Category Archives: Supply Chain

Keku Bomi Gazder, CEO of AAI Cargo Logistics & Allied Services Co. Ltd., has almost three decades of experience in the Middle East and India in the aviation sector, holding key roles in firms such as Air France-KLM Cargo, Martinair Cargo, and Saudi Arabian Airlines, among others. He has been with AAI Cargo Logistics and Allied Services Company Limited since June 2017, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Airports Authority of India, which is part of the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Government of India. He oversees cargo and logistics operations at over 90 AAI airports, identifying business opportunities across the company’s many verticals for future growth and developing business strategies to stay ahead of the competition in the cargo market. AAI Cargo Logistics and Allied Services Company Limited has begun managing the In-line Hold Baggage Screening System at AAI-managed airports. He works closely with the Ministry of Civil Aviation on a variety of initiatives. Gazder is a part of the following initiatives and committees: the Ministry of Civil Aviation’s Krishi Udaan initiative; the Ministry of Civil Aviation’s Defence Convergence Committee; the Governing Council of the Logistics Skill Council (LSC), established under the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship; the Ministry of Civil Aviation’s Investment Clearance Cell; the Air Cargo Forum of India (ACFI); and the Confederation of Indian Industries’ National Committee on Civil Aviation.

Shailender Anand, Managing Director (India) & Director (Dubai) of Pronk Multiservice India Pvt. Ltd., began his career in sales after graduating with honours from Punjab University, Chandigarh. Anand’s career in the forwarding sector began with Airfreight Ltd, and he then relocated to Dubai to work in the same industry. After 10 amazing years in Dubai, visiting about 60 countries and learning about the global industry, he chose to return to India to pursue better future opportunities. After nearly two decades in the forwarding industry, Anand joined Logistics & Supply Chain in 2011 to work in value-added services, specifically industrial packaging. In 2011, he joined Pronk as a partner and launched Pronk in India. Anand’s adventure at Pronk has spanned over 11 years, and it continues in the industrial packaging and solutions market. Pronk India was approached by Bharat Electronics Ltd., Bengaluru, to develop a solution and boxes to pack 30,000 ventilators for COVID-19 patients in 2020. When India was trying to deal with the pandemic, the Pronk India team, led by Shailender Anand, was working full-time at all of Pronk’s plants across the country, with special clearance from the Ministry of Home Affairs to operate from all of their locations in India.

Softlink Global was founded by Amit Maheshwari, who also serves as its CEO. Having begun his career as a freight forwarder and customs broker, the logistics technology guru, Maheshwari, founded Softlink Global with the objective of providing a single platform software to integrate and automate the entire logistics operation of the company. An engineer by education, he is a technology evangelist well-known in the logistics business for his thought leadership and game-changing ideas. His attention to detail, technical and creative skills and commercial awareness enabled Softlink to achieve success with each software product created. Maheshwari’s knowledge and experience include strategic planning, information management, financial resource management, product development, and marketing. He is in charge of Softlink’s worldwide operations, which comprise all regional business operations as well as corporate activities including marketing, product development, quality, and technology.

Viraj Vohra is the Director of Continental Group, a global supply chain management company. He has consistently maintained an innovative approach to the company’s growth, being persistent, devoted, and meticulous, as well as a dedicated and enthusiastic leader. He has directed the group’s expansion into numerous areas by taking an innovative approach to business and people. Vohra, an international business leader, has been instrumental in forging significant alliances with partners from over 60 countries and increasing the group’s global reach. He has extensive experience collaborating with global leaders of supply chain organisations from around the world. Vohra completed the Port of Antwerp’s Certified PA3 Experiential Training Programme for Breakbulk Handling and Port Operations, which assisted the group’s diversification initiatives.

