Delhi Airport’s Cargo Premise now boasts India’s first Automated Visitor Management System (VMS), integrating Facial Recognition System (FRS) for enhanced security. This advanced system, a joint venture between DIAL and Carico, is set to transform the manual, time consuming process of pass issuance into a swift, digital experience. By reducing Visitor Pass issuance time drastically, the system not only bolsters security but also improves stakeholder experience. The implementation of ANPR further strengthens vehicle monitoring, making Delhi Airport a forerunner in airport security technology. The event was inaugurated by DIAL CEO V.K Jaipuriar, Sanjeev Edward; ED Sudeep Lakhtakia, Head (Security & Vigilance), M Shashi Kanth, Carico MD, Parvinder Singh, and other dignitaries. Key teams including DIAL, DCSC, Celebi, and Carico, along with other important dignitaries, attended the meeting. And, Successful Trial Run: Over 6000 passes were issued during the trial run of the VMS. Online Application Launch: Visitors can now apply for passes online at [https://cargopassdial.in/] ( https://cargopassdial.in/).

Satyaki Raghunath, Chief Operating Officer, BIAL says, “We are poised to achieve a cargo capacity of 1 million metric tons by the end of this decade. Embracing advanced technologies and innovation, BLR Cargo is aiming to set new standards as we are determined to streamline processes, enhance efficiency, and solidify our position as the preferred cargo gateway to South and Central India. Reflecting on the air cargo performance at BLR Airport in 2023, we processed 422,644 metric tons of cargo, which indicates a 2% increase from the previous year. Additionally, BLR Airport continues to be the top hub in India for exporting perishable cargo for the third consecutive year. In line with the Government’s vision for increased cargo throughput by 2030, our strategic investments, including the addition of Menzies Aviation Bangalore Pvt Ltd and WFS Bangalore Pvt Ltd, signify a pivotal moment in our cargo growth story. These partnerships bolster our capacity, efficiency, and overall growth trajectory.”

CBRE South Asia, in its latest report titled, ‘CBRE Industrial & Logistics Figures H2 2023’ shares, Industrial & Logistics (I&L) leasing in Bangalore stood at 4.7 mn. sq. ft. in 2023. The total supply stood at 4.6 mn. sq. ft. During 2023, among the industry segments in Bangalore, 3PL firms drove leasing with a share of about (43%), followed by Retail (23%) and Engineering & Manufacturing (10%). During the Jul-Dec’23 period, Bangalore’s I&L leasing stood at 2.7 mn. sq. ft. while supply stood at 3.0 mn. sq. ft. Eastern Corridor led half-yearly supply and absorption. Small-sized deal closures dominated space take-up in the second half of 2023. Key leasing transactions recorded in the city during Jul-Dec’23: • DMart leasing 240,000 sq. ft. in Avigna Industrial & Logistics Park • Delhivery leasing 140,000 sq. ft. in independent warehouse • Swiggy leasing 140,000 sq. ft. in independent warehouse On a pan-India basis, the Industrial & Logistics (I&L) sector recorded an all-time high leasing activity in 2023, achieving an 8% Y-o-Y growth. Total leasing in 2023 stood at 38.8 mn. sq. ft. across eight cities. The drift towards more structured operational models of industries such as retail, FMCG, and manufacturing is driving an increased demand for efficient last-mile delivery solutions and warehouse solution providers are actively exploring markets to meet this demand.

