Allana Cold Chain Solutions has announced its expansion in operations with the construction of storage facilities in Kolkata, Kakinada, and Dera Bassi. With the additions of Kakinada and Dera Basi facilities, the total holding capacity will increase to 65,000 tonnes. This expansion is a testament to Allana Cold Chain Solutions’ commitment to providing end-to-end solutions by integrating the experience and expertise in blast freezing, packing, inspection, freight forwarding and customized offerings to varied sectors and reputed clients such as McCain Foods, Britannia Industries, Morde Foods, Abbott India, Sapphire Foods (KFC supplier), Varun Beverages, Mars International and others, ensuring integrity of cold chain logistics requirements throughout the process. The new facility will pave the way for the company to serve a wide range of customers in the food, pharmaceutical and other industries that heavily rely on efficient cold storage and transportation. The company currently operates and manages cold storages in Uttar Pradesh (Ghaziabad, Aligarh, Unnao) with a holding capacity of 11000 tonnes, Kolkata (2800 tonnes), Mewat, Haryana (2000 tonnes), Mumbai and Aurangabad (28000 tonnes) and Zaheerabad, Telangana (6500 tonnes). It also boasts a state-of-the-art fleet of 125 refrigerated trailers and trucks up to 40 feet in length, a rare sight on India’s inland logistics routes, monitored 24/7 through a modern “Transport Control Tower” in Mumbai.

DP World has launched a new double-stack freight train facility to improve efficiencies and connectivity between its inland terminal at Ahmedabad and the Mundra port. The maiden train was flagged off from Mundra in early April with a full payload. The double stack train service will further boost the connectivity of Ahmedabad and will drive better efficiency and significantly lower the overall logistics cost for cargo movement on the route even with fewer rakes, owing to the lower haulage rates and lesser or zero port ground rent (PGR) resulting from the faster evacuation of containers from the port. Adhendru Jain, CEO Rail and Inland Terminal, DP World Subcontinent said, “Robust infrastructure and efficient logistics are crucial for boosting economic growth and exports. We are committed to strengthening our supply chain and enabling seamless connectivity to help our customers move their goods quickly and reliably to global and domestic markets. The new double stacked rail freight service will boost cargo carrying capacity substantially and will open new markets for MSMEs in and around Gujarat by leveraging DP World’s world-class integrated multimodal logistics infrastructure.”

WestJet Cargo together with the GTA Group launched three 737-800 Boeing Converted Freighters in Toronto and in Halifax. The event marks the start of a dedicated cargo service designed to fulfill the large-scale needs of businesses, freight forwarders, shippers and individual customers across an expanding network. WestJet Cargo and the GTA Group’s dedicated freighters will now begin operating between six stations in Halifax, Calgary, Los Angeles, Miami, Toronto and Vancouver. Integrating into WestJet Group’s existing network, WestJet Cargo and the GTA group’s dedicated freighters will work in tandem with the cargo carrying bellies of WestJet’s existing fleet of over a hundred 737 aircraft and use the group’s highly skilled 737 pilots. With a payload of 23 tons, the three freighters will have a weekly capacity of over 1500 tons. Their operation will create global connectivity and open trade lanes between Canada and the Caribbean, Europe, Japan and the United States. In addition to the broad range of commodities already carried by WestJet Cargo such as perishables, e-commerce and live animals, the dedicated freighters have enabled a broad expansion of the carrier’s service offerings, including the capacity to carry oversized items and unitized e-commerce containers.

Logistics today is the sunrise sector that offers opportunities for investors, entrepreneurship, and employment for young Indians. Logistics will be an area full of opportunities for young students in the coming years, as much as semiconductors, electronics, and information technology, with huge scope for investment, entrepreneurship, and employment,” said the Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Rajeev Chandrasekhar while inaugurating the G20 3rd Education Working Group (EdWG) Meeting Conference on “Transforming Logistics for Coastal Economies with a Focus on Sustainability” in Odisha recently. He added, “Intersection of logistics, coastal economies, and sustainability is an important topic and integral in the context of skilling in coastal economies. Students of young India are the most important stakeholders of any deliberation.” The Minister also said that the government’s policies and programs like Gati Shakti-National Plan for Multi-modal Connectivity will help create a modern, global standard logistics ecosystem that will enable new India’s manufacturing to succeed. The government’s focus is also on coastal logistics, India will soon emerge as a global hub for blue revolution products, food and agricultural goods, and manufactured products.

Welspun One Logistics Parks (WOLP) has partnered with jewellery maker GRT Group, to invest Rs. 700 crore for developing two warehousing projects near Chennai. WOLP in an official statement said that both the projects with GRT Group will entail a direct investment of Rs 700 crore and generate 3,000 jobs during the development phase and are strategically located on National Highway 16 – an integral part of the East Coast Economic Corridor (ECEC). Each park is spread across 60 acres of land with a development potential of 1.3 million square feet, the company said in a statement. The first project is being developed through a 50:50 joint venture between GRT Group and WOLP; it also marks the final investment of WOLP Fund 1 and results in the full commitment of the fund corpus of Rs 500 crore. The second project is being developed by WOLP for GRT Group under a “development management” agreement, according to a WOLP statement.

India has made a significant leap on the World Bank’s Logistics Performance Index (LPI), moving up six places to 38th out of 139 countries in the 2023 ranking, said reports. This improvement is the result of the country’s substantial investments in both hard and soft infrastructure, as well as technology. In 2018, India was ranked 44th on the index, and its current position marks a considerable improvement from its 54th rank in 2014. India has climbed five places in infrastructure score, moving from 52nd in 2018 to 47th in 2023. The country has also improved its rank in international shipments, moving up from 44th in 2018 to 22nd in 2023. India’s logistics competence and equality has also improved, with a climb of four places to the 48th spot in 2023. In timelines, India has made significant progress, moving up 17 places in rankings. The country has also improved its tracking and tracing capabilities, moving up three places to 38th in 2023. The report attributes India’s progress to modernisation and digitalisation, which have enabled emerging economies like India to leapfrog advanced countries in the logistics sector.