The India Cargo Awards will commence tonight. The event will be commemorated by celebrating true leaders and recognising their hard work, passion, and dedication to the cargo industry. The event will be attended by Amrit Lal Meena, Special Secretary (Logistics), Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Department of Commerce, Government of India, as the Chief Guest, and Piyush Shrivastava, IES, Sr. Economic Advisor for the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Government of India, as the Guest of Honour.

EV Cargo has acquired Netherlands-headquartered Fast Forward Freight in a move that will more than double the firm’s annual airfreight volumes, says the release. The company, owned by Hong Kong-based private equity firm EmergeVest, said that the acquisition is part of its previously announced corporate strategy to expand its worldwide footprint and grow its freight forwarding and supply chain services business. As part of the transaction, EV Cargo has become the sole shareholder of Fast Forward Freight (and its trading subsidiaries), with the current owners of Fast Forward Freight becoming shareholders of EV Cargo. The deal adds more than $170m of revenue to EV Cargo, resulting in pro forma combined revenue of approximately $1.7bn, and grows EV Cargo’s employees to more than 2,600 globally, tripling its European workforce to more than 400 people. In terms of airfreight, the move will more than double EV Cargo’s volumes to over 100,000 tonnes. In terms of locations, EV Cargo will “significantly” increase its presence in the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Germany, and UK, as well as expand into Greece and Switzerland. Fast Forward Freight will be rebranded as EV Cargo and operations will merge. Heath Zarin, Founder and Chief Executive of EV Cargo, said in a statement, “Fast Forward Freight shares our commitment to providing innovative technology-enabled solutions and has a strong history of providing supply chain control towers to its customer base of world-leading brands. This transaction helps us grow the EV Cargo global network by adding excellent colleagues, capabilities, and customers.” Fast Forward Freight founder and chief executive, Marc Terpstra, added, “EV Cargo is focused on providing an innovative technology platform, blending proprietary and industry leading technology based on a deep understanding …

Alaska Air Cargo is all set to expand with the addition of two Boeing 737-800 aircraft to its dedicated freighter fleet serving the state of Alaska. These additions increase the freighter fleet from three to five aircraft. “Fleet expansion positions our growing cargo business to meet increased demand that we see from industry and consumers,” said Adam Drouhard, Managing Director for Alaska Air Cargo, in an official statement. Air Cargo’s total freighter lift capacity will be essentially doubled with the introduction of the -800 aircraft. “We look forward to getting these -800s into service to support Alaska’s supply chain and connect cargo to over 100 cities we serve across North America,” he added. The two 737-800 converted aircraft will come from Alaska Airlines’ existing passenger fleet. Beginning this year, the planes will be converted from their passenger configuration to all-freight aircraft. They’re projected to re-enter service as freighters in 2023. The -800 aircraft provides a 40% capacity increase per departure over the current -700 aircraft, with a payload of nearly 50,000 pounds. With a range of 2,800 nautical miles, the -800 will be the most fuel-efficient aircraft to serve intra-Alaska. “Alaskans have always relied on Alaska Air Cargo to provide time-sensitive services to their communities,” said Marilyn Romano, Regional Vice President, Alaska Airlines. “Whether it is vaccines, medicine, household supplies or fresh food, our freighters keep rural Alaska supplied and connected. “With service to 20 communities across Alaska and only three accessible by road, adding new aircraft to the current freighter fleet allows expansion of our vital services to all Alaskans. “The additional freighter capacity also allows us to quickly move seafood and other commodities from Alaska to points throughout …

