Category Archives: Supply Chain

In order to manage its fulfilment operations for the Western region, FM Logistic India has been awarded a contract from Pepperfry. FM Logistic India will carry out warehousing operations at one of Pepperfry’s largest warehouses located in Bhiwandi which is spread across an area of 2,85, 000 sq. ft. The 3PL service provider will not only manage storage but also undertake a rigorous process of quality control as per prescribed guidelines and fulfil Pepperfry’s omni-channel orders. These goods will then be delivered to Pepperfry’s Studios for display and distribution centres across India, using Pepperfry’s last-mile delivery network. “Pepperfry is one of the most recognised furniture brands in India,” says Ashish Shah, Co-founder & COO, Pepperfry. “What started as a pure play online furniture store in 2012 has evolved as India’s leading furniture and home décor marketplace, both online and offline. The partnership with FM Logistic India will further help us serve our customers better thanks to a faster, most cost-effective supply chain and a continuous improvement orientation that FM Logistics brings to the table.” “We are committed to helping our customers develop their e-commerce and omni-channel strategies. A fast supply chain is critical for brands to strengthen their identity and relationship with end customers. Therefore, we are delighted to help Pepperfry manage their fulfilment operations for the Western region,” says Alexandre Amine Soufiani, MD, FM Logistic India. The Indian furniture market is segmented on the basis of: Material – Wood, Metal, and Plastic and Other Furniture Type – Home Furniture, Office Furniture, Contract Furniture, and Other Furniture Distribution Channel – Supermarkets and Hypermarkets, Specialty Stores, Online, and Other Distribution Channels The furniture industry in India, which currently stands at $17 …

Freightwalla has announced partnership with TradeLens; a blockchain enabled digital supply chain solution jointly developed by Maersk and IBM, to provide unparalleled visibility and connectivity for shipper’s international shipments. Improving transparency, traceability, and rapid response mechanism has been a significant concern for the shipping and logistics industry. With robust end-to-end connectivity of all stakeholders with the blockchain technology, the partnership will strengthen the overall supply chain transparency. The association will further fast-track the digitization revolution in the industry. Speaking on the occasion, Punit Java, Co-Founder & CTO, Freightwalla, says, “As a digital freight forwarder, our mission is to improve transparency and reduce costs for our partners and customers. Freightwalla getting on board the TradeLens platform will enable seamless connectivity between all stakeholders in the logistics ecosystem, including transporters, shipping lines, ports, and financial institutions. It will enable shippers to get full visibility into their shipments and reduce the overall cost of logistics.” The company has developed its own digital freight forwarding app for the EXIM fraternity and plans to link it with TradeLens, providing its customers unparalleled transparency and visibility while shipping internationally. Java, who also heads the development of Freightwalla’s digital freight forwarding platform, believes that TradeLens will help reduce the operational overheads and errors by enabling the automation of significant parts of the operational process. Bimal Kanal, Head – South Asia, TradeLens, mentions, “TradeLens is an industry-wide neutral platform aiming at digitalising supply chains and the logistics industries. We aim to bring as many stakeholders involved in the logistics sector as possible onto the platform and create an efficient, digital ecosystem that will drive benefits to one and all. Freightwalla’s moves towards digital transformation are helping shippers to …

Automotive Component Manufacturers Association of India (ACMA) has announced the findings of its industry performance review for the first half of fiscal 2020-21. The turnover of the automotive component industry stood at Rs.1.19 lakh crore (USD 15.9 billion) for the period April 2020 to September 2020, registering a de-growth of 34 per cent over the first half of the previous year. Commenting on the performance of the auto component industry in India, Vinnie Mehta, Director General, ACMA says, “The auto industry witnessed a downturn in FY2019-20, the situation further aggravated with the outbreak of the pandemic and the lockdown. While the first quarter for FY20-21 was significantly stressed, however with unlocking of the economy, the sales of vehicles witnessed improvement, month-on-month, in the second quarter. The component industry, in tandem, posted a subdued performance with de-growth of 34 per cent over the first half of the last fiscal, registering a turnover of Rs.1.19 lakh crore (US$ 15.9 billion). However, for the first time ever, the industry witnessed a trade surplus with Auto Component exports at Rs 39,003 crore (US$ 5.2 billion) and imports at Rs.37,710 crore (USD 5.0 billion); both exports and imports declined by 23.6 per cent and 32.7 per cent respectively. The aftermarket estimated at Rs 31,116 crore, also witnessed de-growth of 15 per cent. Component sales to OEMs in the domestic market contracted the most to Rs.87120 crore (US$ 11.6 billion), declining 42 per cent”. Sharing his insights on the performance of the auto component industry, Deepak Jain, President, ACMA said, “In the backdrop of the pandemic and the lockdown, the automotive industry faced unprecedented challenges in the first-half of FY 2020-21. The auto component industry, through …

