FedEx has launched FedEx Innovation Lab (FIL) to collaborate with digital start-ups in India. These collaborations will help expand advanced digital capabilities globally as it continues to evolve its operations and product offerings to meet the needs of the modern supply chain. The partnerships formed through FIL will benefit customers globally. FIL will make early-stage investments in these partnerships and bring additional value in terms of capabilities and speed to market to start-up firms through the FedEx network, resources, and global customer base. FIL’s first investment is in Mad Street Den, a computer vision and Artificial Intelligence (AI) company that is a leader in enterprise AI solutions. The start-up’s AI platform enables marketing, product and technology teams to improve and optimize efficiencies. Their products are deployed across several industries, including retail, healthcare, finance, media and entertainment, education, and more. “India is at the core of innovation strategies for global technology leaders. Following the recent announcement of our plans to open the first Advanced Capability Community in Hyderabad, FIL further reinforces the importance we place on tapping new technologies and a wide range of talent,” said Kami Viswanathan, Senior Vice President, FedEx Express, Middle East, Indian Subcontinent and Africa region. “There is much mutual benefit that can be gained as well as a tremendous opportunity to help transform the global logistics industry. We would welcome any interest from innovators in India with a shared interest in our vision.”

Investopia signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) to facilitate the exchange of expertise and knowledge between business delegations, and to promote investment opportunities in Indian-UAE markets across new economic sectors. MoU is signed as part of the company’s efforts to establish new partnerships with leading local and global institutions and entities. Under the terms of the agreement, the two parties will organize joint events and conferences to enhance communication at the private sector level, thereby strengthening economic and investment ties between the two countries. The MoU was signed by Badreya Al Maidoor, Assistant Undersecretary of Support Services Sector at the UAE Ministry of Economy; and Sanjiv Bajaj, President of CII, in New Delhi, in the presence of H.E. Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, UAE Minister of Economy, and Chairman of Investopia. Badreya Al Maidoor said: “The signing of the MoU with the Confederation of Indian Industry reflects Investopia’s vision and confidence in the Indian market, as one of the most important global strategic markets teeming with promising investment and trade prospects. It builds on the global dialogue launched by the platform in India, the first outside of the UAE, which included two sessions in Mumbai and New Delhi in May 2022.” “By joining hands with CII, we look forward to sharing experiences and knowledge and business delegations to promote investment opportunities in both Indian and UAE markets, across new economic sectors, especially circular economy, family businesses, renewable energy, tourism, technology, and innovation,” she added. Through the partnership, CII will participate in the third edition of Investopia’s annual conference, which is set to be held in the UAE from 28 to 29 February, 2024.

Vaibhav Vohra, Managing Director, Continental Carriers talked about the benefits of Air Freight Stations (AFS) and services offered by its first Greenfield air freight stations near IGI airport, and how such facilities promote EODB and remove congestion and dwell time. He highlighted, carting order management, truck docks for loading/off loading cargo, availability of customs officials with online ICEGATE connection, customs processing/ clearance, palletization and containerization facility as key services. He also focused on navigating complexities of logistics infrastructure and cross-border services and highlighted few challenges which the freight forwarders face at the terminals like congestion, complex documentation, regulatory compliance, labour management, security measures, coordination and infra limitations. Continental Carriers Group of Companies is set to open one of India’s first Greenfield air freight stations, where Customs Clearance, Cargo Consolidation, and Palletization will all take place at the AFS facility, and goods will be delivered in pallets ready to load on planes at Delhi International Airport.

Talking about Govt. of India’s highly ambitious initiatives like Gati Shakti and National Logistics Policy, Sagar Kadu, Director Logistics, Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Government of India, said, “Both Gati Shakti, and NLP have been launched to enable Ease of Doing Business (EoDB), improve connectivity & make Indian businesses more competitive. We are the facilitators of the industry and the policies are being aligned as per the requirements of the industry.” He was speaking at the second edition of Supply Chain and Logistics conclave 2023 in New Delhi. “To improve the overall multimodal infrastructure of the logistics sector, government of India has launched these two master plans. These schemes will not only improve connectivity but also will bring Ministries including Railways and Roadways together for integrated planning and coordinated implementation of infrastructure connectivity projects like Bharatmala, Sagarmala, inland waterways, dry/land ports, UDAN etc., to improve connectivity & make Indian businesses more competitive.”