Deutsche Post DHL Group closes the acquisition of J.F. Hillebrand Group AG (Hillebrand) and its subsidiaries at an equity value of €1.5 billion. After obtaining all necessary regulatory approvals from the required antitrust authorities, the takeover has been consummated. The companies had already signed the purchase agreement in August 2021. Accordingly, Hillebrand now belongs 100 percent to the DHL division Global Forwarding, Freight. “Hillebrand’s expertise in the logistics of beverages, beer, wine, and spirits is an excellent addition to our portfolio. In line with our Group Strategy 2025, we can further strengthen the core of our logistics and benefit our shareholders with profitable, long-term growth”, says Frank Appel, CEO of Deutsche Post DHL Group. “This bolt-on acquisition is a great opportunity for us to add a number of services to our high-quality ocean freight service portfolio, which will strengthen earnings and longstanding client relationships from the start.” Hillebrand is now part of DHL Global Forwarding, Freight under the leadership of Tim Scharwath, who will also head the combined businesses of Hillebrand and Gori as its CEO. Cees van Gent, who has successfully managed Hillebrand since 2017, has decided to step down as its CEO and Chairman of the Board and will leave the group. Hillebrand and Gori will work closely together, leveraging synergies from the extensive experience of both providers, especially in the logistics of beverages, beer, wine, and spirits. Gori, the wine and spirits sector specialist, has already been part of DHL Global Forwarding, Freight since 1998. The integrated business will operate under the new brand name “Hillebrand Gori – a DHL company”. The successful closing of the transaction will strengthen the group’s position in the dynamic ocean freight …

The Federation of Freight Forwarders’ Associations in India (FFFAI) and the National Association of Freight & Logistics (NAFL) based in Dubai, UAE signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the objective of the recording and forming the basis of understanding between the said associations to strengthen, promote, and develop co-operation on the basis of equality and mutual benefits. The agreement was formally signed by Shankar Shinde, Chairman, FFFAI, and Nadia Abdul Aziz, President, NAFL. As per the MoU, key areas of work jointly by FFFAI and NAFL are as follows: a) Trade Support, b) Technology Exchange, c) Women’s Participation, d) Youth Promotion, e) Member Support Safety, f) Skill Development and Training, g) Business Opportunities, and h) Any other areas of cooperation. The cooperation would also extend to identifying and recommending members to securely do business and safeguarding/protecting them by providing services and support pertaining to payment reliability. “In view of the fact that there is a trend of increasing trade between India and the UAE and Dubai being one of the strategic hubs of logistics operations, the MoU is very significant. Both FFFAI and NAFL are playing catalysing roles in trade facilitation in their respective countries, i.e., India and UAE. The MoU would further explore new areas for win-win benefits for the members of both the associations in terms of business expansion and enhancement of skills,” shared Shinde. With the recent signing of the India-UAE FTA, the trade between India and the UAE is expected to touch USD 100 billion in the next 5 years, with most Indian items now duty-free in the UAE. FFFAI is the apex body and the sole representative of 28 member associations from all over …

FedEx Express today revealed the findings of its ‘Future is Now’ study among Gen Z (18–24 years old). As the fastest growing economy today, India is home to a fifth of the world’s youth, with half of its 1.3 billion population below the age of 25. The study offers valuable insights into the priorities of the younger generation in the country. With the future becoming more dynamic than ever, there is a substantial shift in the way generations are embracing ‘what’s next’, with new technologies and an interest in sustainability impacting both business and individual lifestyles. This is particularly true for Gen Z. According to the ‘Future is Now’ study, 38% of Gen Z respondents associated the phrase ‘Future is Now’ with technology advances in business, healthcare, education, and transportation, 33% to sustainable development; 13% to the rise in the use of robotics and artificial intelligence; 10% to living on Mars; and a mere 6% to expecting everything to be personalised for them. “The results of this study, particularly the responses of the younger population, reinforce our commitment to experimenting with sustainable technologies that benefit and align with our customers’ goals. As an industry leader, we have a responsibility towards the next generations and take bold actions by constantly innovating to meet future expectations,” said Mohamad Sayegh, Vice President of Operations for FedEx Express in India. “FedEx is a vocal advocate for modernising technologies that enhance the next generation of transportation vehicles and devices. Globally, we are testing Roxo, the autonomous FedEx SameDay Bot for last-mile deliveries, which is designed to reduce carbon emissions, traffic congestion, and noise pollution,” added Sayegh. The study also highlights what Gen Z considers when …