Ketan Kulkarni, CCO, Blue Dart says, The growth potential in the domestic cargo market drives demand for additional freighter fleets. Airlines can invest in dedicated cargo aircraft to meet the rising demand for air freight services, especially for time-sensitive and high-value shipments. Blue Dart is well-equipped to cater to the evolving demands of the air express industry and meet the growing demand.” He adds, “Consumer demand, especially within the rapidly growing e-commerce sector and evolving consumer habits, plays a pivotal role in the domestic cargo market. E-commerce relies heavily on effective logistics for swift and efficient deliveries. India’s digital transformation, marked by widespread internet access and a well-established digital payment infrastructure, facilitates e-commerce growth, leading to higher shipment volumes and opportunities for cargo service providers and airlines. Additionally, the thriving Micro, Small, and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs) sector significantly contributes to India’s economy. As these businesses expand, they generate increased cargo traffic for the transportation of raw materials and finished products.”

ESR Group announced that it has acquired 58 acre of land in Nagpur to build a logistic park and will invest Rs 400 crore in the construction and development. In a statement, ESR Group stated that it has acquired 58 acre of land in Nagpur with a total development potential of 1.4 million square feet. “ESR has also committed to invest Rs 400 crore (USD 48 million) for the construction and development of ESR Nagpur Logistics Park 2, which will be the company’s second logistics park in Nagpur and its twentieth park across the country,” it added. With the successful land acquisition, ESR Nagpur Logistics Park- 2 will help boost the supply of modern Grade A logistics facilities within the Gondkhairi-Kalmeshwar logistics cluster. The park is designed to accommodate 10 buildings, with building sizes ranging from 67,000 sq ft to 1,90,000 sq ft to meet a broad spectrum of tenant needs, ranging from e-commerce to third-party logistics (3PL), retail and fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG). Abhijit Malkani, CEO of ESR India, said, “ESR’s investment in this new Grade A asset builds upon the remarkable success of our first logistics park in Nagpur. Our flagship 22.5-acre development, ESR Nagpur Logistics Park 1, has been operating at full occupancy since completion in 2020, having attracted high-profile tenants from retail and e-commerce domains”. “We are building another best-in-class logistics facility that will redefine warehousing standards in the region and cater to the diverse expansion needs of e-commerce, retail, and 3PL services. Our work is focussed on driving long-term sustainable growth of the economy and uplifting local communities,” he added. As of June 30, 2023, ESR has a development work-in-progress of USD 13 billion.

The increasing focus on using AI in the logistics sector is primarily being seen as a way to bring significant levels of efficiency in our day-to-day activities, says M. Afzal Malbarwala, Immediate Past President, ACAAI and Founder and Managing Director at Galaxy Freight. Ahead of ACAAI’s 47th convention in Malaysia, from Nov 23-26, Malbarwala says, “The challenges would be to identify an AI system which can integrate with our heritage systems, potentially merge with our actual customer deliverables, and protect our data sensitivity while delivering the solution we want as a final achievement. There is a fear among stakeholders that AI run machines can replace the human work force. Addressing such fears should take priority especially for heritage organisations who have long term loyal employees.” It is important to remember that AI’s ability to deliver the benefits is linked to our ability to provide continuous data streams which further allows the system to recognise and analyse data patterns before it can derive a methodology to do the same tasks at a much faster and efficient method.”

Kale Logistics Solutions (Kale) has published a readiness survey of 200 ports that revealed 30 per cent are not prepared to adopt the International Maritime Organisation (IMO)’s Maritime Single Window (MSW) mandate, which will become compulsory worldwide from 1st of January 2024. Kale highlighted the urgency for the industry to speed up its digital transformation as it unveiled the survey results, which also cited high implementation costs, long timelines, and varying levels of digital readiness as leading factors hindering regulatory compliance. The study involved ports located throughout the Asia Pacific, Middle East, Europe, Africa, North America, and South America, and emphasised that Port Community Systems embedded with an MSW are integral to achieving the true potential of a port. “The purpose of this study was to identify the tangible benefits the maritime industry can achieve with technology intervention, and the results showed potential savings of up to USD50 billion annually by using MSW platforms,” said Vineet Malhotra, Co-Founder and Director, Kale Logistics Solutions. “However, these benefits are subject to 100 percent adoption of the MSW, and our report reveals that ports are encountering a number of barriers that hinder this digitalisation. “The MSW concept has the potential to revolutionise the international shipping industry.” Kale’s MSW platform is compliant with IMO standards and enables information and documentation to be transferred electronically between maritime and port stakeholders, which will become a compulsory requirement from the start of 2024. “The importance of this study will sow the seed for a digital revolution in the maritime industry worldwide, demonstrating how digitisation can not only bring order to the ongoing chaotic operations in the industry but also achieve significant sustainability goals in the long run,” …

