ASSOCHAM 2018: Enabling a platform for business

ASSOCHAM’s recently-held 11th international conference on civil aviation and cargo in the national capital saw industry veterans deliberate on the need to develop a cargo hub in India for ease of doing business and to make a mark in the sector as well.

Vandana Aggarwal Economic Advisor, Ministry of Civil Aviation, Govt. of India The government is planning efficiently to help enable huge amount of capacity or bellies for airlines for either highvalue cargo, pharma, pharmaceuticals, or time-sensitive cargo. I salute the vision of the ministry to have a specific National Air Cargo Policy. We are looking to set up an IT system which allows the air cargo fraternity to re-chart to the hinterlands. There is a national portal, a national air cargo community system along with a complete paperless system, being envisaged for the first time in the world.

Venugopal Bangera CEO, CSC India & Member – ACFI & India Cargo Awards winner 2017 The idea is to create more infrastructure at necessary places. The pace at which civil aviation is growing, the cargo segment, too, is surging in double digit numbers. The government has also has drafted a separate policy for cargo for enabling smooth functioning and a hassle-free business environment. We need more consolidation, mini consolidation points need to be connected with the gateway airports. Government is paying heed to the needs of the sector, but a viable pace is required.

Dinkar Singh Head – Regulatory Affairs, DHL Express India For ensuring smooth international cargo hub requires additional revenue and more hands. Sixty per cent of freighters in the world are called as express integrators. Proper handling of cargo and infrastructure and rules and regulation that impacts handling and infrastructure are the need of the hour. From the regulatory aspects, the security facility clearance at the terminals needs to be looked upon. Regulatory clearances should be swift as it impacts the mindset of investing in the respective region.

Sunil Arora India Cargo Awards - Mentor Cargo Industry, 2016 & VP, Air Cargo Agents Association of India Addressing a few issues, I would like to ponder on that the cargo civil aviation policy has been made available and the processes and initiatives are already being placed on the paper, the time is now for quick implementation. My suggestion to the ministry and all stakeholders would be to enable timely initiative for planning. We are contributing 10 per cent year after year into the economy and I hope it will continue. We are yet to see a changed mindset at the ground level, that is, the inspectors, superintendents, etc. Customs play a very important role in cargo and ex-im policy. Community platforms like ACCS are all set, great initiatives are been undertaken. Now, it is imperative to complement them and integrate it into one platform. We are looking forward for this initiation. Paperless is yet be achieved, I would say it has come from zero to 90 per cent, but I look forward to seeing a day when my shipment is cleared without printouts and manual intervention. Integration of various allied service agencies to the transportation to be exempted from GST should also be considered.

S Ramakrishna Vice Chairman, FFFAI I have no hesitation in saying that government is ahead of us, as an industry. I want to highlight that the technology implemented by the government, through the Civil Aviation Ministry, commerce or DGFT or Ministry of Finance, is not on a platform which has an API facility, which can be integrated. Today, we have a technology of conveyor system where three-dimensional that takes both the heavy and dimensional cargo, where exporters are more vigilant and declare the cargo properly while the custodian earns proper revenue. The MoCA has taken the initiative of creating more AFS, but unfortunately the AFSs are not in large numbers. Moreover, the concept of UDAN can only be more effective if AFS comes. At the same time, AFS has to have the custodian’s evaluations in terms of handling charges. Government has to come up with the clear guidelines to generate the same for ease of doing business.