Qatar Airways Cargo and Envirotainer have joined forces to offer sustainable solution for shipping temperature-sensitive pharmaceuticals to where they are needed most. By capitalising on both organisations’ extensive network capabilities, along with Envirotainer’s cutting-edge Releye® solution, CO2 emissions for shipments can be reduced by up to 90% compared to other solutions. The Releye® RLP and RLP solutions also ensure precise temperature control throughout the entire transportation process, meaning this partnership guarantees the utmost integrity and quality of temperature sensitive cargo like never before. Miguel Rodriguez, Head of Cargo Products at Qatar Airways Cargo said: “I am thrilled to announce the reinforcement of our strategic partnership with Envirotainer, a global leader in temperature-controlled air transportation solutions. This collaboration marks a significant milestone for Qatar Airways Cargo as we continue to enhance our capabilities in delivering pharmaceuticals and other temperature-sensitive cargo worldwide. At Qatar Airways Cargo, we understand the criticality of maintaining the cold chain and ensuring that pharmaceuticals reach their destination in optimal conditions. By joining forces with Envirotainer, we can offer our customers seamless access to their industry-leading containers, which are specifically designed to meet the stringent requirements of the pharmaceutical industry. Commenting on the partnership, Akos Balkanyi, Global Key Account Manager, expressed his enthusiasm, stating, “Through the optimisation of our operations and investment in cutting-edge solutions such the Releye® units, we are actively reducing our environmental impact and contributing to a greener future reducing up to 90% our CO2 emissions. We are excited about this collaboration and the positive impact it will have on our customers and the industry as a whole.” The collaboration between Qatar Airways Cargo and Envirotainer underscores ongoing commitment of both organisations to investing in …

Kerry Logistics Network has begin with trials of using robots at various locations in Asia to meet rising e-commerce demand. The KoolBee robot has been utilised at facilities in Hong Kong, Tianjin and Dongguan and is said to boost productivity and accuracy. Kerry claimed that by using KoolBee, the overall sorting productivity is increased by 270%. The robots have the advantage of being quickly deployed, reconfigured and scaled up, significantly increasing the accessibility and flexibility of sortation automation compared with traditional fixed automation, the logistics firm explained. Samuel Lau, managing director – integrated logistics North Asia of Kerry Logistics Network, said: “The fashion e-commerce industry is rapidly evolving and consumers’ expectations for fast deliveries are getting higher every year. “KoolBee is our latest robotics roll-out under the ‘Kool’ banner to optimise sorting operations and bolster order fulfilment efficiency according to the specific needs of each customer. “It has proven beneficial in supporting customers in handling enormous orders during seasonal peaks and promotion-driven shopping sprees. Following this launch, we are set to utilise this technology for other customers and verticals.”

SmartLynx Airlines has plans to increase its fleet to 13 by the end of the year by adding four more units by the end of 2024. The charter carrier and lessor currently operates six A321Fs. It is aiming to become the largest operator of A321-200 converted freighters in Europe. SmartLynx Airlines cargo operations manager Dmitrijs Voroncovs said, “This is the first-ever narrow-body freighter to feature containerized both main and lower cargo decks, which allow for automated loading and unloading to achieve exceptional turnaround times.” The airline said the model, which can carry 27 tonnes of cargo and has a range of 2,300 nautical miles, is perfect for the express market. Chief executive of SmartLynx Airlines, Zygimantas Surintas, added, “As we reintroduce the A321-200 freighter to the world, we are confident that it is poised to lead the future of cargo operations. “To start, its exceptional fuel efficiency makes it the most sustainable choice in the cargo market today. Direct operational costs for A321F are up to 30% lower compared to the classic B757-200 and 737, making it the most cost-effective option for our clients.” Most recently, the carrier added an A321 freighter, registered as YL-LDP and freshly converted by Elbe Flugzeugwerke (EFW), to its fleet. The aircraft was added to its Latvian AOC and is the first of the type in the country.