After a successful pilot phase, PrimaDollar has officially launched its operations in India. With clients already in over 30 countries, the company provides low-cost trade finance to importers and exporters around the world from its headquarters in the UK and network of offices across South and East Asia. It has now opened offices in Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai and Bangalore. PrimaDollar is also now starting to partner with banks and logistics platforms to embed this new form of trade finance into their business models – allowing exporters to take finance as they ship their container, rather than having to make a separate call to their local bank in order to arrange separate working capital. The company solves the resulting cash flow gap for the exporter, paying the exporter upfront, taking the buyer credit risk and allowing the buyer to pay later. All of this is done at low cost, without requiring collateral and with simple and clear pricing. It’s unique trade finance products work shipment-by-shipment, without the need for complex multi-period financing agreements or IT integrations. Tim Nicolle, Founder & CEO, Prima Dollar, says, “Trade finance has traditionally been a time-consuming service, involving multiple banks and the many layers of complexity associated with letters of credit. On a global basis, the market is looking for a transactional solution that works shipment-by-shipment, without collateral and at a low cost. That’s what PrimaDollar has pioneered. For the Indian market, this is especially important as Indian exports are rising (by 7% in 2018) whilst bank finance for exports is falling (down 20% by 2018). All of this points to a major funding gap that PrimaDollar’s trade finance products exactly fit.” “After a successful pilot …

Considering the need for a reliable supply chain mechanism for the vaccine distribution, LogiNext has announced the launch of a COVID -19 vaccine supply chain management and tracking platform. Building the digital backbone for a global logistics movement, LogiNext has been at the forefront of the automation technology revolution. During the nascent phases of the pandemic, the company has proactively started working on a solution which is now available for government and healthcare organisations. Dhruvil Sanghvi, Chief Executive Officer of LogiNext said, “We have been working hard for a while now on this vaccine tracking solution including some key features for the cold chain. We’re very proud to launch the first solution to manage a complex supply chain around COVID-19 vaccine from manufacturing facilities all the way till the last mile.” LogiNext Mile is a complete all-mile transportation automation platform which can be used for tech-enabled management of vaccine distribution. The SaaS platform can be deployed for complete visibility and tracking of the vaccine distribution right from the point of origin at the manufacturing units to the last mile. The solution can be used for the entire chain or a part of the solution can be used for: Visibility and tracking: LogiNext Mile gives a real-time dashboard via which managers can keep track of all logistical movement and orchestrate a distribution plan. Demand forecasting and Order scheduling: Operators now have the capability to accurately forecast the needs across the globe according to which orders on the first mile can be triggered. Detailed analytics: LogiNext’s expertise in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning capabilities gives its clients (healthcare enterprises, governmental organizations, carriers and 3PLs) an added advantage in the form of detailed …

Roca Parryware has announced the strengthening of business tie-up with TVS Supply Chain Solutions (TVS SCS) by the expansion of their area of operations covering the factories, warehouses and import/export logistics. Roca Parryware roped in TVS SCS to support the Supply Chain operations during the year 2018 and since then both the partners have worked together to delight the vast network of more than 2000 customers across India. Roca Parryware operates in India with 8 manufacturing facilities and 12 warehousing stations. Apart from this the company also exports to over 15 countries including USA, Brazil, Australia, China and many parts of Europe. The company continues to import many containers from several countries to meet the growing demands for global products in India. R. Dinesh, MD, TVS Supply Chain Solutions comments, “We are delighted to further extend our partnership with Roca Parryware in India, cementing on the great relationship we had built over the last 3 years of our association. TVS SCS offers the best-in-class digitally led integrated supply chain solutions. The vast network of dealers of Roca Parryware today are a lot more demanding on SCM. With dynamic demand situation and consumers wanting products in a fast and efficient manner, our systems and processes must be digitally integrated to deliver an elevated experience.” Roca Parryware is one of our key customers in this sector not only in India but also globally. We look forward to continuing our mutually beneficial association and help them grow their business consistently” K.E. Ranganathan, MD, Roca Parryware says, “We are extremely happy with our partnership with TVS Supply Chain Solutions over the last 3 years. TVS SCS has added in good measure to our persistent …

