilot system. “We are fully focused on completing the full-scale Kona prototype,” stated Aleksey Matyushev, Natilus co-founder and chief executive. “Our Kona remotely piloted aircraft will be capable of carrying over 9,000 pounds (4.3 metric tons) of freight and will open new markets worldwide. “The progress of Natilus developing autonomous cargo aircraft is a game-changer in the logistics industry, providing an efficient and cost-effective solution for shipping goods across oceans.” Natilus has also recently completed the full-scale prototypes of both vertical tails. The company will receive Hartzell propellers in May, gearing up for the manufacture of the engine test stand. The 85 ft full-scale Kona demonstrator, the smallest of the Natilus fleet, will be the largest commercial air cargo drone targeted to fly in 2024, said the company.

FIATA, the International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations, and the Global Shippers Forum (GSF) have jointly issued an agreed Charter for Protection and Governance of Data in International Trade. The agreement sets out the arrangements for data security and confidentiality, which digital booking and trading platforms operators and users must adopt and incorporate in their End-User Agreements (EUAs). Recommendations in the Charter seek to enable a safe and trustworthy environment for conducting business based on a level playing field, said release. The Charter has been approved by members of both organizations and is believed to be the first declaration of rights for platform users in the trade and logistics sector. Dr. Stéphane Graber, Director General of FIATA notes that “FIATA is committed to enabling the shift of trade from analog to digital form to increase efficiency and resilience of global supply chains. In this journey, interoperability between platforms and their credibility amongst users is critical for success. This requires clear and fair rules on data exchange to protect the confidentiality and ensure trust between stakeholders. FIATA is happy to lead this effort with GSF on the crucial topic of data governance and protection.” James Hookham, Secretary General of GSF said, “Digitalisation of international trade and transport paperwork offers huge savings and benefits for all parties in the supply chain, but its storage and processing comes with risks of loss, leakage, and unauthorized use that could expose commercially sensitive patterns and trends.” Additionally, he commented, “Our Charter sets out reasonable expectations of the protections that should be in place to respect the ownership of the data, protect its confidentiality, and guard against unauthorized access and use”.

Ecom Express announced the launch of three new services, Same Day Delivery (SDD), Same Day Delivery+ (SDD+), and Next Day Delivery (NDD) to cater to the growing demands of e-commerce players in India. With the launch of these services, Ecom Express aims to improve the customer experience by offering faster and more reliable deliveries, thereby increasing their customer base. One of the major concerns of e-commerce players, especially D2C brands, is faster delivery. The solutions not only enhance the overall customer experience by offering better speed but also increase seller revenue through reduced returns. Ecom Express’s Same Day Delivery (SDD) service aims to address this concern with its key features such as cut-off time of 5 AM and 11 AM for receiving the orders, guaranteed same-day delivery in key cities, and customized cut-offs as per the requirements of customers. Ecom Express’ SDD+ is designed for high selling SKUs, which are kept and fulfilled through micro-fulfillment centers placed within cities. With a cut-off time as high as 2 PM, the service assures faster parcel deliveries to customers. The Next Day Delivery (NDD) service offered by Ecom Express aims to provide assured delivery for interacity with a cut-off time of 12 PM for the next day. This service highlights improved customer experience, reduced return of goods, and reduced customer acquisition cost, thereby benefitting both the customers and the e-commerce players.

Saudia Cargo has signed a new global rental agreement with Tower Cold Chain. The carrier added the agreement to its approved providers of temperature-controlled containers for shipping pharmaceutical, biotech and life science products, said release. “The deal reinforces Saudia Cargo’s commitment to having the broadest possible selection of cold chain products (both in terms of cargo size and temperature requirements) to serve the growing requirements of pharmaceutical customers from around the world,” the release added. Adel Elshazly global product manager at Saudia Cargo said, “A key benefit of Tower Cold Chain’s technology is its reliability in maintaining product integrity without the need of electricity even in extreme heat, meaning that a solution is required to prevent temperature excursions. Given these conditions, we have an extra duty of care to customers to ensure due diligence in choosing our pharmaceutical cold chain partners. Tower’s passive solutions are proven to maintain temperatures up to 120 hours, without any need for intervention or external power.”

The CMA CGM Group announced that it has entered into exclusive negotiations to acquire the transportation and logistics activities held through Bolloré Logistics. The negotiations are in line with the CMA CGM Group’s long-term strategy, based on the two pillars of shipping and logistics. The Group’s strategy is to offer end-to-end solutions in support of its customer’s supply chain needs. If a deal is reached, the acquisition would further strengthen the CMA CGM Group logistics activities. The negotiations in no way guarantee an acquisition in the end, said CMA CGM’s official post on Linkedin.

IndoSpace launched two new logistics parks, one in Dhatir, near Palwal and the other in Taoru, near Sohna further strengthening its presence in the National Capital Region (NCR). With a development potential of over 3.4 million square feet, these parks offer superior infrastructure, amenities, and versatile solutions, making them an ideal choice for warehousing and regional distribution needs. The parks are adjacent to several important highways like the NH – 919 with direct access to the upcoming DME (Delhi Mumbai Expressway), WDFC (Western Dedicated Freight Corridor), and DND-Faridabad- EPR/KMP Expressway – all expected to be fully operational by 2025. Convenient access to such key logistics infra enables these locations to become warehousing hotspots with pan-India serviceability. Rajesh Jaggi, Vice Chairman – Real Estate, Everstone Group, said, “From a warehousing perspective, NCR is a crucial location for us. With the region acting as a gateway to the North market and home to several industries and opportunities, we are strategically expanding our network in Taoru and Dhatir. Going forward, we aim to keep up the momentum with these state-of-the-art logistics parks and we are sure that these new parks will play a vital role in propelling the growth of various sectors including Pharma, 3PL, e-commerce, distribution, and retail.”

Drone tech startup TSAW Drones has announced a strategic partnership with Kanhaiya Life Care Medicine to initiate a first-of-its-kind B2C medicine drone delivery service in Kolkata. The vision behind the collaboration is to provide swift and efficient delivery of medicines to patients at their doorsteps while also cutting down on the delays caused by road traffic. The Hind Motor warehouse of Kanhaiya Medical shall avail of the innovative service of drone-assisted parcel pickup to ensure a smooth and uninterrupted transportation process for their vital medical supplies to a diverse range of recipients, including local residents, law enforcement personnel, and loyal patrons. The said parcels shall be conveyed to the Howrah drone hub of TSAW Drones, whereupon the final leg of the journey shall be undertaken by TSAW’s skilled bikers, who shall ensure the seamless delivery of the parcels to their respective destinations. Arpit Sharma, AVP of TSAW Drones, said “TSAW Drones is honored to join hands with Kanhaiya Life Care Medicine in introducing cutting-edge drone technology to the healthcare sector in Kolkata. Our pioneering business-to-consumer (B2C) medicine drone delivery service will herald a paradigm shift in the way medical supplies are transported to those requiring them, guaranteeing swifter, more streamlined, and more secure transportation. We are excited to be at the forefront of this innovative approach to healthcare delivery and look forward to improving the lives of many in the Kolkata community.”