With both sides "declaring victory and going home”, the first phase of the US-Iran standoff triggered by Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani’s assassination last Friday appears to have been defused. It is perhaps a good time to assess the likely impact of the crisis on Indian economy. The emergent picture, though fuzzy, nevertheless provides definitive indications.

Adani Logistics, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Adani Ports on Friday announced its plans to acquire cold-chain operator Snowman Logistics with the latter’s promoter Gateway Distriparks Ltd making a complete exit. The Adani Group company will buy the 40.25% stake of Gateway Distriparks for a consideration of Rs 296 crores. At Rs 44 per share, the deal gives a premium of 3.2% over Snowman Logistics’ closing price on the exchanges on Friday.

The Chinese eCommerce giant is investing $10 Mn in its logistics portfolio company, Xpressbees. Pune-headquartered logistics company Xpressbees on December 16 approved a board resolution to issue Series D preference shares to Alibaba. The filings with the Ministry of Corporate Affairs showed that Xpressbees is offering 9317 Series D preference shares at a price of $1073.30 per share, making this worth $10 Mn.

Climate Change Performance Index 2020: Decreasing emissions in 31 out of 57 high emitting countries - global coal consumption falling. But more ambition and accelerated action needed. USA for the first time replaces Saudi Arabia as worst performing country. Sweden continues to lead, Denmark climbs up significantly in the ranking. Majority of countries show decline in emissions: Climate Change Performance Index sees opportunity for turning point.

In the present scenario, tolling-related technologies have gained momentum for enabling acceptance of digital payments in lieu of cash at toll plazas. With emphasis on implementing an effective and efficient toll collection system, electronic toll collection (ETC) emerged as the key solution to enable a fast, efficient and cashless payment option for collection of toll fare.

The slowdown in India’s economy is beginning to manifest in the logistics industry, with top companies such as DHL Express, Allcargo Logistics, the logistics arms of Mahindra & Mahindra and retail behemoth Future Group, and the Warburg Pincus-backed Stellar Value chain witnessing the impact of tepid business on the pace of growth.

Come December, owners of vehicles without FASTags will have to cough up twice the normal rate at toll gates as the government gears up to achieve seamless road travel nationwide by making collections electronic. The highway ministry has declared that from December 1, toll plazas across national highways will be equipped to electronically debit amounts from accounts linked to RFID-based FASTags affixed on vehicle windscreens, enabling people to drive through without stopping to make payments.

Agility, which is aligning itself in the ‘digital’ forwarder category, has announced a mixed set of results for its third quarter, as challenges in the freight forwarding industry hit its logistics division. Its Global Integrated Logistics (GIL) business saw ebitda fall 1% year on year to KWD7.8m ($25.6m), which, the company said, was down to increased operating expenses for new facilities and new digital investments.

Hyundai has revealed two concept vehicles at the North American Commercial Vehicle (NACV) Show as a part of its Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle 2030 Vision. Fuel cells are the "perfect fit" for commercial heavy-duty trucks because of a higher drive range and payload and lessened refueling time and costs, according to the automaker. The automaker's 2030 Vision includes the widespread use of hydrogen-powered fuel cell technology in order to its goal of producing zero-emission vehicles in a decarbonized world.

An Amazon order starts with a tap of a finger. Two days later - or even in a matter of hours - the package arrives. It seems simple enough. But to deliver Amazon orders and countless others from businesses that sell over the internet, the very fabric of major urban areas around the world is being transformed. And New York City, where more than 1.5 million packages are delivered daily, shows the impact that this push for convenience is having on gridlock, roadway safety and pollution.

Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi launched the new service in Delhi on October 22. Uber will have pick-up points and kiosks at 210 Delhi metro stations. Metro passengers can use the Uber app to get passes for the train journey. The company has partnered with Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) to enable the service across its 200 Delhi Metro stations.

Given the increasing demand for quality warehousing space after the implementation of GST, the industrial and logistics sector has attracted investments close to 500 million dollars. Going forward, developers are likely to build large-sized spaces to cater to the growing demand which may result in warehousing stock touching 500 million sq ft by 2030.

We are proud to announce that FSC has won the 'Best Use of Digital Techniques / Technologies' and 'B2B Brand of The Year' award at the 3rd Edition Digital Enterprise Awards & B2B Marketing Awards 2019. Congratulations to the entire team on winning these awards.

