Category Archives: Warehousing

International Container Transhipment Terminal (ICTT) operated by DP World at Cochin, announced the arrival of four new Electric RTG (Rubber Tyred Gantry) Cranes at its terminal on 17th of October. The cranes arrived on the vessel m.v. Pietersgracht which berthed at the terminal around 1100 hrs. This development is in line with ICTT’s commitment to fulfil its expansion and sustainability plans in achieving its medium-term objective to be the most preferred gateway for South India and a leading transhipment Terminal for India. The introduction of the E-RTGS at ICTT also aligns with DP World’s overall sustainability target of achieving 28% CO2 reduction by 2030. The arrival of these four new electric RTG cranes along with the expected arrival of 2 state of the art STS (Ship-to-Shore) Mega Max cranes in December 2023 would be an important milestone for DP World Cochin, in its capacity enhancement as well as sustainability objectives. Speaking on the arrival of the E-RTGs, Praveen Thomas Joseph, CEO, DP World Cochin said, “At DP World, we constantly work towards higher standards of operational excellence and customer service to enable our customers reach their products in the shortest and most cost-efficient manner, seamlessly. The introduction of the four new e- RTGs and the ongoing electrification of 100% of the existing fleet of RTGs will significantly reduce the carbon footprint of goods transiting through ICTT thereby giving our customers another competitive edge on the sustainability front. We have launched multiple new service lines this year and the onboarding of our new E-RTG cranes will help us achieve quicker turnarounds for the trade.”

Škoda Auto has opened a new 16,000 sq. mt. facility in Pune, India which will be used to pack complete knockdown (CKD) kits of its Kushaq and Slavia models for export to Vietnam. There, the CKD kits will be welded, painted and assembled at a production line currently being built in Quãng Ninh province and expected to open in the first half of 2024. “With the opening of the new Parts Expedition Centre, we are paving the way for exporting CKD units from India to Vietnam,” said Andreas Dick, head of production and logistics at Škoda Auto. “This represents a crucial step in effectively leveraging the synergies between these strategically important markets. As we gear up to export our products to additional emerging markets, the Parts Expedition Centre may also serve as a logistics hub for the Asean region.” Škoda began selling vehicles in Vietnam in September this year, starting with the Karoq and Kodiaq models, which are exported there from Europe. CKD exports from India will begin with the Kushaq next year, followed by the Slavia. Škoda said it is also considering selling the Superb and Octavia models on the Vietnamese market in the near future.

Amazon is testing out automation services for its warehouses, including trials for a humanoid robot. The humanoid robot is called Digit, is bipedal and can squat, bend and grasp items using clasps that imitate hands. Built by Agility Robotics Inc. and will initially be used to “help employees consolidate totes that have been emptied of items,” the company said in a blog post. Apart from Digit, they are testing a technology called Sequoia, that is designed to identify and sort inventory into containers for employees, and enhance speed of warehousing processes. Sequoia is said to be reducing order processing time by around 25 per cent, and will help warehouses go more towards an assembly line warehouse from the traditional warehouse.

Welspun One Logistics Parks (WOLP) has announced a build-to-suit (BTS) lease agreement with Montra Electric (from TIVOLT). Under the agreement, WOLP will construct a BTS facility that would incorporate Montra Electric’s retail experience centre and a separate assembly space catered to four-wheeler small commercial electronic vehicles (EVs). This warehousing project is part of the MoU signed by Welspun One and the Tamil Nadu government in November 2021, with an investment of Rs. 2500 crore. It is located within the WelspunOne logistics and warehousing park in Chinnambedu, Chennai, and the unit is expected to begin operations by the second quarter of 2024.

Varuna Group is all set to launch its second largest Multi-User Facility (MUF) warehouse in Rudrapur, slated for early 2024. Spread over 3,40,000 square feet, the warehouse will be their second built-to-suite MUF, taking their total footprint to 1.71 million sq.ft. in India. Located in Bara Village of Kichha tehsil, Udham Singh Nagar district in Uttarakhand, India. The warehouse is a state of the art Multi User Facility well connected with the industrial hubs of Sitarganj & Pant Nagar. The Grade A Warehouse will provide seamless and centralised access to multifaceted storage solutions. This milestone signifies Varuna’s unwavering commitment to meeting the evolving demands of its customers while fostering growth and prosperity in the region. It is positioned on the highway to cater for seamless connectivity for its industrial partners. Being in close proximity to key industrial areas of Sitarganj & Pant Nagar, which cater to large scale industrial activity in sectors linked to auto parts, food processing & capital goods, make it an ideal choice for businesses seeking efficient supply chain management and warehousing solutions.