Wiz Freight, a full-stack digital cross-border supply chain start- up, has raised Series B funding of INR 125 Crore in equity led by Japan-based SBI Investment at a post-money valuation of INR 1400 Crore registering a 50% jump in the valuation from its last round. The round also saw participation from Tiger Global, NIPPON EXPRESS HOLDINGS, Axilor Technologies Fund, Arali Investments, Unikon Shipping Ventures and a few Family offices. The company plans to grow its global operations in Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and the US with the new investment and further enhance its technology-driven logistics solutions. Founded in January 2020 in Chennai by serial entrepreneurs Ramkumar Govindarajan and Ramkumar Ramachandran, Wiz helps exporters and importers in emerging markets book and manage their cross-border shipments on its tech platform with e- commerce-like convenience. Wiz’s AI-powered platform offers instant capacity discovery, dynamic pricing, optimised routing, door to door tracking, and automated customizable document workflows, saving countless hours for shippers. WIZ Freight raised in March 2022 a Series A funding of INR 275 Crores (USD 36 million) in a mix of equity and debt led by Tiger Global with participation from Axilor Ventures, Foundamental, Arali Ventures, Alteria Capital and Stride Ventures. WIZ had closed a $3.5m seed round led by Axilor Ventures in August 2021. Arali Ventures and Foundamental had also participated in the round along with angel investors Ramakant Sharma, Co-founder of LivSpace and Daniel Richner, Chairman of M+R Spedag Group, a Swiss based logistics conglomerate. With the funding at this juncture, WIZ is well positioned for expansion of its overseas operations, continued development of the Indian operations and establishing its place as a prominent leader in the logistics sector. The …

IndoSpace has signed an MoU with the Maharashtra Government at the World Economic Forum in Davos. The company plans to expand its footprint by acquiring approximately 100 acres with an investment of more than INR 700 crore in the Chakan-Talegaon region. This move is expected to create new job opportunities and boost the region’s economic growth. Rajesh Jaggi, Vice Chairman – Real Estate, Everstone Group, said: “IndoSpace’s strategic approach to enhancing Maharashtra’s industrial and logistics infrastructure has strengthened further with the signing of this MoU with the Maharashtra Government. This collaboration will propel IndoSpace’s expansion in the Chakan-Talegaon region, creating sustainable and efficient industrial spaces that will drive India’s economic growth. We are honoured by the trust and confidence placed in our expertise and look forward to this shared vision with the government.” IndoSpace is currently leading the market in Pune with the largest portfolio. The company manages over 500 acres across nine international-standard industrial and logistics parks in the Chakan area, making it the preferred choice for major companies for their industrial and warehousing needs. With nearly 10.5 million sq.ft. of built-up space, IndoSpace’s parks are strategically located for e-commerce and 3PL companies looking to speed up distribution in the Pune region. This impressive portfolio has been built with an investment of more than INR 3,500 crores.

Worldwide Flight Services (WFS), a member of the SATS Group, will deploy Cind’s ContourSpect 3D modelling software at selected stations across its Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia (EMEAA) network following a successful Proof of Concept (POC) in its cargo terminal at Copenhagen Airport. WFS is Cind’s launch partner for ContourSpect in the cargo handling industry, says a release from WFS. “The software has been developed to build ULDs more efficiently and to optimise cargo capacity, which, in turn, presents opportunities to reduce climate impact.” ContourSpect creates a 3D model of cargo loaded on an air cargo pallet and compares this in real-time with the selected virtual contour, the release added. “The tool is designed to eliminate the need for manual measurements and time-consuming quality control by immediately indicating if the ULD build-up is out of contour. This increases operational productivity and ensures all ULDs leaving the warehouse are 100% fit to fly.”

Aerial logistics drone startup BonV Aero has raised INR 6 Crore in a round led by Inflection Point Ventures (IPV). Funds will be primarily directed towards client demonstrations, team expansion and internal R&D focused on enhancing products for customers, researching propulsion systems and advancing power plants. BonV Aero revolutionizes aerial mobility through cutting-edge electric vehicles for both goods and passenger transportation specializing in state-of-the-art aerial vehicles tailored for challenging terrains like the Himalayas. Company’s focus extends to critical needs such as Indian defence logistics, disaster relief, emergency medical services, supply chain logistics and rapid commerce deliveries. BonV Aero stands as a brand synonymous with top-tier safety and unparalleled convenience in aerial transportation. BonV Aero’s startup journey is already marked by big wins like ranking amongst top 3 finalists on “Meet the Drapers” TV Show in the USA late last year. The startup is led by Satyabrata Satapathy (CEO & Co-founder), Gaurav Achha (Co-CEO & Co-founder), Abinash Sahoo (CTO & Co-founder), Rahul Kumar (Chief of Design & Co-founder), Sultan Khan (Chief of Manufacturing & Co-founder) and Umang Rathi (Chief of Operations & Software) who collectively bring diverse expertise from renowned companies like Asteria Aerospace, Bosch Automotive and ISRO.

