A ‘cube’ to cement the supply chain gaps
R Shankar, CEO, TVS Logistics Services India, shares his billion-dollar vision and how the company will push forward with its ‘CUBE Strategy’ on the three pillars of customer, capability and geography.
What are your further plans?
TVS Logistics is focussed on providing end to end value added supply chain solutions to our customers by identifying gaps in the market in terms of service delivery and anticipating future trends and business requirements. We are the leader in automotive supply chain in India and one of the top service providers for Consumer Durables and Engineering sectors. This apart, TVS Logistics is entering many new sectors and introducing specialised capabilities that are enabling us to develop deeper partnerships with our stakeholders.
The model that we are following includes taking a consultative approach towards our customers’ supply chain challenges and also actually executing the co-created solutions on ground for them. Home grown customised IT solutions, along with mindful investment and application of technology to operations has further strengthened our position as one of the preferred supply chain partners in India.
Our global acquisitions are giving us access to international best practices and technical know-how and we are continuously applying these to the Indian market to create a differentiation. As an Indian company with deep knowledge of ground level realities of doing business in India but with global capabilities and footprint, we are able to deliver true value to our customers. All this has enabled us to participate with some customers in their strategic planning exercises and evolve long-term contracts with them.
How are you aiming to achieve the target of making TVS Logistics Services, a billion-dollar player in India alone?
In our quest to provide customers with competitive advantage, we have set up an enviable footprint in India through 300 plus facilities spread across 29 states.
To achieve the billiondollar vision, we are entering new sectors and verticals and our asset light operations are enabling us to scale quickly and add quality infrastructure as needed. To fuel this expansion phase, TVS Logistics will push forward with its CUBE Strategy which focusses on the 3 pillars of customer, capability and geography.
We will expand with our existing customers by entering new geographical regions where our clients want to grow.
In addition, in our existing operating locations and with our current customer partnerships, we will introduce our global/ new capabilities in line with customers’ developing requirements to service their larger value chain.
We will proactively enter new sectors and add new logos to our portfolio, in regions where we have an established base and will offer capabilities which we have polished and stabilised over the years.
What are your plans to leverage post GST opportunities in the Indian market?
We have made a head start with respect to GST by staying proactive and responsive to the developments in its rules and regulations. TVS Logistics took timely steps to make certain that our IT and accounting systems are modified and made capable to handle the migration into the new environment. The realignment of processes in anticipation of postGST changes helped us to successfully transition in this period with seamless customer operations.
The industry at large is moving towards organised 3PL players and that puts TVS Logistics at an advantage in the GST era. Customers are increasing demanding high level of transparency, discipline to timelines, adherence to compliances and investment in technology platforms to stay competitive in this scenario. With the steps that we have taken in last few years; we are rightly positioned to form the perfect alliance with customers. As an organised 3PL and with the capabilities of a 4PL, TVS Logistics is able to bring in knowledge services, understand and use technology and operate logistics and supply chain more efficiently. Our wide network footprint and proximity to consumption and manufacturing locations is proving valuable for us during empaneling decisions.
The industry at large is moving towards organised 3PL players and that puts TVS Logistics at an advantage in the GST
Any expansion plans?
TVS Logistics is an entrepreneurial company and with the aim to become the preferred partner and one stop shop for our customers’ supply chain requirements. We have assimilated capabilities and technology in the form of domestic and international acquisitions. In line with this approach, we will continue to look at future expansion and acquisitions by how they synergise and complement our existing structure and add value to our customers’ operations.