Mahindra Logistics announced setting up a joint venture with Japan’s Seino Holdings to offer warehousing and trucking services. In a filing to the stock exchanges, the company said that it has executed a joint venture agreement with Japan-based Seino Holdings Co. Ltd for warehousing and trucking services. The partnership aims to establish a joint venture company focused on providing warehousing and trucking services primarily to Japanese automobile companies and their affiliates in India, the company informed the stock exchanges. According to the filing, Mahindra Logistics will hold 50% ownership in the proposed JV entity, with the remaining 50% to be owned by Seino. “With Mahindra Logistics’ capabilities and strong network, Seino Holdings aims to provide optimised logistics solutions and broaden its reach to customers throughout India. The focus will be on leveraging technology, process innovation, operational excellence, and sustainability to drive growth and efficiency,” said Mahindra Logistics.

Cyrus Katgara, Partner, Jeena & Company says, “India’s airport infrastructure is experiencing a notable transformation, particularly in cargo handling, with a significant emphasis on pharmaceuticals. Ensuring data integrity across medical products and services throughout the supply chain is a significant challenge, alongside other areas in the sector that require improvement. While efforts are underway to address various issues, the shortage of skilled workforce remains a major pain point. Investments being directed towards upgrading facilities nationwide, including the construction of cold storage warehouses and specialized handling areas tailored to meet the stringent requirements of pharmaceuticals, demonstrate the progress in this domain. Despite these advancements, it’s important to recognize that India is still in the early stages of this evolution. While renowned for passenger travel, further investment and expertise are needed to fully leverage the potential of Indian airports for pharmaceutical and healthcare storage and distribution. Achieving comprehensive cold chain logistics for pharmaceuticals at all Indian airports will require time and continued efforts. With India’s airport infrastructure gradually adapting to meet the increasing demands of the pharmaceutical sector, the trajectory appears promising.

Pradeep Panicker, CEO, GMR Hyderabad International Airport, says, “Collaborations among airlines, logistics firms, and the Indian government’s e-freight initiative, alongside airport advancements, has propelled the growth of pharma. Airports, prioritizing eco-friendly practices has integrated state-of-the-art cargo facilities. GMR Hyderabad Air Cargo (GHAC) distinguishes itself through investments in expanding infrastructure, notably the ‘Pharma Zone,’ positioning itself as a premier global hub for pharmaceutical logistics. The terminal, already equipped with a vast fleet of modern temperature-controlled containers, is poised to augment its temperature control area through expansion. GHAC is actively exploring advanced technologies such as robotic arms, conveyor systems, and Automated Storage and Retrieval Systems (ASRS) to bolster efficiency and mitigate labor costs over the next five years. Notably, GHAC holds certifications from the World Health Organization for Good Distribution Practices and accreditation under the IATA Safety Audit for Ground Operations Program (ISAGO).”

Vipin Vohra, Chairman Continental Carriers says, “Indian airport terminals have been working to enhance their infrastructure and capacity to handle pharmaceuticals. Many pharmaceuticals are highly sensitive to temperature variations. Maintaining a requisite temperature throughout the transportation process, especially during air transit, is crucial to prevent degradation or loss of efficacy. Packaging and Labelling are vital to protect pharmaceutical products from damage and ensure their integrity during air transit. Inadequate packaging or labelling can lead to product spoilage, contamination, or loss. Some pharmaceutical products have a limited shelf life or require timely delivery to meet patient needs. Delays in air transportation can result in product expiration or stockouts, impacting patient care and causing financial losses for pharmaceutical companies. Addressing these pain points requires collaboration between pharmaceutical companies, logistics providers, and airlines, to implement robust quality management systems, advanced tracking technologies, and specialized packaging solutions tailored to the unique requirements of pharmaceutical transportation by air. With the increasing importance of the pharmaceutical industry, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, airports in India have been focusing on improving their cold storage facilities and distribution networks for pharmaceutical products. Many airports in India, including major ones like Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru etc, have dedicated pharma zones equipped with state-of-the-art cold storage facilities and temperature-controlled warehouses to handle sensitive pharmaceutical shipments. Overall, while there might still be room for improvement, Indian airport terminals have been making strides in enhancing their infrastructure and capacity to store and distribute pharmaceutical products.”

