Category Archives: International

Russian rail monopoly RZD and Indian Railways will sign a memorandum to set up a joint operator of rail cargo traffic via the North-South corridor, informed Alexander Misharin, First Deputy Director General, RZD. He named traffic via the North-South corridor among the priorities for cooperation between the two companies. “We plan to sign a memorandum of agreement on developing cooperation with Indian Railways, which includes design and supplies of dispatch control systems, automated systems, creating a joint operator, study and preparation of documents to organise joint agreements on cargo traffic,” he said. The North-South international transport corridor is aimed at transporting cargo from India and Persian Gulf countries to western and northern Europe via Iran, Azerbaijian and Russia. The corridor’s main advantage is that the delivery will be two or three times faster than via other routes. Initially, the side plan to transport five million tonnes annually, and the volume may be doubled in the future.

The FIATA World Congress 2018 (FWC-2018), with the presence of 1200 delegates from more than 130 countries and across India, is underway at Pullman New Delhi.  Themed ‘Future Starts Here’, the inauguration ceremony was addressed by AV Vijaykumar, Chairman, Federation of Freight Forwarders’ Associations in India (FFFAI), Neeraj Bansal, Chairman, Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT), who was also the Chief Guest; Robert A. Voltmann, Secretary General, FIATA, Debashis Dutta, Past Chairman, FFFAI and Chairman, FWC-2018 and Samir J Shah, Mentor, FWC-2018.  Federation of Freight Forwarders’ Associations in India (FFFAI) has hosted this first-ever international logistics conference in India. Welcoming the delegates, Vijaykumar said, “India is privileged to host for the first time FIATA World Congress this year.” Dutta remarked on the high number of registered participants who culminated for the event. “We are excited to announce that FWC-2018 registered close to 1200 delegates from across the world.” At the FWC-2018, 20 business sessions are expected to be held with some 70 eminent speakers from international logistics industry, apart from representatives from Government of India, WCO, renowned personalities, etc. In addition, there are about 1000 scheduled B2B meetings among more than 500 delegates in the offing.

The Bangladesh cabinet has approved a draft agreement, allowing India to use its Chittagong and Mongla ports to transport cargo to its Northeastern states. Shafiul Alam, Bangladesh Cabinet Secretary, shares, “The draft has been prepared for signing the deal with India, but Nepal and Bhutan can be added to it, if they wish to use the two ports. Customs duties and transportation costs will be charged on this freight as it makes its way through Bangladesh territory.” “Under the proposal deal titled Agreement on the use of Chittagong and Mongla ports for movement of goods to and from India, a new modern tracking system would be used to track cargoes,” he adds.

Air Freight Institute (AFI) of FIATA shall conduct a conducive platform highlighting the opportunities and challenges in the air cargo industry across the globe at the FIATA World Congress (FWC) 2018. The session will be moderated by veteran air cargo personality Snehal Parikh, Managing Director, Lemuir Group. Panel speakers shall include Vandana Aggarwal, Economic Advisor, Ministry of Civil Aviation, Government of India; Kirsten De Bruijn, VC, Cargo Pricing and Interline-Revenue Operations, Emirates SkyCargo; Ashwin Bhat, Head Swiss WorldCargo; Andrea Gruber, Head – Special Cargo, IATA and Bill Gottlieb, Past President, FIATA. Andrea will provide insight on the information on the latest development in the framework of transport of temperature sensitive healthcare and pharmaceutical products, how the industry is responding to the CEIV Pharma Certification programme, the next key industry priorities and future developments in the airfreight industry.

Delhi Customs Clearing Agents Association (DCCAA) recently held a roadshow in Delhi to promote ‘FIATA World Congress 2018 (FWC-2018)’ and interact with leading customs brokers, freight forwarders and logistics company representatives that are expected to participate in the mega event. FWC-2018 is scheduled to take place from September 26-29 at Pullman & Novotel New Delhi Aerocity.

UPS has inaugurated a larger integrated logistics facility in Ahmedabad to support businesses and SMEs (small and medium enterprises) in Gujarat, looking to expand trade with the global marketplace. Located at Ahmedabad, the facility is easily accessible for walk-in retail customers. The company will provide integrated services for small packages, supply chain solutions and contract logistics for faster and more efficient access to international markets. UPS also offers SMEs in Ahmedabad same day clearance to the United States. The new facility is part of UPS’s investment strategy into its global integrated network, which moves three per cent of the world gross domestic product (GDP) across 220 countries and territories daily. Jean-Francois Condamine, President – Indian subcontinent, Middle East and Africa (ISMEA), UPS, commented, “The economic growth of around 7.1 per cent puts India at the top of the fastest growing G20 economies. Gujarat contributes to a quarter of India’s goods exports and has successfully developed a world class infrastructure network. With the Indian economy on a growth trajectory, SMEs in key states such as Gujarat, are breaking boundaries to reach their growth potential. This investment shows UPS’s commitment as a growth partner for India and its businesses to help drive the economy.”

Cathay Pacific Cargo has partnered with va-Q-tec for temperature-controlled transportation. va-Q-tec’s advanced passive thermal containers will be a strong addition to Cathay Pacific Cargo’s Pharma LIFT portfolio by providing its global customers with an excellent solution for moving life-saving pharmaceuticals by air freight. Frosti Lau, General Manager – Cargo Service Delivery, Cathay Pacific, said, “These advanced passive thermal containers can offer steady temperature-controlled conditions for several days without requiring external energy sources. Coupled with Cathay Pacific Cargo’s extensive network, we are confident the containers will benefit our customers around the world.”

The third edition of the India Cargo Awards – North & East celebrated the accomplishments of the cargo industry of North & East India at The Lalit, New Delhi on December 20, 2017. Salman Khurshid, former Cabinet Minister for External Affairs, former Cabinet Minister for Law and Justice and Minority Affairs, Government of India, was the Chief Guest for the distinguished evening. The ceremony saw the august presence of the leaders and runners of the cargo industry. The 39 winners were chosen after a fair and unbiased selection process which includes an online voting platform.

Stephane Descarpentries, Director – Strategic Projects and Director Operations Asia, FM Logistic, reveals, “We are setting-up multi-customer facilities (MCF) close to the biggest cities in India. First MCF (250 000 sqft) will start in Mumbai (Bhiwandi) in December 2017, second one is planned in Delhi for 2018. Part of these warehouses will be leased but we are also planning to build our own facilities with the help of our real estate subsidiary, Batilogistic.” “These MCFs will bring to our customers efficiency (by usage of the height of the buildings), flexibility (by sharing space and resources among different companies) and quality, security and compliance,” he added.

FedEx Express has launched FedEx Delivery Manager; a new feature to bring convenient delivery options to customers in the country. The new interactive e-commerce delivery solution allows retailers to provide extra flexibility to their customers in India by allowing them to customise the timing and location of their deliveries at no extra cost. Recipients expecting deliveries to their residence will receive a notification by email from FedEx when their package is shipped. The recipient can choose to change the delivery instructions in a few simple steps via a secured website. This is available for both international and domestic shipments.