India has fast tracked norms for creation of formal vehicle scrapping centres and the government will soon announce a voluntary vehicle scrappage policy and wants a stringent framework in place for setting up of centres that will carry out scrapping. The government is set to float new norms that will make way for formalising vehicle-scrapping sector, laying down strict parameters for setting up one of these units, as it prepares ground for voluntary vehicle scrappage policy in the country.

Japan-based Nippon Express Co will acquire 22 per cent stake in Kishore Biyani-led Future Group's logistics arm Future Supply Chain Solutions Ltd through a combination of primary issuance and secondary purchase from an existing investor. As part of this transaction, Future Supply Chain Solutions Ltd (FSC) will issue 37,89,350 shares to Nippon Express at a price of Rs 664 per share (22 per cent premium to the current market price).

As a masterstroke to curb tax evasion, GST Council decided in Modi 1.0 Government tenure to study the feasibility of e-invoicing system. Under the chairmanship of newly elected Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in Modi 2.0 Government tenure, GST Council has finally decided to roll out the e-invoicing system for B2B transactions from January 2020 voluntarily.

Sical Logistics Ltd - a Coffee Day Group company that runs port terminals and container freight stations - is likely to see bidding by JSW Group and Adani Group. Sical Logistics could be a perfect fit for Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd (APSEZ), India’s biggest private port operator and Sajjan Jindal-led JSW Infrastructure Ltd due to the logistic company’s presence in areas where they are also operating and looking to expand.

Spoton is now expanding beyond its bread-and-butter sector, and is contemplating a foray into third-party logistics (3PL), similar to Mahindra Logistics or Future Supply Chain, in six to eight months, potentially through an acquisition. An air express service was launched earlier this year. Spoton competes with deep-pocketed logistics startups such as Delhivery and Rivigo, apart from the likes of Gati, TCI, Safexpress, DHL, Bluedart and Fedex. Besides, the current slowdown in consumption could stall growth for the overall segment.

FM Logistic has reported financial results for the fiscal year ended 31 March 2019. The company reported revenues of €1,318 million in the year ending March 2019, up 11.8 per cent year-on-year, and earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) of €35.1 million, up 32 per cent from last fiscal year’s €26.5 million. Adjusted for currency effects, revenue growth was 15 per cent. The EBIT improvement was driven by measures taken by the company to increase its operational efficiency and be more selective in its commercial approach.

Rapid progression in e-commerce retail with augmented demand for fastest/same-day deliveries are bringing about paradigm shifts in the e-commerce retail supply chain functions. Logistics requirements for the e-commerce retail sector are getting reshaped by continuously evolving customer and business demands. To overcome these challenges the retail supply chains are adopting processes and innovations to meet the rising consumer expectations that benefit the e-trailer/retailer, the supply chain partner and the customer.

India has operationalised a partial guarantee scheme announced in the budget for non-banking and housing finance companies (NBFCs and HFCs), which will allow state-run banks (PSBs) to purchase their assets.It is aimed at providing liquidity support to avoid distress sale of assets in a sector facing a shortage of cash due to asset-liability mismatch.

Technology companies have expressed concern over a delay in introducing the Personal Data Protection Bill in Parliament, and a lack of clarity about its contents. Although a committee led by Justice B N Srikrishna, a former judge of the Supreme Court, submitted its report and the draft Bill to the government in July last year, it has yet to be sent to the Cabinet for approval.

The Ministry of Shipping, after the other National Waterway Projects, is now keen to start the inland waterways navigation and passenger transportation in the rivers of the North-Eastern states of the country. The project is said to bring easy movement in the region. Despite the cost efficiency and other benefits, the use of Indian inland waterways is only 0.1% while in the United States it is 21%.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has agreed to relax priority sector lending norms for exports by removing the turnover condition of Rs 100 crore and enhancing the maximum sanctioned limit to Rs 40 crore from Rs 25 crore now. This boost for the credit-strapped export sector comes amid slow global trade growth. The central bank will also review the threshold for export credit, which is capped at 2% of the total credit forwarded by banks, known as adjusted net bank credit (ANBC), to further ease the flow of credit.

India is close to inking a key defense logistics sharing pact which will place it as a rare nation that has such a strategic agreement with both of the old cold war rivals - the US and Russia. India and Russia are finalising a defence agreement that will simplify interoperability and enable military platforms to receive support and supplies across bases in both nations.

Hyperlocal logistics space is set to see intense competition as Swiggy has been ramping up for a debut in the segment. According to three of Entrackr’s sources, the Naspers-backed company is launching Swiggy Go. This would be a service akin to dunzo – moving parcels from one point to another. Swiggy Go will be taking dunzo head-on with this new vertical. The multi-billion USD valued firm already impacting dunzo volume through Stores in Gurugram.