Soumya Sinha, Director, Supply Chain & Logistics, Middle East & South Asia, Frost & Sullivan shares, “Indian medical equipment export performance is lagging as compared to other nations because of the underdeveloped infrastructure, lack of skilled workers, and low investments in Research and Development which limits further innovation. Hence focus should be on developing robust infrastructure, increasing the R&D budget, and training human resources. The Drug formulations category accounts for approximately 72% of the total pharmaceutical exports. Unfortunately, exports of bulk drugs are getting less importance by domestic pharma companies as their main focus is on manufacturing drug formulations. Due to this India depends heavily on the imports of bulk drugs (APIs) and Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) from other countries. This is a huge challenge as the prices of these imports are on the rise.

As part of its expanded summer schedule, WestJet Cargo is launching three new destinations in a row: Chicago (ORD), Moncton (YQM), and Incheon (ICN). The Chicago route was opened for cargo sales on May 16th, connects Calgary to the US city three times a week, increasing to daily flights by June 17th and will continue to operate year-round. Operating with 737 aircraft, this route offers cargo capacities of 2,700 kg per flight, focusing on the transportation of perishables. This route addresses increasing demand and marks the opening of WestJet Cargo’s passenger belly network in addition to the weekly freighter that already operates into Chicago. Moncton, Canada, was opened for cargo sales on May 17th to meet the growing needs of the Canadian market and will continue to operate year-round. Also utilizing a 737 aircraft, this route links Moncton to Calgary, Edmonton, and Toronto with varying frequencies: up to daily flights to Calgary, 3 to 4 weekly flights to Edmonton, and 3 to 5 weekly flights to Toronto. The primary cargo for this route is live animals and can also accept 2,700 kg per flight of cargo. The Calgary to Incheon route, launched on May 18th, operates three days weekly with a 787 Dreamliner, offering a 60 tonnes capacity for all cargo commodities. This route is already highly popular with the WestJet cargo customers. “These new routes will significantly enhance our ability to serve the Canadian market by offering greater capacity and more options for our customers,” said Kirsten De Bruijn, Executive Vice President of WestJet Cargo. “We’re delighted to expand our network and provide reliable and efficient cargo services to meet the growing demand.”

The International Air Cargo Association (TIACA) and Airports Council International (ACI) signed MoU aimed at strengthening cooperation for the benefit of each of the associations members and the industry. The primary objective of the MoU is to improve the overall level of safety, efficiency and sustainability of cargo operations within the airport ecosystem for the benefit of the aviation industry and its related stakeholders. Key points of the MoU focus on: • Development of joint advocacy programmes in the context of ICAO events, aimed at facilitating the sustainable growth and development of the aviation industry, with a focus on cargo; • Cooperation in the establishment of joint programmes or mutual support of industry initiatives, in particular in the domains of aviation workforce and social sustainability; • Mutual support for and collaboration across actions and initiatives aiming to achieve the industry agreed goal of Net-zero 2050; • Participation in each other’s working groups and committees as necessary, to provide industry expertise and strategic orientation where appropriate; • Collaborating on the establishment of relevant industry guidance material and technical recommendations on topics of use for the respective memberships; • Cross-promotion of relevant activities, such as events or publications, to each other’s membership or relevant governance bodies; • Sharing of relevant documents, data and information as needed in the context of the Parties work programmes. “TIACA aims is to unite air cargo and by coming together with key organizations like ACI, is just one of the ways we are actively doing this. By coming together on key items, we are working together to support the industry in its sustainable growth and development, while ensuring the most efficient and safe operation possible.” stated Steven …