GEODIS has officially started pharma and healthcare operations at its new 5500 sq. mt. site in Schiphol This new location is next to the existing site and will expand GEODIS’ footprint in pharma & healthcare, which is already well-established at the logistics operator’s Venlo site with a significant presence in contract logistics for customers in both sectors. The new Schiphol-Rijk investment will focus on freight forwarding and be part of GEODIS’ worldwide cross docking network for ambient and cold chain products. The new location is TAPA-A rated for air freight and holds the appropriate CEIV Pharma certification1 for handling goods in the 15-25 °C and 2-8 °C ranges. “Opening an additional specialized warehouse at Schiphol-Rijk enables us to offer customers a turnkey solution for pharma & healthcare logistics,” says Mark van den Assem, Managing Director GEODIS Benelux. “Increasing the synergy between our Contract Logistics and Freight Forwarding lines of business is a crucial part of our growth strategy and will have significant benefits to the supply chain needs of our customers”.

DP World and the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding to initiate willingness and co-operation between them for developing Vadhvan Port. Nestled towards the north of Mumbai along the Arabian coast, Vadhvan provides an ideal location for a port with a natural draft of 20 meters. Its proximity to Mumbai as well as Gujarat along the western coast along with established connectivity to Northern and Central India via the national railway network and NH8 add to its attractiveness as a trade gateway to the region. Speaking about the MoU, Shri Sanjay Sethi, Chairman, Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority, said, “We are extremely happy to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with DP World for the new port at Vadhvan. DP World has been a strong partner for us over the last two and a half decades and we are confident that their support will go a long way in making Vadhvan port a reality.” Commenting on the MoU, Shri. Jibu K. Itty, CEO, DP World Nhava Sheva., said, “Our relationship with Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA) is built on trust and a shared vision to make trade possible. We are excited to partner with JNPA in exploring trade opportunities that can be unlocked by developing Vadhvan port along the west coast of the country. We believe that the proposed location has the requisite features to transform Vadhvan into a great port that can bring incremental prosperity to the region.”

DHL Supply Chain is set to invest 350 million euros ($369.7 million) in Southeast Asia in a bid to boost its customers’ supply chains. According to a company statement, DHL Supply Chain will build 400,000 square meters of warehouse space across the region and plans to create, by 2024, more than 3,000 jobs to meet growing demand. The funds will be invested over the next five years and are part of a number of strategic investments announced over the year, so far adding up to EUR1.35 billion, it said.

ITA Airways has continued to develop its digital connectivity by linking its systems with the WiseTech cargo management platform. The tie-up means that the Italy-based airline will connect with WiseTech’s CargoWise via APIs and make its capacity available to the platform’s customers, which include 24 of the 25 largest forwarders. Forwarders that use CargoWise will have access to ITA Airways Cargo’s schedules, dynamic rates, capacity, and allotment bookings as well as the ability to change digital bookings. Emiliana Limosani, chief commercial officer ITA Airways, said: “ITA Airways’ growing presence on online cargo booking portals is a key pillar of our business development strategy. “This connection to the CargoWise ecosystem further enables this strategy. The air cargo market is extremely dynamic, and we need to be able to respond quickly and accurately to drive customer experiences with ITA Airways.”

Varuna Group is all set to launch its second largest Multi-User Facility (MUF) warehouse in Rudrapur, slated for early 2024. Spread over 3,40,000 square feet, the warehouse will be their second built-to-suite MUF, taking their total footprint to 1.71 million sq.ft. in India. Located in Bara Village of Kichha tehsil, Udham Singh Nagar district in Uttarakhand, India. The warehouse is a state of the art Multi User Facility well connected with the industrial hubs of Sitarganj & Pant Nagar. The Grade A Warehouse will provide seamless and centralised access to multifaceted storage solutions. This milestone signifies Varuna’s unwavering commitment to meeting the evolving demands of its customers while fostering growth and prosperity in the region. It is positioned on the highway to cater for seamless connectivity for its industrial partners. Being in close proximity to key industrial areas of Sitarganj & Pant Nagar, which cater to large scale industrial activity in sectors linked to auto parts, food processing & capital goods, make it an ideal choice for businesses seeking efficient supply chain management and warehousing solutions.

Global mobility and urban services platform inDrive announced its foray into the domestic logistics market with the launch of its freight services in three cities, including Delhi-NCR and Mumbai. California (US)-based cab aggregator said it has made its India market debut after recognising the immense potential and demand for efficient and cost-effective freight transportation services in the country.