With an aim to make the postage cheap and easy, Gxpress is all set to launch an operating system called Ecomgistics for e-commerce for small parcels in India, starting from 50 grams. The sellers also have an option to consolidate the small parcels in a single box and send to the desired location. Sellers will get the lowest shipping prices with free small parcel tracking, without sacrificing the quality of service. Its vision is to empower small to medium sized businesses and entrepreneurs so that they can really focus on their business instead of worrying about operational activities such as shipments, custom clearances and other challenges when are shipping internationally. Gxpress’ easy-to-use website will enable them to book a pickup, estimate cost, and track their packages and more. “The logistics industry has been completely standstill since the start of the beginning of the unprecedented crisis of Covid-19 and lockdowns, ensuring that the supply chains remain intact. Due to the shortage of labour and the restrictions being imposed on the movement of goods and businesses, the supply chain has been disrupted in the past six months. Now, as the businesses started opening, we have planned to launch Ecomgistics for small businesses because we at Gxpress understand the obstacles faced by companies especially when they have to ship small parcels from India but cannot due to high shipping costs. We will focus on empowering small to medium sized businesses and entrepreneurs in the growth of their customers by giving them the option to consolidate the small parcels in a single box and send to the desired location” said Praveen Vashistha, Founder & Director of Gxpress. Gxpress has a mission to build the …

IBS Software has partnered with CargoAi, to extend their presence in new and existing markets by leveraging on digital sales and distribution services. IBS Software is offering its iCargo customers the opportunity to increase their reach to the market and thereby scale their cargo revenues through a new partnership with CargoAi. IBS Software has been working with CargoAi since July 2020 to build a rich integration between iCargo and CargoAi using a scalable, API-based architecture. “Through this partnership, CargoAi and IBS Software have invested in creating platform-level integration to give our customers more choices on channels to digitally connect with their clients, faster time-to-market for such capabilities, and to do so with very little effort,” said Ashok Rajan, SVP & Head of Cargo & Logistics, IBS Software. “We believe that innovation can be fast-tracked by partnering with companies like CargoAi bringing in new and improved ways of doing business like in sales and distribution, which is still very antiquated and legacy-based in the air cargo industry,” he adds. Keen to offer a ‘digital ecosystem’ to its customers, IBS Software is making its motto of ‘Partnering for Innovation” a reality. With this API-based integration between platforms, airlines only have to turn on the switch for e-bookings from all over the world to reach their system. The process could not be easier for airlines – only a few days of tests are required between the platforms to get on board with CargoAi and no expensive bespoke IT development or complex system integration projects is required to deliver this capability. All the work has been done ahead of time by the two partners. “The integration currently covers real-time e-booking and e-quoting, flight availability …

With a primary focus on BBIN (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India & Nepal), V-Trans India has announced the commencement of its operations in SAARC countries on its 62nd foundation day. Initially, the service will primarily be focused on surface movement and will soon be covered with express and multimodal. On this M. K. Shah, MD, V-Trans says “This is one more milestone in our journey to become one of the most reliable and trusted players in the logistics business. The starting of our operations to SAARC countries is the beginning of a new chapter in the history of our company. We have been able to successfully manage the current scenario and looking forward to many more accomplishments in the near future. While the present times are challenging and tough, our team has gone all out and brought the best possible results, which are fully supported and integrated with the advanced technology and a collaborative approach.” One of the highlights for the company has been the successful management of the impact of the COVID pandemic. The company adapted quickly to the situation, digitised the processes, enabled smooth flexi working, and most importantly modified the decision-making process thus leveraging maximum to its advantage. It has undertaken several initiatives in the last couple of months towards the aim of achieving service excellence. The objective has been to ensure smooth conduct of its operations and maintaining high-quality standards in terms of delivery.

Adani Port & Special Economic Zones (APSEZ) has ranked 14th in the global transportation and transportation infrastructure sector and is the only company from India to have been included in this sector. This initiates the presence of APSEZ on the DJSI Emerging Markets Index, one of the most sought-after sustainability indices in the world that represents the top 10 per cent of the largest 800 companies within the world’s 20 emerging markets and is based on long-term Environment, Social and Economic, and Governance criteria. As part of a stringent DJSI rating process all responses by APSEZ were substantiated with internal documentation and real-life examples and audited by an independent third party to verify the accuracy of the information provided. APSEZ was ranked in the top 20 of every single dimension of the three criteria. In all, just 11 Indian companies made it to the DJSI Emerging Markets Index this year. Karan Adani, Chief Executive Officer and Whole Time Director, APSEZ comments “We are pleased to make an entry into the DJSI Index. As the largest multi-port operator and logistics player in one of the fastest growing markets in the world we recognize the complexity that we are confronted with and therefore being able to achieve this high ranking on our debut into the DJSI Index comes as a shot in the arm for us as well as validates our accountability to our investors, customers, and employees. While our Environment, Social and Economic, and Governance criteria scores are a strong validation that we are on the right path, we really see this as just one point along a more ambitious journey we have embarked on to demonstrate our absolute commitment to …