Category Archives: Supply Chain

The spectacular growth exhibited by the retail, ecommerce, grocery firms and third-party logistics providers have spurred up the demand for last mile deliveries, forcing top warehousing developers to ramp up their expansions in the tier-II locations and within metros. Aiming to have a better reach to the consumer, operators and investors such as ESR, LOGOS, Blackstone-led Horizon Industrial Parks, and Welspun One Logistics Parks (WOLP) are actively eyeing land acquisitions in smaller cities and vying for first mover advantage in setting up multilevel in-city logistics hubs. With focus on tier-II cities, ESR is currently in advanced discussions to acquire 3-4 land parcels. The company kicked off its urban logistics plan with the acquisition of 8.2 acres of land in Alipur, Delhi, to establish a distribution centre spread across 300,000 sq ft to cater to e-commerce, grocery, pharmacy, cloud kitchen, and other companies. “2021 was a mixed bag, with lot of leasing in e-commerce but slowdown in industrial. In the last six months light manufacturing and industrial sectors have revived. We are looking at significant expansion this year, incl-uding in tier-II markets, which have become important because of e-commerce penetration. Our strategy would be to build more plug-and-play (warehousing) facilities, which help customers to go live in three months,” said, Abhijit Malkani, chief executive officer (CEO), ESR India. Warehousing has been a sweet spot for the real estate industry during the pandemic largely because of the e-commerce boom. According to JLL India, the cumulative warehousing supply in the top 8 cities was 287 million sq ft in 2021-end and is expected to touch 500 million sq ft by 2025.

Pickrr has announced the launch of another value-added service, Pickrr Predict. The flagship product feature will provide predictive analysis to sellers as soon as an order is placed on Pickrr, which helps mitigate the significant risk proportion attached to cash-on-delivery orders. According to an industry estimate, there is only a 75% probability of the order getting delivered. There can be multiple factors behind COD orders not getting received, such as fraudulent orders, incorrect addresses, unavailability of cash, late deliveries, restricted zones, etc. This results in the sellers’ considerable monetary loss because of the failed delivery and the inventory’s RTO process. In a bid to neutralize the additional losses of the sellers, Pickrr Predict has been integrated with Pickrr’s all-in-one dashboard. The feature uses collective data and evaluates the order over 30 parameters, including past online transactions of the customer, return history, high-stress delivery zones, etc., to calculate the risk percentage and intimate the high-risk orders before proceeding with order dispatch. With the help of this intelligent analysis, sellers can determine further processes to cancel, confirm, or edit details for any order. Speaking on introducing the new VAS feature, Gaurav Mangla, CEO and Co-Founder, Pickrr, said, “Failed Cash-on-Delivery has become a significant challenge for businesses. As an industry leader, we strive to provide solutions for the problems that can make a larger difference within the logistic ecosystem. Pickrr Predict is already resolving the shipping woes for over 5000 sellers currently using this disruptive service. He also added, “We are confident that this marquee product feature will help countless sellers generate valuable savings and steer clear of losses.” Pickrr has constantly delivered a seamless logistics experience to D2C and eCommerce sellers through …

After two years of disruption, the logistics sector is riding on a growth wave as COVID-19 wanes, with the giant logistics provider DTDC leading this wave with a special focus on healthcare. The national player is taking the logistics game a notch higher and upgrading their infrastructure, launching several warehouses for positive growth and expansion. After the pandemic struck and several lockdowns, the demand for doorstep delivery of medicine and vaccines has soared. In order to meet this demand and facilitate people with speedy services that meet their life-saving medical requirements, DTDC is now on a mission to reach every large city and the remotest of villages in the country. Rolling this mission into action, DTDC has begun with the Guntur district in Andhra Pradesh. They have opened a new warehouse with state-of-the-art facilities and high-end technology-enabled. Partnering with e-commerce giants, the logistics provider is all set to provide enhanced deliveries across categories across the urban and rural segments of the state. “To further enhance our services and streamline operations to serve our customers better, we are building major logistic hubs across the country to facilitate business growth and deliver value to customers across the length and breadth of the country,” says Subhasish Chakraborty, Founder, Chairman and Managing Director of DTDC. “We are happy with the way the people of the country have supported us in the last 32 years. We started from Karnataka but are all over India today. With the trio element of service, support, and advanced infrastructure, we are sure to take care of everyone’s needs in the coming future. Moreover, we also run a foundation called SSCF (Shri Subhasish Chakraborty Foundation), where orphanages and the aged …

