MSRTC wants to break even
Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation, (MSRTC) is reportedly weighed under a huge loss. Attributed to the fuel prices eating a chunk of operational costs, the loss is pegged at rupees two crores per day according to Maharashtra Transport Minister Anil Parab. In his recent visit to the regional workshops and two bus stations he figured the loss of rupees 6500 crore. This is inclusive of rupees 2750 crore owing to the direct impact of the pandemic induced restrictions. To overcome the losses, as per the minister, MSRTC has opened an alternative revenue stream wherein it uses the buses for cargo transportation. A total of 1,100 buses have been deployed for it with an aim to raise the strength to 2,200 in the next six months.
Safexpress has launched an ultra-modern logistics park in Navi Mumbai. Strategically located near the Mumbai-Goa Highway 66, the leading supply chain and logistics company will serve as the hub for supply chain and logistics in the region. It is expected to complement the industrial facilities known to exist in the region. Spread across
1.60 lakh sq. ft. the park is equipped with transhipment and third party logistics (3PL) infrastructure. Operations at the park are claimed to have been streamlined to ensure high-speed transit unlike any other region in the country. At any given time, 50 trucks can load or unload goods at a time, thus increasing productivity. Notably, the park has a column-less span of over 80 ft. and facilitates uninterrupted movement of goods within. To enable all-weather loading and unloading of goods, a 16 ft. wide cantilever shed has been put in place. It also boasts of stateof-the-art firefighting equipment and trained manpower to deal with any emergencies. In green initiatives, the facility utilises rain water harvesting, a special green zone and makes use of natural sunlight to conserve energy consumption.
ZF Friedrichshafen AG has renewed its focus on India by earmarking a Euro 200 million investment. The company is also looking at a strategic consolidation of its business domains with an eye on the next decade. In a company statement, Dr Holger Klein, ZF Member of the Board responsible for the Asia Pacific and India mentions that despite the pandemic marred fiscal, the company is buoyant of the long-term growth potential in the country. “The refresh fourpoint strategy includes a plan to rapidly grow business in one of the largest automotive markets in the world,” averred Dr Klein. Centred on ‘Readapt’, ‘Reinforce’, ‘Retain’ and ‘Restructure’, through the investment, he added that the company plans to aid this growth through product launches, manufacturing and engineering footprint expansions. It will also look at hiring and developments across other business domains. The focus areas of the company remains in e-mobility and nextgeneration technology through a global portfolio. It also includes using the racetrack as a testbed for power electronics, electric motor and transmission. Coming off its recent acquisition of Wabco, forming a separate commercial vehicle division, the company expects to be able to increase its content per vehicle. At the same time, the company aims to bolster India as a global sourcing hub across software development, information technology, manufacturing and material sourcing, as per Dr Klein.