Huned Gandhi, Managing Director, Dachser while addressing the panel at the ongoing ACAAI annual convention said, a lot has been done to improve the multimodal infrastructure and connectivity but there’s a lot more that needs to be done. It is a continuous process. Upskilling manpower is another important area of concern, he highlighted. Gandhi said, “There’s a need for getting skilling and training done for the new workforce because the industry is going to need people and at this stage, I see a major shortage in terms of new talent that we could hire in the company.” “The logistics industry is getting more complex, the world is getting more complex and we need skilled people, highly trained people, and that’s something that we need to work towards,” he added.

While addressing the gathering at the ongoing 46th edition of the Air Cargo Agents Association of India (ACAAI) conference in Bangkok, Thailand, Tushar Jani, Group Chairman, Cargo Service Centre said that the industrial collaboration, unity and cooperation are vital to achieve growth in the future. He also stressed upon investing heavily in the supply chain business, training manpower and bringing more dedicated narrow body freighters in the coming years to transport cargo across the world. “Ten years from now, we should have more Indian air cargo airlines moving around the world and that’s the future. Let’s do it together. Let’s do it in appropriate ways. The stakeholders need to understand that the world will collapse if there is no supply chain and if you are a smart investor, you should invest in the supply chain. I have come across many foreign investors ready to invest in the Indian logistics market, considering the potential it has. Also, there is an urgent need to train manpower and bring in fresh talent. I want to urge you to bring young people into this system and take this industry forward.” Jani said, it’s the right time to invest in the Indian market.  “India is going to build a dedicated freight corridor from North East via Myanmar to Thailand to Cambodia, Vietnam and connecting Phillipines. This is going to be an alternative route to the other trade establishments in this part of the world. So the North East is going to be the gateway for cargo conversion and the North East is going to be the logistic gateway for India,” he shared. He further added, “The next e-commerce gateway of India would be the North East. …

Air cargo is having growth in a slow pace which will continue. Even today major shipping lines are investing heavily in aircraft which is a proof that the Air cargo industry is progressing, said M Afzal Malbarwala, President, ACAAI. “As in every developing economy, we run the risk of losing the story while building up the plot. Our fast paced growth needs equal focus on the nuances of growth to ensure we build it on well laid foundation pillars of strength, long term sustainment and a forward progressive focus. Growth checklists should mandatorily include development at all stages and not just on the cosmetic buildup. Our forward march should also ensure we do not leave anyone behind. We have been addressing the requirements in a mix of immediate focus as well as long term focus. Some points need to be resolved as early as tomorrow morning while some need discussions and probably include more stakeholders. We are happy with progresses being achieved and are looking to speed up without compromising on the integrity of the issue and the required solution. The issues in question involve our legacy approach, being receptive to change as well as accepting modern methods of technology,” he added.

  “The lifeline during the Pandemic was the Air cargo sector. This sector showed it’s resilience; adaptability and strength throughout the crisis. Many new routes and commodities were added to the existing network. With passage of time, the initiatives and lessons learnt may get diluted and forgotten. The theme shall be a continuous reminder to all stakeholders,” says Samir J Shah, Honorary Secretary, ACAAI, while justifying the theme. He adds, “Many airports are expected to become functional in the near future. This coupled with new airlines will increase the penetration of this across the length and breadth of the country. Many exporters; traders; commodities will have the added option of using Air as a mode of transport. Newer entrepreneurs and new commodities will get added. The time is ripe for the sector to take a leadership role here. The issue is not only cost effective – it is also available; usable. As more users use these facilities the other benefits will fall in place.” Talking about the crucial areas of concern which will be addressed at the convention, he highlights, “Private sector partnership with the Government; removal of many redundant regulations and an all round trust regime, will be the core focus areas. The industry needs to attract a large number of young persons for all levels and a new thinking which will emerge from engaging all stake holders.”