To focus on faceless assessment in customs and re-inforce the trade facilitation measures, Jawaharlal Nehru Customs House (JNCH) and Brihanmumbai Custom Brokers Association (BCBA) conducted an intteractive open house session for trade and industry, exporters and importers at IMC Chamber of Commerce and Industry. To facilitate EODB, various initiatives were discussed such as providing the statutory timelines for clearance of import and export cargo, use of IT tools and EDI System to mitigate the delays, reduce the number of queries, create non-intrusive examination process, requirement of a Nodal officer, Transparency regarding clearance of goods under CAROTAR rules 2020. One of the important requests made on behalf of trade was to create a comprehensive escalation mechanism in digital format to help the trade and industry for quick redressal of the pending import consignments. President BCBA, Dushyant Mulani gave a detailed presentation based on the feedback received from the industry. While addressing the gathering CCC, JNCH Rajesh Pandey announced the issuance of PN NO 46/2024 – Midyear special drive (MSD) which will help to expedite the clearances substantially and also help to identify and remove the bottleneck faced by the trade. He further conveyed that this meeting is being held at the behest of the request made by FFFAI for revamping the faceless assessment structure and for gathering the feedback and understanding of real time issues was vital. He thanked BCBA for organising the meeting with trade and conveyed that accurate declaration along with documents would be essential to reduce the dwell time. He further emphasised on the aspects of providing principles of natural justice to the trade and industry under faceless and conveyed that Custom Brokers and the Association being partners …

IATA released data for April 2024 global air cargo markets showing strong annual growth in demand into the second quarter (Q2). Air cargo demand started Q2 with a solid 11.1% increase. While many economic uncertainties remain, it appears that the roots of air cargo’s strong performance are deepening. In recent months, air cargo demand grew even when the Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) was indicating the potential for contraction. With the PMI now indicating growth, the prospects for continued strong demand are even more robust,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General. Several factors in the operating environment should be noted: • In April, the PMIs for global manufacturing output and new export orders turned positive (51.5 and 50.5 respectively). This is the first time in two years that the new export orders PMI has been in growth territory. • Industrial production increased by 1.6% in March year-on-year, while global cross-border trade contracted by 0.8%. • Inflation remained relatively stable across the US, EU, and Japan in April with rates at 3.4%, 2.6%, and 2.5%, respectively. China reported a 0.2% increase in consumer prices year-on-year—a positive signal amid concerns over China’s economic slowdown. April Regional Performance Asia-Pacific airlines saw 14.0% year-on-year demand growth for air cargo in April – the strongest of all regions. Demand within the Asia market grew by 13.2% compared to April 2023, and the Asia-Europe route grew by 17.7%. The Middle East-Asia route rose by 10.4%, 9.5 percentage points (ppt) less than the growth recorded in March. Capacity increased by 7.8% year-on-year.

In a strategic move towards fostering sustainability and reducing its carbon footprint, Blue Dart has expanded its electric vehicle (EV) fleet, now boasting over 480 e-vehicles (2,3 &4 wheelers combined). The integration of EVs into Blue Dart’s fleet is poised to yield substantial environmental benefits, with an estimated reduction of 15.05 tonnes of CO2 emissions per month. Blue Dart’s proactive participation as a signatory to the ‘Climate Neutral Now’ (CNN) pledge by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) further underscores its commitment to global climate action. The company’s Sustainability Roadmap emphasizes initiatives such as planting over 111,000 trees annually—a measure projected to offset more than 13,320 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually once these trees reach maturity. Of the initiative Balfour Manuel, Managing Director, Blue Dart, said “Blue Dart is driving sustainable logistics in India, paving the path towards a greener future. By integrating electric vehicles into our fleet, we are poised to significantly reduce our carbon footprint and contribute meaningfully to environmental conservation. Our transition to a green fleet demonstrates Blue Dart’s commitment to carbon neutrality and sustainable growth.” Blue Dart remains dedicated to delivering innovative solutions in its pursuit of innovation while upholding its environmental responsibilities. The company’s adoption of electric vehicles marks a pivotal milestone in its journey towards long-term sustainability objectives, reinforcing its position as an industry leader committed to shaping a cleaner, greener tomorrow.