Debajyoti Bagchi, Vice President, Business Development, TT Group said, “All air cargo stakeholders expect their shipments to be offloaded at the air cargo complex immediately upon truck arrival. However, most airlines operate during premium slots allocated at peak hours, creating a sense of urgency on the shop floor. This results in a rush for offloading, panic if cargo misses connections, delays in screening and buildup, resource shortages, potential cargo damage, and onboard no-fit situations. A small process change can make a significant impact if effectively implemented and accepted by exporters. Currently, non-peak hours remain underutilized. Custodians can introduce attractive concessions to encourage stakeholders to shift operations to off-peak times, optimizing existing manpower. Raising awareness among exporters about the benefits of releasing cargo earlier can further ease congestion. Concerns regarding free period adjustments can be addressed through negotiations with custodians to ensure fair compensation. While this approach may not provide an immediate solution, it presents a viable strategy to alleviate bottlenecks at cargo terminals.”

Sunil Kohli, Managing Director, Rahat Cargo said, “The congestion mainly at the airports especially located in the metro cities begins from the approaching roads leading to the cargo warehouses with plenty of vehicles carrying the cargo lined up for the entry during the peak hours. The congestion subsequently shifts to the cargo offloading point at the limited truck-doc areas due to departure schedules of flights of several carriers coinciding with each other followed by a delayed process of weighment by the custodian. An absence of regulated parking & offloading processes at the platforms results in bunching of huge cargo waiting for their turns. Congestion further occurs for the screening process wherein large volumes of cargo queues up thereby incurring considerable delays, inflated waiting time & an avoidable wastage of manpower. Thus, all the related agencies have to provide the requisite facilities commensurate with the growth of cargo tonnage facilitating hassle free timely handling of processes. The related agencies must install additional provisions and redesign their systems and processes, wherever needed to be in readiness for any peak demand scenario. They must also consider using technology, coordination, and best practices to optimize the use of resources and minimize delays and congestions.”

According to Vestian’s report, the Indian warehousing and logistics sector received investments worth $1.96 billion in 2024, accounting for 29 per cent of the total institutional investment garnered in the real estate sector last year. The investment inflows surged to 203 per cent year-on-year in the sector, driven by the growing demand for warehouses amid the rapid expansion of the quick commerce sector. As a result, this surge in demand resulted in a record absorption of 44.9 million square feet (sq ft) in 2024, marking a 19 per cent increase over the previous year. Notably, the second half of 2024 alone witnessed 28.3 million sq ft of absorption, a 70 per cent jump compared to H1 2024 — the highest ever recorded in a single calendar year. “India’s position as a key logistics hub is set to strengthen on the back of positive investor sentiments, announcements in the Union Budget 2025-26, and robust domestic demand,” said Shrinivas Rao, FRICS, CEO, Vestian. The government’s continued focus on mega infrastructure projects is expected to further propel growth in the sector. Majority of the absorption in 2024 was concentrated in third-party logistics (3PL) companies, accounting for 33 per cent of the pan-India absorption. The share of engineering and manufacturing sector increased from 18 per cent in 2023 to 24 per cent in 2024, propelled by various government initiatives such as production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme and ‘Make in India’ campaign. Mumbai reported the highest absorption of 18.6 million sq ft in 2024 as it grew by 82 per cent compared to the previous year.

The Unified Logistics Interface Platform (ULIP) has surpassed a landmark 100 crore API transactions, reinforcing its role as a game-changer in India’s logistics sector, said an official statement. Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of Commerce & Industry said this achievement marks a significant step toward building a world-class, technology-driven logistics ecosystem that fuels industrial growth under Make in India and accelerates the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047. “This milestone brings to life our Prime Minister’s vision of a seamless logistics ecosystem that strengthens Ease of Doing Business and positions Bharat as a global trade and manufacturing powerhouse. We remain committed to expanding ULIP’s capabilities, making Indian logistics more agile, resilient, and globally competitive,” the minister observed. By bridging critical data gaps, ULIP enables automation, real-time cargo tracking, and streamlined regulatory compliance, benefiting businesses across industries. Processing an average of 1 crore API transactions weekly, ULIP continues to drive widespread adoption and democratizes access to logistics data, ensuring equal opportunities for businesses of all sizes. This digital disruption is reshaping the competitive landscape, breaking monopolistic control, and empowering MSMEs, start-ups, and large enterprises alike, according to an official statement.

C K Govil, President and Samir J Shah, Vice President at The Air Cargo Agents Association of India (ACAAI) and Amit Kamat chairman – elect, FFFAI welcomed Turgut Erkeskin President FIATA, and Stephane Graber Director General FIATA during the ongoing FIATA Head Office meeting in Geneva. The ACAAI President along with VP and Past President are promoting the FIATA RAP event to be held in Delhi from 21st May to 24th May 2025. The ACAAI members are actively participating in the event.