Air Canada Cargo launched their first commercial trip into Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, with a Boeing 767 freighter. The service will be available once a week. “We are excited to add yet another destination to our expanding freighter network. This new service builds upon our capabilities to serve the island through Air Canada’s passenger network, providing consistent year-round cargo capacity for our key customers in the region,” said Jon Turner, Vice President, Cargo at Air Canada. We are pleased to welcome the first freighter flight from Air Canada Cargo. As winners of the Airports Council’s International Airport Service Quality Awards for seven consecutive years, we are confident that this will contribute to the excellence and diversification of our cargo operations,” affirmed Giovanni Rainieri, director of Airside Operations at Punta Cana International Airport. Air Canada Cargo’s flight to Punta Cana is the latest addition to its worldwide freighter network, following recently launched freighter services to San José, Basel, Liege, Dallas, Atlanta and Bogota.”

To support infrastructure-led growth, mere budgetary provisions will be insufficient and private participation is extremely crucial,” said Nitin Gadkari, Minister of Road, Transport and Highways, Govt of India in the presence of Rajiv Bansal, IAS Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation of India, while unveiling the report on ‘Infrastructure – Key Driver of India’s Amrit Kaal March’ by CareEdge Ratings. He added, “There are four key pillars which will be regarded as the biggest capital in this century- Honesty, Credibility, Quality and Goodwill. Credit rating plays an important role at every step of infrastructure development. Be it for achieving financial closure, or at the time of bidding projects or at the time of seeking refinancing etc. The credit rating assessment is expected to incorporate performance evaluation of the contractors giving a lot of emphasis on quality parameters, transparency, technical innovation in works execution and also achieving cost efficiencies in a time-bound manner. This is the need of the hour.” Mehul Pandya, MD & CEO, CareEdge Ratings, “We are impressed by the Government’s unwavering commitment, exemplified by multiple ambitious projects such as Smart Cities Mission, Bharatmala Pariyojana, Sagarmala, Gati Shakti, UDAN and the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT). These initiatives aim to enhance connectivity, upgrade urban infrastructure, develop transportation networks, promote sustainable practices, and bridge the rural-urban divide. Such endeavours lay a solid foundation for inclusive growth and contribute significantly to the nation’s overall progress.”

WFS, a member of the SATS Group marked its India foray with the launch of operations at Kempegowda International Airport (KIA), Bengaluru. WFS (Bengaluru) Private Limited, a 74:26 JV between WFS and airport operator Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL), will operate a cargo terminal facility at India’s 3rd largest cargo hub at Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru (IATA: BLR), with a concession period of 15 years beginning 24th May 2023. WFS will also be the exclusive operator of BLR’s Dedicated Cold Chain Facility during the concession period. WFS will be making significant investments into upgrading and expanding the two terminal facilities at its BLR Gateway to shortly take the ultimate annual cargo handling capacity to over 250,000 MT of general cargo and over 80,000 MT of cold chain cargo in phases. Commenting on the occasion, Mr John Batten, CEO, Europe, Middle East, Africa & Asia (EMEAA) WFS said “Our operation in Bengaluru represents WFS’ first foray into cargo handing in India. As the global leader in air cargo handling, WFS looks forward to adding value to the Indian air cargo industry through introduction of world class practices, ensuring better efficiency and driving productivity improvements which we believe to be well aligned with the Government of India’s National Air Cargo Policy and related ambitions. We will introduce highest international standards for safety, security, environment and operational excellence and make significant investments into improving and expanding the cargo infrastructure at our BLR Gateway. Ultimately, we believe that WFS can play an important role in aiding and facilitating the air cargo growth ambitions of BIAL, the broader Bengaluru region and India overall.”