3 DEC 2022 BW Businessworld E Book

software tools such as Warehouse Management System Developing Service Providers
(WMS), automated guided vehicles, robots, and automated Overall, logistics is a very complex function with many

storage and retrieval systems will further improve effi- moving parts, some of which can be more effectively

ciency (labour, productivity, energy use, inventory man- managed by experts such as freight forwarders and

agement, route planning, order grouping, etc.) and reduce third-party logistics (3PLs).

overall expenses. Developing and giving more play to 3PL and 4PL service

providers can address complex supply chain challenges.

Large Smart Warehouses This model has been successful in other countries. DHL

In India, because of land use policies and the high cost of Supply Chain Solutions, for example, is among the top 3PL

land, very few large smart warehouses have been developed. and contract logistics providers globally. It covers a wide

Having such warehouses will lead to consolidation, automa- range of industries such as automotive, consumer retail,

tion, and efficiency. For example, Cainiao Network, the lo- engineering and manufacturing. Similarly, Healthcare Lo-

gistics arm of Alibaba Group, is building a 20,000 sq. meter gistics is an Australia-based 3PL and 4PL service provider

smart warehouse in Thailand for the ecommerce logistics that specialises in the healthcare market. It offers solutions

company Flash Express. The warehouse is expected to have for distribution, clinical trial logistics, secondary packaging

100 automated guided vehicles, and more. There are specialists

which will help reduce the dis- The pandemic in other high-growth sectors as
tance that employees have to accelerated tech well such as ecommerce, food
travel by 90 per cent and thus logistics, heavy machinery, etc.
improve pickup efficiency.
Capacity Building
Fleet Modernisation seacdotpotiornsinthat Technology intensive opera-
tions do not diminish the fact
In many countries, multi-axle that logistics service provid-
trucks with high payloads have ers face a shortage of human
played an important role in re- resources and talent with the
ducing logistics costs. In India,

at present, more than 60 per depended heavily requisite knowledge and skill
cent of the cost of logistics is to- on logistics set. The labour-intensive lo-
ward trucking. Formalisation gistics sector employs about
of the trucking industry as also 22 million people but only 4.7
the upgradation and moderni- per cent of these are formally

sation of the fleet needs urgent skilled. Having assessed the

attention. lack of adequate sector-spe-

cific skilling infrastructure, the government has identified

Port Congestion over 100 universities across the country where relevant

The efficient functioning of ports is crucial to India’s trade courses on logistics can be integrated into regular cur-

competitiveness and its aim to climb up the global value riculums.

chain. According to the Ministry of Shipping, maritime To bridge the gap, several institutions, such as the CII-

transport accounts for almost 95 per cent of India’s trade Institute of Logistics, National Institute of Logistics and

volume and 68 per cent by value. However, Indian ports fare Material Management and Tata Driving Schools are of-

poorly in efficiency. The average turnaround time for ships at fering courses in supply chain management, warehousing

Indian ports was 22 days in 2021 versus just 5 days in China. and transportation. The Logistics Sector Skill Council is

Taking a cue from Singapore, India can enhance the ef- developing industry and cross-departmental partnerships

ficiency of its ports by strengthening connectivity, capacity, across 12 sub-sectors to enhance skilling.

and competitiveness. Singapore, which has the second- While Union and state governments will have to take the

largest liner shipping connectivity after China, has invested lead in promoting skilling in logistics to improve the service

in port technologies and infrastructure. This allows its levels in the sector, there is a need to set up universities and

ports to accommodate the largest container vessels and centres of excellence that offer basic and advanced training

economies of scale. programmes in logistics.

To improve trade competitiveness, especially for made-in-

India products, the country’s logistics strategy should focus (With inputs from Priyanka Uberoi, Vice President,

on improving cargo handling capability, stronger mainland Strategy & Transactions - Government and Public sector,

transportation connectivity, and lower logistical costs. EY India. Views expressed are personal)

51 | BW BUSINESSWORLD | 03 December 2022

COLUMN LOGISTICS

By T. A. KRISHNAN,

Chief Executive Officer
& Co-founder, Ecom
Express

NATIONAL LOGISTICS POLICY
– WHAT IMPACT WILL IT HAVE?

