Prepare for a game-changing event as The Air Cargo Agents Association of India (ACAAI) unveils the theme: ‘Artificial Intelligence (AI) – The Game Changer- Embracing the Intelligent Future,’ for its 47th Annual Convention in Kuala Lumpur from November 23-26. AI is reshaping the logistics industry, and industry leaders embrace cutting-edge technologies for greater efficiency, accuracy, and innovation. Join us from November 23rd to 26th, 2023, in Kuala Lumpur as we explore the future of logistics. CK Govil, VP, ACAAI says, “Efficient air cargo operations, optimised logistics and an improved customer experience are what AI can bring to our industry. It has the power to ease bottlenecks at airports, make data transparent and well organised, and optimise storage in warehouses and planning for flights. AI can facilitate information collection, processing, and flow, thus reducing disruptions in the supply chain. Besides tracking shipments in real time, AI can predict delays based on previous data. This can help the industry players save time and money and prevent interruptions in air cargo deliveries. We have seen AI-enabled chatbots strengthening customer support in many industries. It will bring about a similar change in the way we manage customer queries and make air cargo booking and reservations simpler.”

Air India SATS Airport Services was felicitated with ‘Best Cargo Ground Handler’ award at recently concluded India Cargo Awards 2023 in New Delhi. Piyush Srivastava, IES, Senior Economic Advisor graced the occasion as the Chief Guest. Known as the “Oscars of the Cargo Industry,” the India Cargo Awards 2023 hosted by Cargo Talk (DDP Group Publication) serves as an all-India platform created with a vision to recognise excellence in the Cargo-Freight-Logistics Industry across various domains, including Rail, Road, Air, Sea, Allied Services, Warehousing, Technology, 3rd Party Logistics, and more. Our world-class awards ceremonies are known for their formal Black-Tie affair, filled with glitz and glamour, attended by the most influential personalities in the Cargo Industry.

Mahindra Logistics announced its collaboration with Flipkart for integrated line haul solutions that will enhance operational efficiency and consistency as well as reinforce both companies’ shared commitment to innovation. Mahindra Logistics will provide a dedicated fleet of Heavy Commercial Vehicles, assistance in route management and network operations, and advanced analytics for Flipkart’s pan India operations. Mahindra Logistics will operate 32ft single axle heavy commercial vehicles for Flipkart in collaboration with Daimler India Commercial Vehicles, which will run on multiple national routes, across the country. In line with commitment to safety, all vehicles will have Advanced Driver-Assistance systems (ADAS), and various other vehicle security as well as driver safety & comfort related advance features. The fleet deployed by Mahindra Logistics will primarily facilitate Flipkart’s e-commerce parcel movements through hub-to-hub operations. The improvement in TAT, higher safety levels, and fleet management underline Flipkart’s commitment to raising standards in the Indian e-commerce industry.

Demand remains low with minimal growth while global capacity has increased by 12% year on year, said DHL Global Forwarding in its Air Freight – State of the Industry report for August. While only a ‘conservative’ increase in volume demand is expected in the 2023 late-year peak season, most airlines have capacity at hand. Rising demand for passenger travel has boosted the number of flights and has increased bellyhold capacity by around 19%, year on year, the report added. DHL sees scheduled carrier capacity as likely to be up 9% in the third quarter of 2023 compared with the second quarter, and by 18% compared with the first quarter. Capacity remains sufficient on most trade lanes. However, retirements of freighters on the transpacific routes are bringing capacity “one step closer towards right-sizing”. Meanwhile, high global inventories, inflation and lower purchasing power are both keeping demand in check, it said.

EMBALL’ISO India Packaging was felicitated with ‘Most Sustainable Solution with Reverse Logistics’ award at recently concluded India Cargo Awards 2023 in New Delhi. Piyush Srivastava, IES, Senior Economic Advisor graced the occasion as the Chief Guest. Known as the “Oscars of the Cargo Industry,” the India Cargo Awards 2023 hosted by Cargo Talk (DDP Group Publication) serves as an all-India platform created with a vision to recognise excellence in the Cargo-Freight-Logistics Industry across various domains, including Rail, Road, Air, Sea, Allied Services, Warehousing, Technology, 3rd Party Logistics, and more. Our world-class awards ceremonies are known for their formal Black-Tie affair, filled with glitz and glamour, attended by the most influential personalities in the Cargo Industry.