Amit Maheshwari, CEO, Softlink Global shared his expectations from the upcoming budget and says, “I have clear expectations for the upcoming budget to support both the tech and logistics sectors. Specifically: Invest in infrastructure enhancements including improved roads, ports, and railways. Efficient infrastructure is the backbone enabling logistics operations and the wider economy. Incentivise adoption of modern technologies such as AI, IoT, and blockchain to increase supply chain transparency, boost efficiency. Introduce incentives for environmentally sustainable practices – electric vehicles, energy-efficient warehouses. This facilitates alignment with global climate goals. Fund skills training programs specialized for logistics and technology talent development. A competent workforce drives innovation and excellence. Simplify complex regulatory frameworks that hinder smooth logistics operations. Streamlining processes can facilitate easier compliance. Expand access to financing and tax benefits essential for SMEs to sustain and scale operations in the competitive logistics technology segment. Promote international trade by easing cross-border processes. Simplification leads to improved global competitiveness. Offer R&D incentives to stimulate continued innovation in logistics technology for ongoing evolution. The budget is a timely opportunity to enable logistics industry growth from a technology lens, bridging both spheres for higher efficiency, sustainability and global impact.”

Apollo Supply Chain, launched ‘alfa’, a comprehensive e-commerce fulfilment and shipping service for D2C brands. With strategically locating fulfilment centers across cities including Delhi NCR, Kolkata, Guwahati, Bengaluru, Chennai, and Hyderabad, alfa aims to cut logistics cost, improve delivery speed and has plans to expand its network for even swifter and efficient logistics service. Highlights of alfa’s services • In-house operations expertise • Plug and Play Infrastructure • Pay-per-use fee structure • Same Day Delivery • PAN India coverage • Custom packaging • Return to Origin (RTO) reduction tools • Reverse pick-up quality control • Performance dashboard and analytics • Multi-carrier shipping support • Value-added services tailored to client needs In response to the prevailing issues encountered by Direct-to-Consumer brands in the e-commerce fulfilment space, alfa identifies and tackles key pain points to ensure a seamless experience for e-commerce customers. alfa addresses a major industry challenge related to limited control in fulfilment centres. These centres are often outsourced to third-party providers, leading to frequent breaches of order processing service level agreements (SLAs). alfa’s strategic solution involves in-house operations, providing superior control and ensuring adherence to industry standards.

Kami Viswanathan, President – MEISA, FedEx Express shares his expectations from the upcoming budget, “FedEx advocates for a strategic allocation towards infrastructure development for more efficient multimodal logistics. Additionally, we emphasize a focus on digitization in the logistics sector to accelerate speed and ease of doing business. Recognizing the impact of the National Logistics Policy and PM Gati Shakti National Master plan, alongside prioritizing road, sea, and rail cargo infrastructure, we see the expansion of airports as exciting avenues for growth. We urge a consistent budgetary emphasis on expanding airport infrastructure for cargo, strengthening regional airports and developing dedicated transhipment hubs to optimize belly and freight capacities. We underscore the importance of digitally advancing customs clearance processes through cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, blockchain, and big data. This approach promises improved risk management, compliance, efficiency, and analytics.” As India targets lowering of logistics costs and a top 25 global rank by 2030, we anticipate budget initiatives that will sustainably boost manufacturing and trade, particularly benefiting and incentivizing SMEs. We also anticipate initiatives towards greater trade facilitation and further fostering a business-friendly environment aligning with the USD 5 trillion economy goal.”