L OGISTICS IS THE BACKBONE of the economy, * India’s logistics costs are 13-14 per cent of GDP, and
accounting for 14.4 per cent of India’s GDP this high cost impairs competitiveness. The NLP will
and affecting all industries, particularly help to bring down the transportation, warehousing
agriculture, manufacturing, and services. and inventory costs, which will consequently reduce the
More than 22 million people are employed overall logistics cost to around 8 per cent of GDP in the
as a result of it. By correcting the multi-modal con- next five years. Minimising logistics costs would also
nectivity mix and digitisation, the National Logistics augment competitiveness.
Policy (NLP) will help reduce costs in the logistics sec-
tor, power the country’s economic growth, and allow it * Ease of Logistics Services will allow companies to
to achieve its ESG goals. As it covers all industry bases immediately contact government agencies with ques-
while streamlining rules and addressing supply-side tions and complaints. Industry organisations would
constraints, it will help make the sector an integrat- be able to directly take up any such issues with the gov-
ed, cost-efficient, resilient, and sustainable logistics ernment entities that are creating difficulties in their
ecosystem in the country. The NLP aims to increase operations and performance.
the competitiveness of Indian goods, boost economic
growth, and create new job opportunities. It is a critical * The policy would create a system of unified logistics
step because high logistics costs reduce domestic goods’ interface to connect various data sources and provide
competitiveness in the international market. A policy cross-sector use cases for logistics stakeholders, thus
was necessary because India’s logistics costs are high uniting transportation-related online services into a
when compared to other developed economies. unified platform, saving exporters time and resources.

Some of the key merits of the NLP are: * The digital integration of different systems of various
departments, such as road transport, railways, aviation,
commerce ministries and foreign trade, will be helpful in

52 | BW BUSINESSWORLD | 03 December 2022

a big way for facilitating a unified regulatory environment logistics market, most goods are transported by road,
and policy across the country, especially for capacity-build- and this trend is expected to continue. Despite being
ing and making the logistics sector process-driven in India. the second most expensive mode of transportation, road
transportation accounts for approximately 60 per cent
* The expected master plan for logistics by the govern- of the total cargo movement in tonnage.
ments (Central/states/UTs) will cover projects planned
by different ministries to ensure multimodality, optimal Creating unified portals and digitising the logistics
modal mix and addressing first and last mile connectivity. sector will be critical in bringing it together. By 2030,
the government hopes India to be among the top 25
Policy changes like these were critical for a sector that countries in the Logistics Performance Index (LPI). The
employs over 22 million people and has a market value policy would consolidate online transportation services
of more than $200 billion. Together, the umbrella policy into a single platform, saving exporters time and money.
would address the issues impeding India’s growth as a The Ease of Logistics Services will allow businesses to
globally more competitive market and an international immediately contact government agencies with ques-
manufacturing powerhouse, in addition to eliminating tions and complaints. The policy also aims to promote
the need for exporters to engage in various lengthy and blockchain and artificial intelligence adoption in our
time-consuming processes. The policy’s efficient and country while organising the mega-market. The LEADS
time-bound implementation, along with its other vital

Policy changes

sectorwere criticical for a

that employs more
than 22 million
people

components, will give India’s logistics sector wings by index will be used to evaluate each state’s performance
increasing its cost-effectiveness, transparency, ease of on an annual basis. The federal government will provide
doing business, and predictability regarding delivery a framework for improving logistical efficiency, allowing
timelines. states to design their systems and be more responsive to
goods movement across the country.
A strong logistics infrastructure powered by digital
technologies will shift logistics from the current over- With the recent policy focusing on key areas such as
reliance on roads to railways and waterways, resulting process re-engineering, digitisation, and multi-modal
in significant cost savings. The policy will enable home- transport, creating data-driven decision support sys-
grown companies to become more competitive in the tems (DSS) to enable an efficient logistics ecosystem, a
global market by reducing transit time and cost (the lot of aspects are expected to be streamlined. The pol-
policy aims to reduce logistics costs by up to 25 per cent), icy’s target is to ensure that logistical issues are mini-
opening new vistas of growth for exporters. mised, exports grow manifold, and small industries and
the people working in them benefit significantly. All of
Other benefits of the new policy include increased job these measures and more is likely to bring down the
creation and assistance in improving India’s global rank- transportation costs which will consequently reduce the
ing in the World Bank’s Logistics Performance Index. overall logistics cost.

