In a strategic response to the recent government notification requiring exporters to declare freight and insurance details, Softlink Global has launched innovative solutions Logi-Sys and Live IMPEX, to alleviate the complexities this new mandate introduces. The challenge at hand involves the meticulous declaration of freight and insurance values at the invoice level, a task that becomes particularly intricate when managing multiple invoices per shipment. This regulatory shift, while aimed at enhancing transparency and accountability in trade practices, necessitates a recalibration of how exporters and their agents manage compliance documentation. Softlink Global, a stalwart in the industry with a commanding 80% market share, has ingeniously crafted a solution that allows users to declare freight or insurance as a percentage or value at the shipment level, ensuring stringent compliance without compromising operational efficiency. This feature, now available in our Logi-Sys and Live IMPEX platforms, not only ensures adherence to the new regulatory framework but also fortifies the robustness of our software solutions in navigating the ever-evolving landscape of trade compliance. Advantages to Logi-Sys and Live IMPEX Users 1. Effortless Compliance Navigate through the new compliance requirements with ease, ensuring all declarations are accurate and timely 2. Enhanced Efficiency Maintain operational flow without getting bogged down by the additional administrative tasks the new mandate could impose 3. Scalable Solutions Whether managing a single or multiple invoices per shipment, our solution scales to meet your needs, ensuring every detail is managed meticulously Softlink Global continues to affirm its supremacy in innovating for supply chains, demonstrating a profound understanding of the complexities and challenges inherent to the industry. Our solutions, consistently ahead of the curve, ensure our clients navigate through regulatory changes with unparalleled ease …

India Post and iThink Logistics announce collaboration for E-commerce last-mile deliveries across the country. The partnership integrates iThink Logistics’ cutting-edge technology and rapid services with India Post’s extensive reach, and is expected to reap massive benefits for Direct-to-Consumer (D2C) startups and small and medium businesses (SMBs) in India. Zaiba Sarang, Co-Founder, iThink Logistics, said, “Our collaboration symbolizes the fusion of vision and innovation, where we harness the power of technology and the extensive reach of India Post to propel Direct-to-Consumer startups and small and medium businesses into a new era of logistical excellence. With this alliance, we are not only bridging geographical gaps but also empowering businesses of all sizes to embrace the full potential of E-commerce, transforming the way products reach customers and redefining customer experiences.”

Çelebi India announces partnership with Uganda Airlines to support ground handling services for the airlines at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, Mumbai. The inauguration took place with the direct flight from Entebbe to Mumbai on 7 October. Çelebi India leads the sustainability movement within the Indian ground handling industry, and aims to help the Indian aviation industry attain carbon neutrality. Tauseef Khan, CEO, Çelebi Ground Handling India, said, “We are delighted to bring our ground handling expertise to Uganda Airlines in Mumbai. We anticipate a long-term partnership as Uganda Airlines expands its footprint in India. Our commitment remains steadfast in providing seamless services and contributing to the growth of aviation in India.”

Jeena Criticare Pvt. Ltd. has been awarded with the Good Distribution Practices (GDP) certification by the International Standards Organization Quality Assurance Registrar (ISOQAR). The certification is an internationally recognized standard for the distribution of pharmaceutical and healthcare products, and stands testimony to Jeena Criticare’s unwavering commitment to maintaining safety and quality standards for transportation and distribution of products in the healthcare industry. Anil Agarwal, Director, Jeena Criticare, said, “We have relentlessly worked towards preserving the integrity of pharmaceutical products throughout their intricate journey, ensuring they reach patients in an ideal and optimal state. We are taking a substantial stride towards a safer, more efficient, and globally interconnected pharmaceutical supply chain.”

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 SATS Airport Services Private Limited (AISATS) celebrated their 100th Robotic Aircraft Exterior Cleaning, ‘AeroWash’ for Vistara at the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA), New Delhi. AISATS launched AeroWash for Vistara in June 2023, and is the only ground handler with this innovative and sustainable aircraft cleaning solution. Sanjay Gupta, CEO, AISATS said, “AISATS is proud to undertake its 100th robotic aircraft exterior cleaning for Vistara. This technology represents a paradigm shift in the aviation industry’s approach to maintaining aircraft cleanliness and appearance and sets new benchmarks for aircraft washing standards. AISATS remains steadfast in its commitment to sustainability, consistently striving to provide advanced, eco-friendly solutions to the aviation sector and introducing AeroWash to our industry is a testament in this direction.”

Amazon India has onboarded 12 new entrepreneurs under its Delivery System Partners (DSP) scheme across the states of Telangana, Karnataka, Delhi NCR, and Maharashtra. The DSP programme aims to enable entrepreneurs to develop and launch their own delivery business, even while having no prior logistics experience. The goals of the initiative are to provide work opportunities to hundreds of delivery associates, while simultaneously strengthen Amazon India’s last mile network to deliver across the country. Within the DSP programme, Amazon India has partnered with about 300 small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs) to deliver packages to its customers, and onboarded almost 100 new DSPs in the last two years.

According to a report by the Investment Information and Credit Rating Agency (ICRA), the road logistics industry of India is expected to undergo a growth of 6-9 per cent revenue increase year on year for the financial year of 2024. The key sectors with increased demand that will play a role in this growth would be e-commerce, FMCG, retail, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and industrial goods. The implementation of GST and e-way bills paved the way for an industry shift towards logistics players, which is another factor for the rise, the report says. It also mentioned the stability in volumes of e way usage and FASTag adoption indicating domestic trade and transportation activities.

According to WorldACD Market Data, September saw an increase in global air cargo tonnages and average rates, compared to August. Full-month tonnages rose t0 almost 3 per cent and there has been an increase of rates by around 5 per cent at the end of September, compared to the beginning of the month.  The report further stated, “The figures reflect a slight post-summer seasonal strengthening of the market, which appeared to have stabilised in recent months following a year and a half of persistent decline – or adjustment back towards pre-Covid patterns of supply and demand. Preliminary figures for September as a whole indicate that tonnages were down, year on year (YoY), by two percent, the smallest YoY monthly decline this year.”

Traffic figures for August released by the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) showed decline in air cargo market demand for export orders. Demand in freight tonne kilometres (FTK), had a  1.8 per cent year-on-year fall in August as compared to the subdued volumes in August 2022. Subhas Menon, AAPA director general, said the airlines showed a “7.6 per cent decline in international air cargo demand, reflecting prevailing weakness in international trade flows. In addition, the normalisation of container shipping rates affected the demand for air shipments of non-time sensitive goods”. The international freight load factor recorded a 6.6 per cent point decline to average 58.8% for the month, and accounted for 9.2 per cent year-on-year expansion in offered freight capacity.