The Lok Sabha passed the Bills of Lading Bill, 2024, which aims to update and simplify the legal framework for shipping documents replacing the colonial era Act of 1856. The current law, a brief three-Section Act, primarily governs the transfer of rights and confirmation that goods were loaded onto a vessel. With the shipping industry evolving and the global trade landscape changing, there is a pressing need for India to adopt a more comprehensive and understandable law that aligns with international standards,” the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways said in a statement. It also empowers the Central government to issue directions to facilitate the law’s implementation along with an inclusion of a standard repeal and saving clause, while eliminating the colonial legacy of the 1856 Act. Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal termed it a historic milestone in India’s journey towards a modern, efficient, and globally competitive shipping sector. “The passing of this Bill reflects the government’s continued dedication to facilitating trade, reducing litigation risks, and ensuring that India remains at the forefront of global shipping,” the statement added. The Bill will be presented in the Rajya Sabha.

Beyond Sqfeet Supply Chain Solutions inaugurated new warehouse in Kolkata. This facility is located in Amta, within the Dhulagarh region, inside Ganesh 2 Park. Spanning over 110,000 square feet, the warehouse offers various storage capacities including heavy-duty racks with 2,500 High Bay Pallet Positions, expandable to 7,000 pallet positions, and non-racking areas. Additionally, two levels of RCC floors designed to facilitate e-commerce customers and potential cold chain cargo. The Beyond team is prepared to provide customised solutions to their clients. This is the second warehouse in Kolkata, expanding the total ground footage to 160,000 square feet. Prominent customers from industries like Fashion and Apparel, Wellness & Cosmetics, FMCG, Consumer Durables including Furniture and e-commerce are served by this facility. The warehouse adheres to Grade A+ standards, complying with all QHSE, Fire Safety and ESG norms. In addition to Kolkata, Beyond Sqfeet is also expanding operations to Siliguri and Guwahati to cater to the North-East region. Distribution is key with warehousing in the East and North-East regions due to low pin code penetration and higher turnaround times. Customers are looking at a single service window – we will soon start our own time-bound PTL services catering to the North-East, where we see significant potential to add value in Client’s Supply Chain,” says Pratap Hazra, Founder of Beyond Sqfeet.

Eicher Trucks started the of supplies of the Eicher Pro X small truck to Magenta Mobility. As per, phased plan for initial order of 100 units, the first batch of Eicher Pro X small trucks featuring 1.7T payload will be deployed across Magenta Mobility’s operations in major markets, including Mumbai, Delhi NCR, Bangalore, Hyderabad, and Chennai. These vehicles will play a key role in reinforcing Eicher Trucks and Magenta Mobility’s vision of driving sustainable logistics and strengthen Magenta Mobility’s mission of decarbonising India’s supply chain. S S Gill, Chief Commercial Officer VE Commercial Vehicles, said, “Through this association with Magenta Mobility, we are driving the future of smart logistics with advanced, eco-friendly transportation solutions The Eicher Pro X range is designed to meet the growing demand for high performance, energy-efficient vehicles in the mid-mile and last-mile delivery sectors and aligns with Magenta Mobility’s focus on decarbonizing last mile mobility.”

The setting up of freight-specific Special Economic Zones (SEZs) near airports are essential to boost exports, says Jayesh Tanna, CEO, ECU Worldwide, adding that it can foster an environment for cargo-centric airline expansions and for simplifying customs procedures with faster clearances and digital documentation. He also adds, “One of the main hurdles to the fast growth of India’s air cargo industry is the lack of smooth integration between freighters and passenger services. Another major issue is that most airports have poor connection with other forms of transportation. Despite the fact that India has over 70 airports with cargo capabilities, many of them are still underutilised because there is a lack of multimodal integration, which is essential for effective last-mile delivery.  Moreover, absence of dedicated warehouses at most Indian airports for perishable goods and pharmaceutical products, coupled with regulatory bottlenecks in their export, remains a significant barrier to the rapid growth of the country’s air cargo sector.”

To enable global oil industry operations, stay uninterrupted, Antonov Airlines and Air Partner have transported time-critical shipment – a valve for an oil refinery from Roma Fiumicino Airport (FCO) to the Middle East following an urgent request. Weighing over 20 tonnes and measuring over three metres in height, transporting the oversized equipment required specialist planning. Antonov Airlines’ AN-124-100 was used to carry the item. An external cargo ramp, manufactured by Antonov in-house engineers, and crane for loading were also required due to the size of the valve. Additionally, the valve had to be accommodated via an extra metal frame and super strong shackles for lashing. Due to the time-sensitive nature of the shipment, Air Partner and Antonov were required to work intensively, alongside Gruber Logistics Italy and Alha Group, to ensure it was delivered on time to the client.