Because the road transportation sector dominates the

Photograph by Dedivan1923 53 | BW BUSINESSWORLD | 03 December 2022

IN DEPTH INFRAFOCUS

Infra As
A Key

Governance
Plank

The National Logistics Policy
is a logical extension of the

Modi government’s infra push
as well as a key element of its
overarching plan to make India
a developed nation by 2047

By BW Team

W
HILE LAUNCHING THE National Logistics Policy re-
New India: Modi visits cently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said something
that reinforced how infrastructure development has
a stall showing robotic been a key element of his governance plank for the last
machines at an exhibition two decades. “The National Logistics Policy is not being
launched suddenly. It is the culmination of eight years of
hard work... If I speak for myself, I can say that it includes
my 22 years of governance experience from 2001 to 2022,”
he said.

Indeed, infrastructure (from infra expansion, to con-
nectivity – physical and digital to multi-modal transport
system) has been integral to his governance plank.

Some of the examples also show how many of the pro-
jects being implemented nationally were first conceived

54 | BW BUSINESSWORLD | 03 December 2022

once said: “The previous govern-
ments considered speed a luxury
and scale a risk. We have changed this
perception.”

Speaking recently, Modi said New
India was possible “with bold re-
forms, big infrastructure and best
talent”.

Indeed, infrastructure expansion –
both physical as well as digital – is of-
ten showcased by the government to
argue how good governance is break-
ing silos and facilitating ease of doing
business and ease of living.

Among statistical data which are
routinely showcased by government
spokespersons are how “in 2014, over
92 per cent of mobile phones used in
India were imported, but today, over
97 per cent of mobile phones used
in India are made domestically, and
India also exports electronic devices
worth $2 billion annually”.

Then, prior to 2014, “the country
had about 250 km of Metro train

“The National Logistics Policy is not being launched suddenly. It is the

culmination of eight years of hard work... If I speak for myself, I can say that it

includes my 22 years of governance experience from 2001 to 2022”

when Modi was Gujarat chief minis- often stressed that the National Lo- track. Today, the network has ex-
ter. For instance, while multi-modal gistics Policy and Gati Shakti would panded to 700 km with 1,000 km of
connectivity is essentially in the Cen- act as “double engines for logistics.” new routes being actioned”.
tre’s domain, Modi, as Gujarat CM, The policy improves efficiency and
once organised a global summit on productivity and promotes rapid in- “From 1987 to 2014, a network of
the theme in Ahmedabad. fra expansion and development. 1,500-km-long interstate natural gas
pipeline was achieved. Today, in addi-
Infrastructure has also been a The National Logistics Policy aims tion to this, a network of 16,000-km-
highlight of his Independence Day to “energise every sector”, while act- long gas pipeline is in the works.
speeches. In his 2021 I-Day speech, ing “in tandem with, and offering There are 13 functional waterways
he laid down his vision of the PM Gati full support to” the PM Gati Shakti in India today while the number was
Shakti plan. The plan was unveiled National Master Plan. All states and five before 2014. There were two
in October 2021. In his 2022 I-Day Union territories have now joined mega food parks in the country be-
speech, he outlined his “Panch Pran” the PM Gati Shakti National Master fore 2014. Today, there are 19 mega
blueprint which also talked about Plan. food parks functioning in the coun-
making India a developed nation by try.”
2047. While launching the National Speed And Scale
Logistics Policy recently, he said it Whether it is the National Logistics “India’s defence exports have
was “another step towards making Policy or Gati Shakti, they are driven grown 8 times in the past five years,
India a developed nation”. by “speed and scale” – a phrase that with Indian defence equipment be-
PM Modi often invokes. The PM ing exported to over 75 countries.”
Government functionaries have
“While there were 70 airports be-

Photographs by PIB 55 | BW BUSINESSWORLD | 03 December 2022

IN DEPTH INFRAFOCUS

“While there were 70 airports before 2014, today the number is 140. In the next
one decade or so, India will need 2,000 more passenger and cargo planes. In the

same period, the country will add around 400 new Vande Bharat trains”

fore 2014, today the number is 140. In the next one decade states and various departments together and breaks silos,
or so, India will need 2,000 more passenger and cargo is touted as the next logical step towards making India a
planes. In the same period, the country will add around $5 trillion economy by 2025 and a developed nation by
400 new Vande Bharat trains.” 2047.