According to Alvarez & Marsal’s ‘Building Warehousing Competitiveness: Automation And Beyond’ report, around 80 per cent of warehouses in India will adopt digital enablement and automation by 2030. The report also emphasizes on the importance of creating a balance between manpower and machine labour in Indian warehousing, for a successful journey towards automation. Manish Saigal, Managing Director, Alvarez & Marsal, said, “In India, Grade A warehouses are expected to expand at a CAGR of 12.5 per cent culminating in approximately 324 million square feet by FY28. This robust growth is poised to drive a surge in automation within the warehousing sector.”

Air India has commissioned a mega warehouse facility at Delhi to facilitate storage of over 1,000,000 engineering spares that are integral to maintenance, checks and repairs of its aircraft and ground support equipment, says official reports. This will further enhance Air India’s fleet and operational efficiency and strengthen India’s expanding aviation ecosystem. The first-of-its-kind facility for any airline in India, the integrated warehouse will serve as the cornerstone of Air India’s engineering function, offering a one-stop solution for storing aircraft spares, tools and ground support equipment ranging from hardware to sophisticated and complex avionics, hydraulics, structural, pneumatic, and mechanical components. Located in proximity of Terminal 3, at the Cargo complex of Delhi Airport’s Air Cargo Logistics division, the centralized warehouse sprawling 54,000 sq. ft. (approx.), will significantly improve quick turnaround of the airline’s flights operating out of Delhi, adds reports.

Hindalco Industries Limited, the metals flagship of Aditya Birla Group and an industry leader in aluminium and copper, recently opened its warehouse at Logistics Park India Private Limited, Nagpur. Hindalco’s service partner is Logistics Park India Private Limited, a leading third-party logistics service provider in India that offers integrated warehousing and logistics solutions. Present at the opening ceremony on behalf of Hindalco were Jagdish Mohan, Vice President – Packaging, Harish Talreja – Unit Head of Mouda Plant, Indranil Roychowdhury, Amol Thakre and Sumit Sharma. Dr Viren Thakkar, CMD of Logistics Park India Private Limited was also present. Started in 1993, Logistics Park India Private Limited has become the leading third-party service provider in Central India. With more than 275 awards and accolades, the company has set milestones of quality services. Logistics Park has been serving more than 50 national and multinational companies in FMCG, pharmaceuticals, industrial, FMCD and automotive sectors. With 2.35 million square feet of operational warehouses, Logistics Park India Private Limited enjoys the number one position in the region.

Bengaluru saw the highest rise in warehouse rents among Indian cities, with an annual average jump of 7.5 percent, overtaking Delhi-NCR and Mumbai in the top 10 Asia-Pacific (APAC) warehousing markets in H1 2023, a report by Knight Frank India has said. The Asia-Pacific Logistics Highlight H1 2023 report said that the rental growth was up 10.4 percent from the same period of the previous year. While rent in Bengaluru, ranked sixth in the APAC list, rose to Rs 21.5 per sq ft a month, Delhi-NCR, which is positioned eighth, reported a 6.6 percent jump from the previous year at Rs 20.20 per sq ft per month. Manila tops the list with a 49.3 percent year-on-year (YoY) jum in rent followed by Sydney and Brisbane at 38.6 percent and 23.8 percent, respectively. Bangkok ranked last with rentals dropping 0.2 percent.

Crown Worldwide Group has inaugurated the Crown Records Management Vault and Fine Art Vault Storage Facility in Mumbai. The facility provides cutting-edge technology with thoughtful design, resulting in enhanced security and storage solutions. This remarkable 4-storey structure spans 27,616 sq. ft., housing dedicated zones for fine art and vital records, including sorting areas, secure destruction zones, and a fine art gallery. The introduction of this facility represents a significant expansion of Crown Records Management’s service offerings in Mumbai and its surrounding areas, creating new employment opportunities within the region. Crown’s 27-year presence in India has flourished across 13 locations, including New Delhi, Ludhiana, Chandigarh, Mumbai, Pune, Ahmedabad, Indore, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai, Coimbatore, Bhubaneswar, and Kolkata. This new facility deepens Crown’s engagement with industries where effective business information management and art preservation are paramount.