DHL Global Forwarding has opened a new logistics services facility in the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) near Chennai. The hub will offer value-added services including packaging, labeling, embossing, sorting, inspection, strapping, kitting and assembly of complete and semi knocked-down kits. Flexible storage options and a single window customs clearance also ensure a more streamlined and quicker processing of the stored cargo.

Knight Frank launched the latest edition of its flagship report, India Warehousing Market 2019 at the recently concluded 9th India Warehousing Show 2019 in Delhi. According to the independent global property consultancy's report, top warehousing markets in India witnessed a growth of 77 percent year-on-year in leasing in April 2018-March 2019.

Allcargo Logistics has sold its last vessel, thus exiting the shipowning and coastal shipping business. The company, which is headquartered in Mumbai, provides services including LCL consolidation, FCL Forwarding - exports and imports, air freight services, movement of over dimensional and project cargo, multi city consolidation - exports and imports and DDU/DDP/Ex works.

Amazon no longer needs FedEx. But that's actually not so bad for the shipping company, which is cutting ties with the e-commerce giant. In many ways, these two companies had long been using each other, all the while knowing that a breakup was inevitable. FedEx has opted to not renew its domestic FedEx Express partnership with Amazon, the companies become only rivals.

The truck rentals in India are seeing a sharp decline for over the past 6 months, according to a report of the Indian Foundation of Transport Research & Training (IFTRT). The freight rentals have gone down by 15%, averaging around 2 – 3 per cent per month from November 2018 to May 2019. The major reasons to be considered for this freight downfall are the plunge in the factory output and the increase in cargo capacity.

The demand for regulatory compliance, security and quality assurance has increased the demand for modern warehousing where organised players have an essential role. Technology adoption in warehousing is deemed as an imperative for efficient business processes. India has come a long way from basic godowns to smart distribution centres.

A fresh crop of companies is trying to change the huge but fragmented logistics market, employing technology to achieve efficiency, better volumes and lower costs. The startups, backed by large private equity firms, are improving the working conditions of truckers, who put in long hours behind the wheel with little respite.

Riding on structured reforms including the infrastructure status and the implementation of Goods & Services Act, Indian warehousing and logistics sector is estimated to attract nearly $10 billion investments over the next 4-5 years. With addition of around 200 million sq ft warehousing space across India, total supply is expected to nearly double by 2022, estimated JLL India.

The roar of passing trucks frequently drown out conversations at eateries lining NH 48 in Nelamangala, an hour northwest from Bengaluru city. A nondescript highway town of some 38,000 residents, this is a significant way station on the key highway connecting Bengaluru & Mumbai, as it heads out towards the commercial hubs en route, such as Tumakuru, Hubbali and beyond.

The government on Thursday relaxed the norms for e-way bills. Rules regarding validity have been changed, while a facility has been provided for auto-calculating the route distance. Under the goods and services tax (GST) regime, an e-way bill has to be generated if goods worth over Rs 50,000 are transported.

The rapidly growing e-commerce sector launched its own trade association under the name of The E-Commerce Council of India (TECI) on Wednesday. The founding members of TECI include Snapdeal, ShopClues, UrbanClap, Shop101, Flyrobe, and Fynd along with online brands like Mamaearth, Superbottoms, and Azah.

Gurgaon-based logistics startup Delhivery raised $395 million in its Series F round to become the first Indian unicorn of 2019. The company raised $350 million from SoftBank Group alone, while existing investors Carlyle Group and Chinese conglomerate, Fosun International also participated in the round.

Riding on structured reforms including the infrastructureNSE 0.96 % status and the implementation of Goods & Services Act, Indian warehousing and logistics sector is estimated to attract nearly $10 billion investments over the next 4-5 years. With addition of around 200 million sq ft warehousing space across India, total supply is expected to nearly double by 2022, estimated JLL India.

India has a total road network of 5.6 million km. National highways account for 2.3% of this with a total length of 131,326 km, state highways account for 144,961 km and other roads 5.3 million km. National highways cater to more than 40% of the road traffic.

According to market estimates, 30% of products sold on e-commerce platforms are returned. Reverse logistics, or managing the product return process, besides repackaging and refurbishing them, is disrupting the $160-billion Indian logistics industry.

“Especially in the tech analytics space,” says CEO, Pirojshaw Sarkari. Mahindra Logistics is currently in talks with two companies. Three months earlier, it invested in Transtech Logistics in a two-step transaction that will see it holding 51% in the startup.