Reforms Driving Change Some experts who closely follow PM Modi’s governance
Multiple reforms, whether it is the National Logistics model liken it to “China’s thrust on infra expansion and
Policy or Gati Shakti, are also designed to make India into its subsequent rise”.
a manufacturing hub, it has been argued.
In a 2010 study on “Transport Infrastructure and
With Gati Shakti, National Infra Pipeline, PLI Scheme, Economic Growth in China,” Abhijit Banerjee, Esther
GST, IBC, and now the National Logistics Policy, the gov- Duflo and Nancy Qian observed, among other findings:
ernment also hopes to add further sheen to its reputation “Transportation may lead to substantial cost savings,
as an investment hub. Last year, India received a record but these effects may be mitigated by limits on the mo-
FDI of about $84 billion. bility of factors such as capital, skill and management
within China.”
Now, a Gati Shakti university has been approved. Mul-
timodal infrastructure where every means of transport Unlike China, India is a democracy, but is it constrained
is connected and supported by each other is the basis for by artificial restrictions on free flow of goods and services,
urban renewal. Under the Gati Shakti National Master people (both skilled and unskilled), ideas and capital?
Plan, when a project is conceptualised, its three dimen-
sions are first evaluated. While the debate will continue, and India’s infra-led
growth story will be keenly watched, what is undeniable
The National Logistics Policy, which aims to bring all is that the National Logistics Policy is a landmark towards
making India an economic powerhouse.

Photograph by Nightman1965 56 | BW BUSINESSWORLD | 03 December 2022

MAKING STUDENTS
COLLEGE-READY

Vivek Bhandari, an IIT Delhi and IIM Kolkata alumnus, launched Scholarly Online Edutech in 2019 to help develop
customised career roadmaps for students. Using their cognitive ability, key behaviours and academic performance
to find universities, courses and key skills that will support them build their desired career. In an exclusive interaction

Bhandari speaks with BW Businessworld on the importance of leadership experience, intensive participation in
extracurricular activities, and community outreach programmes alongside academic performance

How is Scholarly bridging skill gap? workshops, book clubs and events provide

Students often don’t have a clear students with a high-quality peer group where

understanding of what careers suit them. they make presentations and ask questions.

We provide cognitive and psychometric

assessment that helps students (and What are the benefits of participating

their parents) understand the abilities and in your research courses?

behaviours of the students and helps in A research paper shows that the student has

mappuinngetmheprliogyhmt ceonutr.seOsnoef sotufdtyh. eThcaht ief thrusts of economy as they have alreathdeyetnaekregnyoavnedrtahse kineiytiative to go beyond
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Wedprriovveirdsearnesdeeamrchpopawpeer sthinedwifofemreennt and the youth launch of �agship Make dIinsciIpnlidnieaofCnaomtrupsahigngni,ntuitivelytothelikely
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a new national program dwehsicghntehedyatoregfaucidileidtabtyethedata.Highquality
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probleSmmsainlltheanttseurbpjericste. Tphirsohmeloptsioprnephaares continueVd ItVo EKiBnvHesAtmNeDntA, RcuIltivate innroesveaatricohnpa,pearusgenmdeornsted by professors are
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helps keep them on track. This ensures that
students efforts are closely aligned with
their objectives, and they become the best
version of themselves. We also have regular

