Jitan Ram Manjhi is the new Union Minister of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). Former Chief Minister of Bihar is the new MSME Minister under the NDA government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Dalit face of NDA, Manjhi, 79, and the leader of athe Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) was Bihar CM between 2014 and 2015 for a short period of 10 months.

Murlidhar Mohol is the new Minister of State in the Ministry of Cooperation; and Minister of State in the Ministry of Civil Aviation. He is the only Maratha leader from BJP in Maharashtra to have had ministerial birth especially when Maratha agitation has once again resumed in the state. He is also the only leader to be in the Modi government from Western Maharashtra, where the party’s stakes are high in the upcoming assembly polls, slated for November this year. In the recently held Lok Sabha polls, only two BJP members were elected from Western Maharashtra. Besides Mohol, another is Udayanraje Bhonsle, a descendant of Chhatrapati Shivaji, from Satara, says reports.

Harsh Malhotra is the new Union Minister of State in the Ministry of Corporate Affairs; and Minister of State in the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. Malhotra, who had served as the Mayor of the erstwhile East Delhi Municipal Corporation in 2015, was picked because of his “ground connect” and “organisational mindset”, a party source said. He is presently the general secretary of the BJP’s Delhi unit. He had joined the BJP youth wing in 1984.  Malhotra was elected as a councillor from Welcome Colony in 2012. Born to migrant parents from Amritsar and brought up in north-east Delhi’s Shahdara, the East Delhi MP is a graduate in botany and holds a law degree from Delhi University.

Ashwini Vaishnaw is the new Minister of Railways; Minister of Information and Broadcasting; and Minister of Electronics and Information Technology. The Wharton-educated minister is an alumnus of the prestigious IIT Kanpur.Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw (born in 1970) is a Member of Rajya Sabha from Odisha. He served the people of Sundergarh, Balasore, Cuttack and Goa. He earned Master’s in Technology from IIT Kanpur and MBA from Wharton. He brings a combination of skills in technology, finance and its application to weakest sections of society. He firmly believes in the philosophy of ‘Antyodaya’, i.e. transforming the lives of the marginalized sections of society.

Sarbananda Sonowal, a BJP veteran from Assam, took the oath as a Union Cabinet Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways in the Modi government for the third time. The 61-year-old’s clean image, oratorial skills and popularity among the masses in Assam ensured that he got another stint at the Centre for the third time.  Sonowal was the minister of state (independent charge) of youth affairs and sports in the first Modi government from 2014 to 2016, when he resigned to head the first Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led coalition in Assam.

Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu has assumed the position of the Civil Aviation Minister, replacing Jyotiraditya Scindia. Naidu hails from Andhra Pradesh, at 36 years of age, Naidu represents the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) as a Member of Parliament from Andhra Pradesh’s Srikakulam Lok Sabha constituency, he is the youngest-ever Minister in Modi.

Adani Airport Holdings (AAHL) handled an impressive one million tonnes of air cargo in fiscal year 2023-2024, achieving a milestone. The achievement underscores AAHL’s robust operational capabilities and strategic growth in the aviation industry. Demonstrating solid growth, AAHL facilitated a remarkable 10,13,115 metric tonnes of cargo in FY 2023-24, capturing an impressive 30.1% market share. This represents a significant 7% y-o-y increase compared to the previous fiscal, when the total cargo tonnage was 9,44,912 metric tonnes. In FY 2023-2024, AAHL’s cargo operations were predominantly international – 65% of the cargo managed was international. This showcases AAHL’s efficiency in managing worldwide operations while maintaining a robust domestic presence. The international cargo tonnage amounted to 6,62,258 metric tonnes, recording a notable 9% y-o-y growth compared to the previous fiscal’s 6,06,348 metric tonnes. The cargo operations were driven by commodities, including automobiles, pharmaceuticals, perishables, electricals/electronics, and engineering goods. They were efficiently handled across the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (Mumbai), the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport (Ahmedabad), the Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport (Lucknow), the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport, the Mangaluru International Airport, the Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport (Guwahati) and the Jaipur International Airport. The major international destinations for cargo included Germany, Netherlands, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States of America. Reflecting on the achievement, Mr. Arun Bansal, CEO, AAHL, said, “At Adani Airport Holdings Limited, we have been consistently setting new benchmarks for operational efficiency. The cargo terminals have achieved a remarkable milestone, handling over 1 million tonnes this fiscal year. This achievement solidifies our position as key facilitators in both international and domestic airfreight operations in India.” The following highlights from fiscal year showcase 2023-2024 AAHL’s …

The global air cargo market is poised for double-digit growth in volumes in 2024, following a notable 12 per cent year-on-year (YoY) increase in demand in May, according to the latest data analysis by Xeneta. This promising outlook contrasts with the conservative, low single-digit growth forecasts made at the end of last year, as the market has experienced six consecutive months of extraordinary regional demand for cargo capacity, it adds In May, the global air cargo spot rate saw its second consecutive monthly growth, rising by 9 per cent YoY to $2.58 per kg, and increasing by 5 per cent month-on-month. The most significant YoY rate increase was observed in the Middle East & Central Asia to Europe corridor, where the spot rate surged by 110 per cent to $3.21 per kg due to ongoing disruptions in the Red Sea. Spot rates from Southeast Asia and China to North America also saw significant rises, up by 65 per cent and 43 per cent to $4.64 per kg and $4.88 per kg respectively. The China-Europe spot rate recorded a 34 per cent YoY increase to $4.14 per kg, as per Xeneta. “In terms of growth data, analysts sometimes say ‘once is an incident, twice is a coincidence, and three-times is a pattern’. In the world of air cargo, there’s an undeniable pattern emerging. We can’t use the word ‘surprising’ anymore. When we take a mid-term view of the market, with these kinds of numbers, we might be on track for double-digit growth for the year. It is now a possible scenario,” says Xeneta’s chief airfreight officer, Niall van de Wouw.

Rotate has been selected by Air Canada Cargo to implement the Sales Cockpit, to enhance carrier’s global digitalization efforts. The Sales Cockpit is web-based software that continually scans the airline’s data to automatically identify specific opportunities with customers. Integrating this with existing systems allows Air Canada Cargo to automatically open sales opportunities in its CRM, and better monitor agreements to track performance against customer expectations. This integration ensures sales teams have timely and relevant information to improve discussions and serve customers more effectively. Matthieu Casey, Managing Director – Commercial at Air Canada Cargo, highlighted the importance of the partnership: “This partnership with Rotate and the roll-out of the Sales Cockpit will enable our Sales teams to provide more personalized and timely service to our customers while maintaining a consistent approach globally. This consistent approach allows us to work collaboratively and proactively as our customers’ needs change.” The implementation of the Sales Cockpit is part of Air Canada Cargo’s broader digitalization strategy, aimed at enhancing the overall customer experience. By automating the identification and management of sales opportunities, the Sales Cockpit helps ensure that no opportunity is missed, and that customer interactions are more informed and responsive. Ryan Keyrouse, CEO at Rotate, expressed his enthusiasm about the partnership: “We are thrilled to support Air Canada Cargo in its digitalization journey. Our collaboration has enhanced the Sales Cockpit, making it a more effective tool for their sales teams. The feedback from Air Canada Cargo has been important in refining the solution to better meet the needs of the industry.”