Amerijet International Airlines has announced the launch of its new cargo management system, SmartKargo. The new online system enables the airline’s customers greater flexibility to view prices, capacity and make real-time bookings. Digital transformation and automation have been in the forefront of Amerijet’s vision to provide its customers with digital innovation every step of the way. “The new cargo system will bring efficiencies to Amerijet and its customers, and with SmartKargo we will provide not only a streamlined user experience for our forwarders and direct cargo customers but also reliable access to our capacity, and real time data at every step of the distribution journey,” said Tim Strauss, Amerijet’s Chief Executive Officer. Using the new online system, Amerijet’s customers can access capacity throughout Amerijet’s global freight network anytime, anywhere. Customers will use the new platform by accessing their existing Amerijet MyCargo suite at www.amerijet.com. “SmartKargo is a part of a comprehensive investment strategy in new technology and processes that will benefit both our employees and customers every day. We are very pleased with our SmartKargo experience, and we hope our customers will be too,” added Eric Wilson, Chief Commercial Officer. “We will be investing in our customer experience moving forward as we continue to grow,” Wilson said.

Reacting to the February 2022 Trade Data, FIEO President, Dr A Sakthivel said that the exports of USD 33.81 billion with a growth of 22.36 percent during the month has once again showcased the continuous resilience of India’s exports sector. The enthusiasm with which the Exim community has impressively performed has not only given a boost to the sector, but has also helped the economy’s growth recovery process. With monthly exports crossing the USD 30 billion mark for 11th consecutive time during the fiscal, we are on course to cross the USD 400 billion exports target for the fiscal. Praising the efforts and hard work of the exporters, Dr Sakthivel thanked the Hon’ble Prime Minister, whose clarion call to exporters further enthused the exporting community for such an outstanding performance. Dr Sakthivel also welcomed the steps taken by the government under the able and dynamic leadership of the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi and also the Union Finance Minister and the Union Commerce & Industry and Textiles Minister for showing confidence and trust on the exporters during these challenging times. The FIEO President said that the top sectors, which performed impressively during the month were Engineering Goods, Petroleum Products, Gems & Jewellery, Organic & Inorganic Chemicals, Electronic Goods, Cotton Yarn/Fabrics/Made-ups, Handloom Products etc., RMG of All Textiles, Plastic & Linoleum and Rice. Out of these, many of them were labour-intensive sectors contributing majorly to the exports basket, which itself is a good sign, further helping job creation in the country. However, imports clocking USD 55.01 billion during the month with a growth of 34.99 percent, is a point of concern and should be analysed, said Dr A Sakthivel. The FIEO …

Even as the world is fighting a battle with the pandemic, the impact of the Russian-Ukraine war has hit logistics and cargo like a Damocles sword. The conflict has made commercial shipping through sea routes in Russia and Ukraine suicidal. Most ports in the region are closed and commercial ships are not accepting orders from Russia or making port calls. As per a statement, Container xChange, premier container leasing and trading marketplace, stated, “Due to disruption to commercial shipping on the sea lanes, we expect container build-ups at ports to exacerbate at storage areas in the region. The closure of airspace across Russia and Europe has reduced air freight capacity.” It added, “Maritime trade with Russia and businesses could be difficult in the near future. On Monday, the UK has banned all Russian ships from entering its ports. What’s more, the EU intercepted and seized one ship. On the Asia-Europe trade, we see more demand for maritime shipments and equipment out of Asia due to modal shift.” “Russian and Belarussian ports in the Baltic, Black Sea and Sea of Azov may see a build-up of boxes if carriers refuse port calls due to the precarious situation and sanctions. The full implications of sanctions are not yet clear, but the closure of the SWIFT system to Russia will make payments from Russian partners difficult.” An official said, “Borders with the EU are closed. We expect the war to add to the stretched nature of global container supply chains, bringing more inflation and delays.”