57 | BW BUSINESSWORLD | 05 November 2022

COVER
STORY

S U P P LY

THECH AINS
SUPPLYTheNational

Logistics Policy 2022
will establish a

CHAINsingle-window

e-logistics market.
It aims to help

in skills development,

IS THEupliftMSMEs

and enhance India’s
market and

FULCRUMexport
OFcompetitiveness

ECONOMIC
GROWTH

By Srinath Sridharan

IN THE GLOBALLY INTERLINKED, or rather intertwined, society that we live in, supply chain efficiencies can be
a matter of life or death for an economy. Just as we saw during the Covid lockdown, the ability to move cargo as much
as the population, is a civilisational prerogative. It is also an economic compulsion in the geopolitically sensitive times
we are in. Historically kings and emperors had shown the way to use waterways, much before roadways. They had
even conducted global trade, using the power of the solar system, the seas, and human ingenuity.
The modern variant of this is the adaptation of digital, policy, trade and commerce. It is also one of the increasingly
complex web of interactions between people, businesses, governments, scattered supply chains across countries
and regions, and even in smaller geographic units. Competing in the modern day global trade needs efficient con-
nectivity along roads, rail, sky and sea, and also in technology and digital, financial services and telecommunications.
Supply chains have a huge impact on the way economies shape up, the way nations are built, and importantly, on
how human behaviours are shaped. Imagine, how the world would have been impacted by a shortage in the Covid

58 | BW BUSINESSWORLD | 03 December 2022

The market has already moved to a paperless EXIM trade process through e-sanchit,
faceless assessment for customs, provisions for e-way bills and FASTag. Change
in drone policy and linking it to the PLI scheme helps the adoption of drones in the
logistics space. It is expected that the National Logistics Policy will improve India’s
ability to be a logistics hub for the world and to improve its standing in international
rankings. But we have some more distance to cover before we can rejoice

vaccine! We saw how we suffered and behaved when we had ures how well countries connect to international logistics
a shortage of oxygen tents and hospital beds. It comes down networks. It helps countries identify ways to improve their
to the humble unseen unsung supply chain! trade logistics performance. India is placed 44th in rank
with Germany at the top. Japan, the United States, the
Atmanirbharta has been a clarion call for domestic re- United Kingdom and China are placed fifth, 14th, ninth
surgence of product making capabilities, as well as service and 26th respectively in the 2018 World Bank Logistics
delivery. It has had resounding scale efforts, as well as trade Index for logistics costs.
growth. It has set in smooth motion the nationalist pride
of domestic manufacturers. For products manufactured It is obvious that India must drastically cut its logistics
in India to have acceptance, and significance of market costs to improve the competitiveness of its exports and do-
share, a stable and scalable support system is necessary. mestic products. With reduced costs of logistics, it can be
This is where the National Logistics Policy (NLP) will help a catalytic play in improving domestic entrepreneurship.
in strengthening the Indian supply chain sector, especially Currently India spends 13 per cent to 14 per cent of its GDP
in the logistics space. A stronger logistics sector will not on logistics costs. Germany and Japan, both known for their
only aid economic activities, but also add to the quality of manufacturing and export prowess, spend only around eight
citizenry, enabling it to live better. It also has the potential per cent of their GDP on logistics.
to add to improved infrastructure development, additional
jobs creation and helping smaller and regional businesses Data from the ministerial releases indicate that the Indian
to start serving clients nationally. logistics industry is worth $200 billion and is supported
by over 20 government agencies, 40 Partner Government
Indian Supply Chain 2.0 Agencies (PGA), 37 export promotion councils and 500
The World Bank’s Logistics Performance Index (LPI) meas- certifications. It also includes 50 IT ecosystems, banks and
insurance companies, together with 200 shipping compa-

Photograph by Tribhuwan Sharma 59 | BW BUSINESSWORLD | 03 December 2022

COVER
STORY

S U P P LY
CHAINS

nies, 36 logistics services, 129 inland

container depots (ICD), and 166 con- Schemes like Sagarmala
tainer freight stations (CFS). This in-
and Bharatmala
dustry provides livelihood to over 22

million people. It has been estimated helped the work
that a 10 per cent reduction in indirect of the Dedicated
logistics costs would increase exports Freight Corridors
by five to eight per cent.

(DFCs) to improve

Efforts bearing fruits logistical connectivity
Looking back a decade at the then con- for systematic
dition of India’s transport and logistics

poses a scary picture. It was a night- infrastructure

marish and expensive proposition to development. For
move goods within the country. The example, the total
red tapism, cumbersome paperwork,

many being random jurisdictional is- capacity of Indian ports

sues, multiple regulatory and official has increased and the
checkpoints, poor infrastructure and average turnaround
long queues at interstate borders was

just normal. No wonder India’s trucks time of container vessels
ended up spending two-thirds of their has come down from 44
life waiting on the road! India had one
of the lowest average speeds (20-40 hours to 26 hours

kmph) and lowest distance covered in

a day (250-400 km), compared to developed countries (60-

80 kmph and 700-800 km per day, respectively).

