ESR Group is making significant progress in constructing its Urban Distribution Centre in Delhi. The project consists of two buildings, and construction is underway for both. Building 1 is approximately 30% complete, with the first-floor slab currently being laid out. Scaffolding work is in progress for building 2, which is currently 20% complete. ESR aims to complete the construction of this multilevel distribution centre by the end of 2023. Situated in Alipur, northwest Delhi, the site will enable just-in-time delivery to 2 million customers in Rohini, Shalimar Bagh, Pitampura, Ashok Vihar, and Model Town, all reachable within 20 minutes. The location offers excellent connectivity throughout the city via the Outer Ring Road, just a 5-minute drive from the site, and the Eastern Peripheral Expressway (KMP). It also provides access to the neighbouring states of Haryana and Punjab via NH44. The upcoming UER 2 starts from NH 44 at Alipur, close to ESR’s Urban Distribution Centre, will connect Rohini, Mundka, Najafgarh, and Dwarka and end at Delhi–Gurgaon Expressway on National Highway 48 and make IGI airport accessible from this location within 40 minutes.

AI The Game Changer: Embracing the Intelligent Future, is the theme chosen for upcoming 47th Air Cargo Agents Association of India (ACAAI) convention, which is all set to be held in in Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia from November 23 to November 26, 2023. The Three-day convention will witness participation from air cargo industry experts including airports, airlines, freight forwarders, custom house agents, associations and end users. M Afzal Malbarwala, President had confirmed, “This year’s Annual Convention will happen in Kuala Lumpur.”

India now has the highest number of market authorisations granted by the US Food and Drug Authority (USFDA) so far along with a steady increase in the registration of manufacturing sites registered with the US regulator. Market authorisations are approvals given to Abbreviated New Drug Applications (ANDAs) that allow companies to launch a product in the US market. As per the latest industry data of the USFDA, market authorisations granted to Indian formulations companies with USFDA approvals stood at 6,316, which is highest in comparison to any other country as of April 2023. This includes authorisations granted to India subsidiaries situated overseas. There were 107 market authorisations granted by the US agency for First Time Generics out of which Indian origin companies bagged 41 which shows the `primacy’ of the Indian drug industry, according to R Uday Bhaskar, Director-General. Pharmaceutical Export Promotion Council (Pharmexcil).

The Indian pharmaceutical industry is expected to grow 7-8% in the next financial year to reach $57 billion in valuation by FY25 after registering a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6%-8% between FY18 and FY23, according to a report by ratings firm CareEdge. In FY23 alone, the market grew 5 per cent year-on-year to $49.78 billion, up from $35.41 billion noted in FY18. The previous 5 years saw an 8 per cent growth in exports and 6 per cent growth in the domestic market, both of which contribute equally to the sector. Although, the export market in developing countries was in recent years marred by shipping constraints due to the Russia Ukraine conflict, a shortage of dollar reserves in African countries and the depreciation of their own currencies, the increased access to healthcare in these countries may drive growth in the long-term. Developed countries remain a promising market for India, with the US alone making up for 30-35 per cent of the total formulation exports. While recently, price corrections in the US caused by market consolidation were noticed, India nevertheless saw a notable increase in US export sales volume which is expected to sustain on the back of upcoming patent cliff (when products go off-patent) opportunities, as per CareEdge. Drugs worth $188 billion are set to go off patent worldwide between 2023-26, presenting the Indian industry with significant opportunities to expand its market share. The industry’s focus on launching specialty and niche products may also aid growth in the US, the report added.

With berry season taking full swing in Africa, Etihad Cargo is on track to transport up to 500 tonnes of this delicious fruit over the coming months. Using its FreshForward system, moving fresh fruits, vegetables, dairy, fish, meat and flowers has been simplified. Etihad Cargo bears the distinction of being the first Middle East carrier to be awarded the IATA CEIV Fresh certificate, ensuring that the transportation of fresh produce including dairy, vegetables, meat and fish is transported with the highest care. With the help its extensive road feeder services network, Etihad Cargo is trucking strawberries, blueberries and other fresh berries from Zimbabwe and Cape Town to Johannesburg, from where the perishable cargo will make its way to destinations around the world, including the UAE, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong, Jakarta and Bangkok, via its Abu Dhabi hub.