While addressing the gathering at the ongoing 46th edition of ACAAI convention, C K Govil, Vice President, ACAAI applauded the industry for surpassing all the obstacles during the COVID and the ongoing Ukraine-Russia crises and achieving growth. He applauded the industry stakeholders for adopting efficient strategies to move forward for growth. He also remembered the late veteran, Bharat Thakkar who was the co-founder and managing director Zeus Air Services and former president ACCAI, who passed away in May this year. “The 46th ACAAI Convention being held in Bangkok Thailand has been a great success with an overwhelming attendance / response where people from all parts of India have converged at Marriott Marquis Queens Park. Resilient Air Cargo – post Pandemic the theme of this year’s convention has seen a growth of cargo in e-commerce, time sensitive cargo – high value and pharmaceutical shipments has seen tremendous leap. To make the event more attentive and interactive, mind reader and magician showed tricks and enthralled the delegates. Also there were tickets and iPhone given out as lucky dip.”

The biggest gathering of the air cargo industry, the 46th edition of the ACAAI Annual Convention which started yesterday will continue till 27th Nov 2022 in Bangkok, Thailand.. With the gathering of senior leaders of the industry, the lightening of the lamp ceremony took place in the presence of ACAAI President Mr Afzal Malbarwala, ACAAI Vice President Mr CK Govil, Hony. Secretary General Mr Samir Shah, Hony. Treasurer Mr Praveen Menon, ACAAI Convention 2022 Chairman Mr Anil Vazirani along with the Chief Guest Mr S Burak Omeroglu, VP – Cargo Sales (Middle East and South Asia), Turkish Cargo, Dubai and Keynote address by Mr Sudipta Ghosh, Partner, PriceWaterhouse Coopers (PWC). It was followed by live music, dance and dinner.

Amazon has debuted a warehouse robot that can pick up and sort millions of individual unpackaged products, in a move that will automate more jobs as the US ecommerce giant faces pressure to significantly cut logistics costs. The group said the robot, named Sparrow, is its first one with the capability to “detect, select, and handle individual products in our inventory”, a task that had previously been the exclusive domain of Amazon’s warehouse employees. Sparrow, a robotic arm that harnesses computer vision technology to identify and pick up small products, was unveiled at an event recently. The ecommerce group said the robot would “benefit” its employees, who could now focus on less repetitive tasks in the company’s warehouses. It said 700 new “categories” of jobs had been created at the company related to robotics.

Ganesh Complex is driving this growth in Eastern India, by providing warehousing solutions to a plethora of industries in and around West Bengal. They have state-of-the-art warehouse facilities at four current parks in Ranihati, Rauta, and Panchla, near Kolkata, with a total area of 17,424,000 square feet and world-class amenities. The company is now on expansion mode with two more industrial parks spread across 500 acres and with an investment of INR 100 crores.  Alok Bajoria, Director, Ganesh Industrial Complex, said, “Within the steel and metals industry, construction, manufacturing, and fabrication are all significant subsectors with expansion potential. There is also room in the market for niche products and services. We believe that for Eastern India’s industrial sector to grow as a whole, the eastern regions must be provided with every conceivable infrastructural advantage, so that industrial progress is exponential. The industrial parks set up by Ganesh Complex are a testament to our commitment to this philosophy.”

In a major boost to the state economy, the Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India Limited (DFCCIL) will construct a multimodal logistics park in Kanpur for cargo handling. This would be the fourth such mega logistical hub in UP, but the first to be developed by DFCCIL. According to the reports, “In two years UP will have a multimodal logistics park, 20 km from Kanpur city near Rooma railway station. It would be the fourth logistical hub in the state for cargo movement—the other three are in Dadri, including one developed by Container Corporation of India Limited and two to be developed by National Industrial Corridor Development Corporation Limited and Adani group.”

Rachna Prasad, Chair -Marcom says the recently launched National Logistics Policy will prove to be a game changer. “In 2018, India’s rank in the World Bank Logistics Performance Index was 44th. The National logistics policy is a comprehensive agenda that will fuel economic growth and give a competitive edge to India in the world ranking aiming to reduce logistics costs by 5 per cent of the GDP by 2030. In simpler terms, imagine farmers being able to reach the consumer with their produce faster at lower costs. This is a promising development which we all are waiting to unfold . It’s going to be a game changer for the industry, ecosystem and people at large,” she said.