Sanjay Bhatia, Co-Founder, Freightwalla
WAREHOUSING & LOGISTICS

Sanjay Bhatia, Co-Founder, Freightwalla

In the year 2020, the pandemic brought global industries to their knees. The $160 billion Indian logistics industry was also not spared as it came to a standstill during the pandemic lockdown. The industry faced many challenges in terms of clearance, processing, and movement of shipments. A few technology-driven businesses managed to overcome some of the EXIM industry's challenges during the pandemic. The stumbling-blocks faced by the exporters and importers could have been avoided if the entire ecosystem was working digitally. There is a pressing need for a complete digital transformation of the industry to handle international shipments efficiently. Consider the case of customs that have taken part in their processes online. There are still many things that need to be re-moulded with advanced technologies. We hope the union budget will announce suitable investments towards the digitisation of the shipping and logistics sector.

A leap towards the initiative will bring in transparency, reduction in cost, and better cost management. Digitisation should also include implementing smart single-window clearance for smooth processing of shipments or approvals. Such initiatives will prepare us to tackle any untoward incidents in the future, like the current pandemic. Investments in artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and blockchain technologies can facilitate complete transformation. It can boost productivity in every sector, and style a pretty effective and successful workflow.

Further, the Union Cabinet recently approved a multimodal logistics hub proposal and set up industrial corridor nodes at Krishnapatnam and Tumakuru. We hope to see implementations of these at the earliest. It will facilitate the transportation of goods, thereby cutting travel time and making the system more efficient.

There is also an expectation that the proposed National Logistics Policy may get announced during the announcement of union budget 2021. We are optimistic that that will improve productivity and reduce logistics costs.

In the year 2020, the pandemic brought global industries to their knees. The $160 billion Indian logistics industry was also not spared as it came to a standstill during the pandemic lockdown. The industry faced many challenges in terms of clearance, processing, and movement of shipments. A few technology-driven businesses managed to overcome some of the EXIM industry's challenges during the pandemic. The stumbling-blocks faced by the exporters and importers could have been avoided if the entire ecosystem was working digitally. There is a pressing need for a complete digital transformation of the industry to handle international shipments efficiently. Consider the case of customs that have taken part in their processes online. There are still many things that need to be re-moulded with advanced technologies. We hope the union budget will announce suitable investments towards the digitisation of the shipping and logistics sector. A leap towards the initiative will bring in transparency, reduction in cost, and better cost management. Digitisation should also include implementing smart single-window clearance for smooth processing of shipments or approvals. Such initiatives will prepare us to tackle any untoward incidents in the future, like the current pandemic. Investments in artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and blockchain technologies can facilitate complete transformation. It can boost productivity in every sector, and style a pretty effective and successful workflow. Further, the Union Cabinet recently approved a multimodal logistics hub proposal and set up industrial corridor nodes at Krishnapatnam and Tumakuru. We hope to see implementations of these at the earliest. It will facilitate the transportation of goods, thereby cutting travel time and making the system more efficient. There is also an expectation that the proposed National Logistics Policy may get announced during the announcement of union budget 2021. We are optimistic that that will improve productivity and reduce logistics costs.

Next Story
Infrastructure Urban

TRAI Evaluates Telecom Service in Nine Cities

In December 2024, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) conducted Independent Drive Tests (IDT) across nine cities, highways, and railway routes, including Aligarh, Bhubaneswar, Jammu, Lucknow, Navi Mumbai, Raipur, Siliguri, Thiruvananthapuram, and the Vapi-Rewari Highway. The tests aimed to assess the quality of voice and data services provided by telecom operators such as Bharti Airtel, BSNL/MTNL, Reliance Jio, and Vodafone Idea using various technologies like 2G, 3G, 4G, and 5G. The drive tests evaluated Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for both voice and data services, includi..

Next Story
Infrastructure Urban

Kolkata to Host North East Trade & Investment Roadshow

Kolkata is set to host the North East Trade & Investment Roadshow on March 7, 2025, at Hotel JW Marriott, starting at 10:30 a.m. Organized by the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (MDoNER) in collaboration with FICCI and Invest India, the event aims to attract investors and promote economic opportunities in the North East. The roadshow will be graced by Dr. Sukanta Majumdar, Minister of State for MDoNER & Education, along with Shri Dharmvir Jha, Statistical Adviser, MDoNER, and senior representatives from all eight North Eastern states. The event will feature presentations on ke..

Next Story
Infrastructure Energy

India’s Rooftop Solar Installations Surge by 86% in 2024

India added 3.2 GW of rooftop solar capacity in 2024, marking an 86% increase from the previous year, according to Mercom India Research’s latest Q4 & Annual 2024 India Rooftop Solar Market Report. The surge was largely fueled by the PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana, with the residential sector accounting for 74% of the total installations. In the wind power sector, NLC India and Adyant Enersol (Datta Infra) secured bids in SJVN’s auction for 600 MW of inter-state transmission system-connected wind projects. NLC India won 200 MW at a tariff of Rs 3.74/kWh, while Adyant Enersol secured 112..

Advertisement

Advertisement

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Get daily newsletters around different themes from Construction world.

STAY CONNECTED

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Talk to us?