American Airlines Cargo has announced a dedicated suite of products and priorities to make it easier for customers to book a variety of Life Sciences and Healthcare shipments – a segment that has seen a 17% volume increase over the last years across regions the airline serves. With advancements in individualized healthcare and medical innovations that lead to longer, healthier lives, fast and reliable transportation of these shipments has never been more crucial. This new offering leverages the network of the world’s largest airline and award-winning expertise to serve customers now and into the future. The Life Sciences suite offers cargo products designed for time-sensitive shipments. Whether under 100lbs, bulk or containerized, American’s Priority Parcel Service (PPS) or ExpediteFS services provide benefits including next-flight booking options, priority boarding and the shortest tender times. These two products are also customizable, as the airline offers an array of handling and monitoring capabilities based on the level of handling a shipment may need – from prioritized take-off and landing for life-saving medical shipments with MEDEVAC service, to enhanced monitoring and proactive updates with Critical PPS service. Also included in the Life Sciences suite is American’s cold-chain solution, ExpediteTC. This product offers both active and passive temperature capabilities for shipments and has earned the airline Center of Excellence for Independent Validators in Pharmaceutical Logistics (CEIV Pharma) certification. Awarded by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), CEIV Pharma certification recognizes air carriers and entire air cargo supply chains that have established the tools, procedures and staffing to ensure pharmaceuticals are properly handled and maintain product integrity. American is currently CEIV Pharma certified for its operations in and out of Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), Philadelphia …

Taking advantage of the good momentum, Combi Lift is expanding its business into the Americas. “Houston is the perfect location in the USA. It is one of the main project capitals in the world,” explains explained Klaus Hilpert, Managing Director and Chairman of the Board of Directors at Combi Lift. “Solutions are becoming more complex and project risk profiles are increasing.Clients are looking for trusted and globally connected partners who can leverage their assets and drive risk-sharing throughout project delivery. For all of these reasons, opening the Houston office was therefore the logical next step for us.” The new branch is headed by Grant Wattman, President and Managing Director of Combi Lift Americas LLC. “Grant brings life-long industry experience in leadership roles, defining and implementing strategic plans, driving growth, operational excellence and building a strong financial portfolio”, said Klaus Hilpert. “I am extremely pleased that Grant is part of our team. He is a one of the industry heavyweights. Together, we will set new standards in the project logistics industry.” Grant Wattman is looking forward to the new challenge: “I am excited to be joining Combi Lift at a unique time for the global supply chain. Combi Lift provides subject matter expertise and assets, and is a member of the Harren & Partner Group, which also owns SAL Heavy Lift and Intermarine. The market is looking to those companies that will stand up and take a fresh approach to project cost, risk and predictability. The strength of the Combi Lift portfolio positions itself strongly for this new paradigm.” The new Combi Lift office is located in the Brookhollow Central III (2900 N Loop W, Suite 1100, Houston, TX 77092) which …

LOBB has announced that it has raised $1.1 million in Pre-Series A funding round led by Byju Pillai, Group Managing Director, Inflow Technologies and angel investor Gopal Kaul. The round also saw participation from 3one4 Capital and other investors, including Srinath Ramakkrushnan (Zetwerk & Ofbusiness), Mohit Mittal (Southern Cargo Carriers), M D Ramaswami (former MD, Dell India) and Vishad Gupta (Fidelity Information Services, India). The funds raised will be primarily used to scale the business and expand LOBB’s network across newer geographies in India. The company is also looking to strengthen its technology to automate tasks, grow its team across functions to increase fulfilment ratios, and acquire more customers—i.e., add more truckers and transporters onto the platform. Currently, LOBB is operational in 12 cities across India, such as Bengaluru, Chennai, Mumbai, and Pune, working with 500+ logistics companies. It plans to expand to another 20 cities to have a pan-India reach within the next 8 months. Founded in 2015 by techno-domain experts Jayaram Raju and Venu Kondur, LOBB was started with a mission to digitally disrupt the $100 billion Indian logistics sector. The company’s end-to-end digital freight brokerage platform connects transporters with truckers in a seamless way to ensure a national-level supply-demand match, considering the complex nuances of the trade. Through its proprietary Truck Discovery Model, which creates a unique network of fleets and routes, LOBB also aims to empower the 10 million Indian long-haul truck owners who struggle to find the right loads on time. Through its deep intelligence engine, LOBB aims to increase truck utilisation for truckers by reducing halting through digital payments, thereby increasing truckers’ revenue by 30%. On the occasion, Venu Kondur, CEO & Co-Founder, LOBB, …

Continental Carriers Pvt. Ltd. (CCPL) has been awarded the Best Freight Forwarder of the year 2021 by Assocham at the 13th International Conference cum Awards Civil Aviation & Cargo on February 28, 2021. The award was received by Continental Carriers’ chairman, Vipin Vohra; managing director, Vaibhav Vohra; and director, Viraj Vohra. This award recognises CCPL’s excellent performance, commitment, and professionalism in the freight forwarding industry.