The National Logistics Policy has been shaped with eight

years of research, dialogues and policy formation. It is not

a stand-alone policy in the sense that it does not ignore the

previous ones. It integrates multiple policies that impact the

supply chain sector and brings in simplicity.

Schemes like Sagarmala and Bharatmala helped the work

of the Dedicated Freight Corridors (DFCs) to improve logis-

tical connectivity for systematic infrastructure development.

For example, the total capacity of Indian ports has increased before we can rejoice.

and the average turnaround time of container vessels has

come down from 44 hours to 26 hours. For promoting ex- Goals and process

ports, 40 air cargo terminals have been constructed. Thirty The goal of the National Logistics Policy is to lower the cost

airports have been equipped with cold-storage facilities and of logistics from its 14 per cent of GDP currently to around

35 multimodal hubs are being developed. eight per cent by 2030. This is an audacious goal, consider-

Waterways are being built for eco-friendly water trans- ing the fragmented shape of the logistics industry.

portation. Sixty airports have the facility of Krishi Udan. The National Logistics Policy 2022 will establish a single-

The market has already moved to a paperless EXIM trade window e-logistics market and assist in skills development,

process through e-sanchit, faceless assessment for customs, improving MSMEs and improving market and export com-

provisions for e-way bills and FASTag. Change in drone petitiveness. It also establishes a broad, multi-jurisdictional,

policy and linking it to the PLI scheme helps the adoption of cross-sectoral framework for the growth of the entire logis-

drones in the logistics space. It is expected that the National tics ecosystem in an effort to address concerns of high cost

Logistics Policy will improve India’s ability to be a logistics and inefficiency.

hub for the world and to improve its standing in interna- The government has also launched the Unified Logistics

tional rankings. But we have some more distance to cover Interface Platform (ULIP) that will bring all the digital ser-

60 | BW BUSINESSWORLD | 03 December 2022

vices related to the transportation sector into a single portal. lLogistics Human Resources Development and Ca-
This eases exporters from paperwork and delays in track- pacity Building: Work on skill development and internal
ing them. The government has also launched a new digital capacity building in the entire value chain.
platform – the Ease of Logistics Services (e-logs) – through lState Engagement: Can help in speeding up the infra-
which industry associations can discuss issues with various structure as well as in setting up institutional frameworks.
governmental departments. A system has also been devel- This can help in measuring and ranking various stakehold-
oped for speedy resolution of issues and grievances. ers as a performance feedback.
lFacilitation of Development of Logistics Parks: Logis-
The various mechanisms and benefits of the NLP 2022 tics parks, such as multi-modal logistics parks, air freight
include: stations, inland container depots, container freight sta-
lIntegrated Digital Logistics Systems: It will create a tions, cargo terminals, etc., serve as hubs for supply chain
system of unified logistics interface to connect various data intermediary operations, including storage, handling, value
sources and provide cross-sector use cases for stakeholders. addition, inter-modal transfers, etc. that are connected by a
lStandardisation of physical assets and benchmarking transportation network.
of service quality standards: With this, one can aim to lService Improvement framework: Enhancing the
increase interoperability, reduce handling risks, optimise regulatory interface to encourage standardisation,
processes and improve handling efficiency.

Photograph by Mariakray 61 | BW BUSINESSWORLD | 03 December 2022

COVER
STORY

S U P P LY
CHAINS

formalisation and interoperability. rent fleet are old and can cater to only a few specific types

lSectoral Plan for Efficient Logistics: In accordance of cargo. However, investing in newer fleet models that are

with PM GatiShakti, Sectoral Plans for Efficient Logistics green and can carry multiple types of goods will help the

(SPEL) will be created for each sector, with the underlying industry gather better global business. In this aspect, the

principles of interoperability, resiliency, sustainability, government can help with incentives and subsidies to en-

and innovation. Infrastructure, process, digital advance- courage industry investment.

ments, policy and regulatory reforms, capacity building At a time when India has already announced its Net

for a better workforce and logistics-related challenges Zero objectives, it would be appropriate for the logistics

would all be addressed by SPEL. sector to think of its own carbon footprint. Primarily

the Indian industry is heavily de-

pendent on roads, and the trans-

portation sector is one of the lead-

ing contributors to global carbon

emissions. Niti Aayog in its report

Transforming Trucking in India

had projected that adoption of zero

emission trucks could result in sav-

ings of over $1.5 trillion by 2050.

