Need govt support to improve state highways
Dileepa B.M, CEO, Bonded Trucking in an interview with , elaborates on the importance of technology, the need for skilled and trained drivers, and plans to enter the cold chain market soon. Supply chain solutions provider, Shreeji Translogistics, was conferred with the Premium Bonded Trucking Operator Award at the recent India Cargo Awards.
What are the major opportunities in 2022 and beyond and the risks involved?
Today, we are seeing tremendous changes in the transportation industry. Transit time has been drastically reduced. Currently, only national highways have seen improvement. Major opportunities include the government’s support in improving the state highways. New and advanced technology should be deployed at the tolls, such as automatic sensors, which enable vehicles to move continuously, even if the vehicle moves a speed of 100 kmph. Sensors should catch the FASTag within seconds. These areas need improvement in the transportation sector.
What are your plans for entering the cold chain market?
Shreeji Translogistics will be entering into Reefer truck movements in this year. Our trucks will be on the road within three months. The company plans to own refrigerated freezer trucks and transport customer products from the point of sourcing through reefer vehicles or ambient distribution vehicles. We are also planning to expand warehousing in the western regions of India in a bid to take advantage of increased demand for warehousing facilities by the customers for storage of their cargo and goods.
What are your efficient supply chain strategies to ensure timely pick-up, safe delivery, and zero damage of cargo?
We export and import transhipment cargo from one airport to another airport. Cargo is loaded and unloaded without wasting time. We even have skilled manpower and advanced technology to avoid any kind of damage during transit.
Recently, the Union government introduced many schemes to improve transportation infrastructure in India for green NHs. Will these benefit the industry in the coming years?
The company plans to own refrigerated freezer trucks and arrange for the transportation of products of the customers from the point of source through reefer vehicles or ambient distribution vehicles
development in the transportation industry. At the same time, since there is no control on the prices of fuel, it is becoming very difficult to retain customers with the new rates.
Today, skilled and trained truck drivers are essential. What initiatives has the company taken in this regard?
As we carry export and import transhipment cargo, it is vital we train the drivers about the cargo’s importance. Only then will the drivers deliver the cargo on time. Once every three months, we have review meetings with all drivers to improve our service levels.
The potential for air cargo in India is good. The govt, which near 3.1 mn MT, has targeted 10 mn MT by 2030. We will develop a build transhipment hubs across the country
This can be achieved by acquiring small-sized aircraft. To facilitate this, new domestic cargo terminals will be set up, says Jyotiraditya M Scindia, Union Minister of Civil Aviation. Another major focus area is Ease of Doing Business in air cargo sector to make processes paperless, automated, and digitized.
Jyotiraditya M. Scindia, Union Minister of Civil Aviation, announced, “The country will have 33 additional domestic terminals by 2024-25.” He was addressing the Air Cargo Forum India’s (ACFI) annual event held recently. Speaking about reforms in the Indian air cargo sector, the minister said that the air cargo industry players need to focus on the transportation of smaller cargo loads from tier 2 and 3 cities to metros to achieve the target of 10 million metric tonnes (MT) in cargo. “This can be achieved by acquiring smaller-sized aircraft, and in order to facilitate this, 33 new domestic cargo terminals will be established by FY2024-25. Ease of doing business in the cargo sector in a bid to make processes paperless and digitized, which can make cargo processing swift, was another major focus area at the forum.
Charting the growth plan of the government’s vision to reach 10 MT of air cargo by 2030, the minister said, seven Brownfield and three Greenfield locations and new airports at Navi Mumbai and Goa at an expenditure of 98,000 crore will be built in the next four years. Out of this amount, 62,000 crore will be spent by private companies and 30,000 crore by the AAI. Currently, there are 21 international and 33 domestic cargo terminals.
Focusing on the country becoming the fastest-growing economy in the world and how the government has set an target for India to become a US $5 trillion economy by 2024-25 (the fourth largest in the world), the minister said, “The potential for air cargo in India is tremendous. We are currently at 3.1 million MT and have targeted 10 million MT by 2030. We will develop a hub and spoke arrangement and build transhipment hubs across India.”
Cyrus Katgara, President, Air Cargo Forum India and Partner, Jeena & Company, welcomed the minister, who took part as the chief guest, and Piyush Srivastava, Senior Economic Advisor, MoCA, who was the guest of honour at the ACFI event. This apart, the government will give an impetus to the agriculture sector. The government is targeting 53 cargo terminals, which will connect airports with agricultural farmlands for the transport of perishable commodities.
Green shoots from Assam or Tripura’s jackfruits can travel to London and Germany only to be consumed internally in Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Chennai. The government is certain that India will emerge as a global air cargo player in the coming years, the Union minister said.
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