The United Kingdom has launched new British cargo airline, One Air. The new airline has been awarded its Air Operators’ Certificate by the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). One Air has dry leased its first B747 freighter and is now the only UK operator of the B747. After successfully completing its proving flight in July 2022 and following a rigorous application process for an Operating License, the new airline is now fully approved to commence operations. One Air expects initial demand for flights from the UK to Europe, the Middle East and Asia regions. It will also ultimately offer freighter services to China and the US. Its business model calls for the addition of a second B747-400 during 2023. Headquartered in Kingston, close to London Heathrow, One Air has recruited a team of 90 air cargo and aviation professionals for its launch, including ground operations, engineering and maintenance, crew training, crew management, finance and HR specialists, and a 40-strong air crew with pilots recruited from Cathay Pacific, Emirates Airline, Norwegian Airlines, and other major carriers. One Air is majority-owned by CEO, Paul Bennett, who stated: “The important role freighter services played in supporting the UK economy and the public throughout the pandemic demonstrated the level of demand which exists for a British cargo airline. We are proud to be meeting this need and to have the opportunity to leverage longstanding business relationships with freight forwarders, logistics providers, and charter brokers serving the UK market. We expect to add our second 747F later this year and have the financial resources to grow in line with the level of demand we see.” The airline will review its fleet plans, including the potential …

Roadcast has partnered with Turban Mobility as its technology partner. Roadcast will provide Turban Mobility with the locks and App to deploy 620 new electric bikes. This partnership comes in the wake of Turban Mobility’s project in collaboration with Noida Authorities to deploy 620 electric bicycles in Noida with docking stations provided by Noida Authorities. Of these, 310 electric bicycles were deployed on the 17th of April, 2023. Roadcast will be aiding Turban Mobility with tech-based tools and the App for the electric bicycles. The partnership was initiated to provide last-mile connectivity to the people of Noida. The project aims at implementing greener and sustainable solutions to reduce carbon footprint. The bicycles can be used manually with pedals for fitness or in electric mode for convenience. Turban Mobility has invested INR 20 Crores in the project. To help Turban Mobility optimize deployment for increased transparency and ease of access for their customers, Roadcast has deployed their proprietary tech for the project. Their App will ensure safe usage of the cycles including easy unlocking with the App, GPS tracking, etc optimizing operations for Turban Mobility. This will ensure that the customers too have an excellent and hassle-free experience.

KSH Logistics has signed a memorandum of understanding with 3ev Industries and 3eco Systems to integrate sustainable logistics solutions in their existing host of services for clients from retail, e-commerce, FMCG, FMCD, automotive, and industrial sectors. 3ev and 3eco provide hyper-local connectivity solutions for intelligent last-mile fulfillment through their range of affordable green-tech 3-wheeler (3W) electric vehicles. Through this partnership, the three companies will leverage each one’s expertise to curate innovative and environmentally friendly, sustainable logistics solutions for industries, minimizing carbon footprint. KSH Logistics will work on creating a network of efficient stores and warehouses that can be accessed by the 3W EV fleet, enabling efficient, fast, and cost-effective delivery solutions to its customers, locally. An industry report published last year stated that the last-mile emissions of the six largest global delivery and e-commerce companies alone amounted to approximately 4.5 mega tonnes of CO2 and this figure is expected to grow exponentially soon. Fast-moving consumer goods, industrial products, and the like will immensely benefit from the network of automated and efficient stores that will be equipped with advanced technology solutions for the seamless management of resources, both man-made and natural. KSH Logistics also offers an asset-light plug-and-play model with flexi-capacity and scalability solutions for both long-term and short-term requirements, including overfills and festive demands. The company has a vision of achieving zero carbon emissions in secondary distribution by 2030 and will be taking 3000 no of 3W fleets for fulfilling operations across India.

Qatar Airways Cargo announced the re-launch of its Pharma product in line with its Next Generation and VISION 2027 strategy. The re-launch includes several enhancements that benefit its customers and streamlines the handling of different categories of pharmaceuticals and healthcare products, including animal healthcare items that fall under the umbrella of Pharma. “In less than a decade, Qatar Airways Cargo has grown to become an acknowledged carrier of choice when it comes to pharmaceutical products,” says Guillaume Halleux, Chief Officer Cargo at Qatar Airways. “Since we first launched our pharma service in 2014, we have invested heavily to bring on board the best industry experts, equipment, and training. We have also proactively involved ourselves in leading industry working groups* to keep a finger on the pulse of this ever-evolving market.” From the current offering of two sub-categories, the cargo carrier now offers five product sub-categories – Pharma Critical Advanced, Pharma Critical Passive, Pharma Advanced, Pharma Passive and Pharma Care. These new enhanced categories enable Qatar Airways Cargo to offer customers a diverse range of solutions to transport their healthcare shipments and ensure optimal handling of all cool-chain pharma products transported on its flights. The airline has also introduced a two-tier system for its 90 approved pharma stations to provide more information and transparency to its customers. This enhancement helps in differentiating between the distinct capabilities available at various stations. Tier 1 stations offer both +2°C to +8°C & +15°C to +25°C temperature-controlled storage, while having the ability to service electronic containers and dry-ice containers. Tier 2 stations offer only one of the two categories of temperature-controlled storage, handle certain temperature-controlled containers or have limited storage capacity. Active container milestone updates …