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 …

Mammoth Freighters expects to complete its first 777-200LR modification by year-end and to achieve an initial regulatory certification by April 2024. The company said it now holds orders to modify 35 777s from passenger to cargo configurations, including nine modified 777-200LRs due for delivery to DHL. Mammoth is also in “advanced stages” of negotiations to sell another 10 of the modified Boeing widebody jets, the Orlando-based company’s vice-president of marketing and sales Brian McCarthy said in reports. He added Mammoth is on track to complete its first modification – that of a 777-200LR due to Canadian hauler Cargojet – by the end of 2022. Orlando-based Mammoth previously aimed to have its “777-200LRMF” modification approved by the Federal Aviation Administration with a supplemental type certificate (STC) in 2023. But the modification’s expected end-year completion likely means the FAA will grant the STC in 2024 – probably by April, said McCarthy. Mammoth expects to receive an STC for its 777-300ERMF conversion about six months after that, he added. Mammoth’s corporate affiliate Aspire MRO is performing the conversion work in a former American Airlines 777 maintenance site at Fort Worth Alliance airport in Texas. Both Mammoth and Aspire are backed by Fortress Investment Group. Mammoth is initially setting up three modification lines at the site, and already working on conversions of two 777-200LRs (former Delta Air Lines aircraft due to Cargojet) and one 777-300ER (an aircraft owned by AviaAM Leasing).

CABT Logistics has partnered with Croma as their logistics partner to facilitate deliveries Pan-India. The partnership has been initiated from the West Region in Mumbai for Last-Mile Delivery orders for Large items. CABT Logistics is expected to go live in more than 10+ cities by next 6 months. To help Croma gain a stronghold in LMD for increased customer acquisition, CABT Logistics will facilitate seamless deliveries. For the same, CABT Logistics has deployed skilled labour in transportation dedicatedly for Croma. This will ensure that the customers have an excellent experience keeping brand equity on priority. CABT Logistics already has a strong presence Pan India. This places them at an advantage to help Croma achieve targets swiftly. CABT Logistics is investing heavily in delivery personnel including riders, sorters, and loaders exclusively for Croma to ensure operational optimization. Sujit Kumar Yadav from Lead Commercial and Contracting, Croma shared, “We are delighted to tie up with CABT Logistics. Knowing the expertise that CABT Logistics brings to the table we are confident that this will be a long and fruitful collaboration. Combining Croma’s reach and CABT’s logistics expertise this collaboration is set to accelerate the development of digital solutions to ensure a wholesome logistics eco-system for us.” Shailesh Kumar, Founder at CABT Logistics shared, “We are happy to collaborate with Croma, one of India’s pioneering platforms and help them strategize their D2C expansion. We will put our best foot forward and deliver according to their expectations. The investment we are rolling out is because we have faith in the brand and our expertise to ensure long-term growth strategies are realized.”

Central Warehousing Corporation (CWC) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Balmer Lawrie & Co. Ltd for utilising storage and warehousing space of CWC for providing cold chain logistics, general warehousing and other ancillary services. This would be valid for a period of ten years from the date of signing MoU. As part of the association, Balmer Lawrie and CWC will collaborate to leverage each other’s capabilities and complement each other to provide services to customers in keeping with the growing demands of the segment. Both the organisations would work together to strengthen and expand their foothold not only in cold chain logistics but also general warehousing and distribution pan India, said a press statement issued by the company. The association with CWC will give a fillip to Balmer Lawrie’s cold chain business unit’s aspiration of achieving over ₹100 crore by 2027 and also setting up mini temperature controlled warehouses having a capacity of 1,500 to 2,000 pallet position in Tier-II and -III cities across the country. It would also help address the supply gap in the cold chain logistics segment and will significantly contribute to the country’s economy, Adika Ratna Sekhar, Chairman & Managing Director, Balmer Lawrie, said in the statement.