Air China Cargo’s handling business has extended its collaboration with Lufthansa Cargo through the signing of freighter ground handling and cargo handling contracts at Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport (CTU) in China. Under these new agreements, Air China Cargo will provide ground services for Lufthansa Cargo at CTU, including freighter ramp operations, cargo warehousing, aircraft services and crew services. “We are delighted to extend our partnership with LCAG to Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport, following years of successful cooperation in Beijing,” said Huang Jian, deputy managing director of the cargo terminal business unit of Air China Cargo. “This collaboration marks a significant milestone for both parties as we expand our presence to another city. We are excited to explore new cooperative opportunities with LCAG in China and continue delivering exceptional services to our customers.” Air China Cargo and Lufthansa Cargo have a longstanding relationship, which has spanned over 30 years in Beijing. Air China Cargo currently operates six cargo terminals across mainland China, including Beijing, Tianjin, Chengdu Shuangliu, Chengdu Tianfu, Chongqing, and Hangzhou. The company serves over 60 customer carriers at these airports.

Saudi Arabian airfreight flag carrier Saudia Cargo has recently joined Pharma.Aero. “We extend a heartfelt welcome to Saudia Cargo as it joins Pharma.Aero global community, and look forward to working closely to drive innovation and raise the bar for healthcare logistics! With the addition of Saudia Cargo, Pharma.Aero is proud to expand its reach into the region and further strengthen the collaborative platform of esteemed industry leaders dedicated to excellence in life sciences and MedTech transportation,” says release. A post by Saudia Cargo also stated, “We are proud of this partnership with Pharma.Aero, is a leading global cross-industry platform that aims to ensure the safe and reliable transportation of pharmaceutical products for the purpose of safeguarding humanity. This partnership will allow Saudia Cargo to fulfill its commitment to improving the quality of our services towards our customers and end users by leveraging Pharma.Aero shared knowledge and expertise from global key players within the pharmaceutical ecosystem, proving that combined efforts can lead to improved practices and innovations that can support the needs of the medical sector at large.”

Cathay Cargo has launched its new brand campaign, ‘We Know How,’ showcasing the brand’s strength and experience as a reliable expert in air cargo solutions. From temperature-sensitive vaccines and fresh produce to cars and caring for champion racehorses, Cathay Cargo experts ensure that all cargo arrives ready to make a difference to the world. “We Know How” is the first marketing campaign following the rebranding of Cathay Cargo earlier this year. It focuses on the innovation, people, solutions and service – as well as the “magic” – that are central to Cathay. Rajesh Menon, Regional Head of Cargo – South Asia, Middle East and Africa highlighted: “Our new brand campaign, ‘We Know How’, underlines the important role of cargo within the Cathay Group and showcases our commitment to innovation, exceptional service and the valuable contribution of our dedicated team. “In recent times, it offered the Cathay Group a financial lifeline, but it was a real-world lifeline, too. We delivered essential vaccines and fresh food to Hong Kong and other parts of the world. We helped to keep trade moving across the world and through our hub. Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) retained its status as the world’s busiest air cargo hub by tonnage in 2022 as per Airports Council International’s (ACI) rankings.

Biju Patnaik International Airport (BPIA), Bhubaneswar now connected with Dubai, Singapore and Bangkok through direct flights is all set to restart handling international cargo. According to reports, BPIA is likely to re-launch international cargo handling operations from September to boost exports from the state. The airport is upgrading its facilities to facilitate hassle-free export of goods to other parts of the world. The international cargo terminal will be operated from its earlier location close to the domestic air cargo terminal. The city office of Airports Authority of India (AAI) is the custodian of the international air cargo terminal, said reports. International cargo operations, started in 2017, was discontinued after the Covid-19 pandemic struck and direct flight operations between Bhubaneswar and Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok stopped in 2019. “The cargo terminal is now getting ready for relaunch of the operations,” the sources said.

LP Logiscience, the warehousing and contract logistic arm of Liladhar Pasoo group, inaugurated a state of the art, Grade A, green warehouse in Bhiwandi, Mumbai. Spread over a private campus of 15 acers, with 5 Lakh sq.ft. of storage space, equivalent to 30,000 pallet positions, this is one of the largest 3PL multi-client facilities in India, and is equipped with the best in industry standards of fire and safety compliance. The warehouse is also equipped with infrastructure for sustainable resource management, and can generate up to 500KW of solar power, and store up to 4.5Lakh liters of water through rain water harvesting and operates EV and CNG vehicles for green distribution. Varun Gada, Director, LP Logiscience, said, “This has been a passion project and, the way I see it, also the future for state of the art, storage solutions. I am extremely honored to have the support of an extremely talented team of expert vendors, especially our warehouse developers, who made this possible within the timelines and for the faith and trust that our clients put in us. We are committed to providing value-added, customized solutions that are executed in a manner compliant with the highest industry standards of safety. We are also committed to driving efficiency by leveraging the best in tech innovation, while also creating sustainable and green warehouses to help our customers achieve their carbon emission goals. This facility in Bhiwandi is one big step in the direction. Apart from solar power and rainwater harvesting for the warehouse, we also aim to impact the local community and share the surplus power to meet the requirement of our immediate neighborhood. In the coming months, we also aim to …