Shipsy launched AI co-pilot, LIA–Logistics Intelligent Assistant. LIA leverages predictive and prescriptive intelligence to empower businesses to build proactive logistics management strategies. A recent report highlighted that logistics, supply chain and transportation are undergoing an era of great transformation driven by AI and ML. It mentioned that by 2035, AI is expected to increase the productivity of enterprises by 38-40%. Traditional or reactive ways of managing logistics incidents take days to identify operational issues. Delays in notifying the right stakeholder further prolong decision-making processes. All these ultimately impact customer experience and significantly increase the chances of SLA breaches. LIA proactively and continuously analyses logistics KPIs. It notifies the right stakeholder in real time in case of any anomalies or if any operational thresholds are about to be breached to prevent failures. While businesses can set their own thresholds and time limits to ensure that the incidents or issues raised by LIA are highly accurate and tailored to their unique business requirements, the LIA co-pilot also leverages Artificial Intelligence to come up with the thresholds automatically to understand what is going wrong.

Blue Dart Express has achieved significant recognition and certification by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) under its esteemed #ClimateNeutralNow initiative. This accolade highlights Blue Dart’s unwavering commitment to sustainability and environmental stewardship. The UNFCCC’s #ClimateNeutralNow initiative is a global movement aimed at addressing climate change and achieving a climate-neutral world by 2050, in line with the objectives of the Paris Agreement. Participants of this initiative, including Blue Dart, must annually report their actions to measure, reduce, and contribute towards climate neutrality. Blue Dart has received Silver in both the “Reduce” and “Contribute” categories, along with Bronze in the “Measure” category. These recognitions demonstrate Blue Dart’s dedication to climate neutrality and their efforts to combat climate change. The “Reduce” and “Contribute” categories showcase Blue Dart’s active role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and contributing to the global effort in combating climate change.The “Measure” recognition emphasizes Blue Dart’s commitment to accurately measuring its carbon emissions. By gaining a comprehensive understanding of its environmental impact, the company can better strategize and implement effective measures to reduce its carbon footprint. As part of the ‘Mission 2050 – Net Zero Emissions’ target set by the DHL Group, Blue Dart is dedicated to playing its part in creating a healthier and more sustainable future for all.

UPS announces the launch of a new technology centre in Chennai. The centre will be focused on innovations that make it easier for customers to do business. Earlier this year, the company announced a strategic investment of $15-20 million in India that will complement technology teams in the U.S. and Europe. According to the reports, these centres will enable us to offer an unparalleled logistics experience for our customers, through advanced technologies including AI, automation and robotics.

Shiprocket expands its warehousing footprint with the opening of three new facilities in Mumbai, Bangalore and Gurugram as it looks to enhance capacity by about 50 per cent by this fiscal. The addition of these warehousing facilities will augment the total capacity by 4.3 lakh square feet, the company said. Besides, it will help in ensuring a seamless and efficient operation for the company’s over 2.5 lakh merchants, it said. The company, however, did not disclose any financial details . The Shiprocket Fulfillment platform offers tech-driven warehousing solution for retail and e-commerce brands with over 42 facilities across India. “By strategically expanding our footprint, we aim to offer our merchants economical tech-enabled solutions and the ability to reach their customers faster,” said Gautam Kapoor, Co-Founder of Shiprocket Fulfillment. The launch of these facilities is a step forward in Shiprocket’s aim of expanding nationally its footprint to approximately 3-million sq ft by the end of FY24 from 2-million sq ft at present, the platform said. The warehouses are designed to accommodate both B2C and B2B operations, in compliance with FSSAI and marketplace standards, it stated.

Rainbow Aviation was honoured with ‘Best Cargo – GSSA International’ award at recently concluded India Cargo Awards 2023 in New Delhi. Piyush Srivastava, IES, Senior Economic Advisor graced the occasion as the Chief Guest. Known as the “Oscars of the Cargo Industry,” the India Cargo Awards 2023 hosted by Cargo Talk (DDP Group Publication) serves as an all-India platform created with a vision to recognise excellence in the Cargo-Freight-Logistics Industry across various domains, including Rail, Road, Air, Sea, Allied Services, Warehousing, Technology, 3rd Party Logistics, and more. Our world-class awards ceremonies are known for their formal Black-Tie affair, filled with glitz and glamour, attended by the most influential personalities in the Cargo Industry.