This would also make it important

for the sector to think about its en-

tire supply chain networks and work

toward transforming itself to green.

This would need redesigning modes

of transport, efficient consolidation

of freight, greener and smart ware-

houses which help in data-enabled

decisioning, as well as optimisation.

If we look at our investments in the

national air cargo capacity, it is very

If welookatourinvestmentsinnationalaircargocapacity,it low. Similarly, for a nation that has a
is very low. Similarly, for a nation that has a vast coastline, we vast coastline, we don’t have an Indian
flag carrying shipping line that can
don’t have an Indian flag carrying shipping line that can match up matchuptoglobalstandards,interms

to global standards, in terms of recognisable capacity – either of recognisable capacity – either ton-
tonnage, TEUs (twenty foot equivalent units) or routes nage, TEUs (twenty foot equivalent
units) or routes. Our foreign trade

competitiveness could be at times

Challenges of execution hampered by freight costs and even availability of cargo

For any ambitious multi-nodal, multi-party large scale liners. This can be solved only when the Indian owned ca-

policy impetus, execution capability within time and cost pacity across freight movement can happen. We need to

is a big worry. Having inefficient or inadequate systems enhance national capacity to counter foreign operators.

of transportation, logistics, and trade-related infrastruc- Using our Atmanirbharta philosophy in this situation, we

ture can severely impede a country’s ability to compete on a must improve both air cargo investments, as well as in In-

global scale. To achieve this efficiently, all implementational dian shipping lines.

challenges including the operational ones and the Human The National Logistics Policy can lead to greater inte-

Resources related ones have to be dealt with capably. gration of India into global value chains, higher share in

The other concern is that there are no uniform acceptable international trade, higher employment and accelerated

standards of pricing in the industry, as different operators economic growth.

charge different prices. There is a need to explore bench-

mark pricing policies while giving enough flexibility. The author is a corporate advisor & independent markets

In addition, fleet upgradation is a need. Most of the cur- commentator

Photograph by Umesh Goswami 62 | BW BUSINESSWORLD | 03 December 2022

WHY YOU SHOULD

INVEST IN LARGE &
MIDCAP CATEGORY

By Ramkumar H Barchha, MutualFundDistributor

I N the world of mutual funds, there are several mutual fund aninvestortogetthebestofbothworlds-stabilityoflargecapswhile
categories that you can choose and invest in. When it comes growth potential of mid-caps.
to investing in equities, we often hear about large, mid and
small cap funds. Each of these categories comes with its own LOWER RISK THAN MID-CAP FUND
benefitsandrisks.Butwhatifaninvestorwantsaccesstojust Mid-cap funds invest a higher proportion in mid cap stocks, and
large, midcaps and not small caps? This is where another mutual as a result, it carries a higher risk than a large and mid-cap fund.
fundcategorycomesinandthatisthelargeandmid-capcategory. In terms of risk profile, the mid and large cap fund is sandwiched
mckwthnaieittoSdhevw-uglcaecoarishfirposiytasu.rmtifdttSussouohMkranncneiskkcveudEtesvoeamaassumtnrrihsmspitlcsanpeateltsaohennstcrtorsyedaeooaemindfrbrpetethteoremlhoegoenniilssvnupgpttmievol.odrianerofeawOptfsvueletlterehn-rpiiscirnsaeenstaetnobgtpohshrdoet.sfecinosftotpwehomtfregohiotprsmsevoaooinwdeccfineieihtnehsiavtaee.yneLifrspdeawtttlsiathnuehttagsrhfeuloutienhsyrnmtmolodasvueraegrttoisrnhoefttaiamnndde ecoalPaocruunionmtnentbdtihscwreeoeihetbvtmMhwniouaeoyiatettnhfoiMteaoiiersons�narstntaekasohtageriofdlelsNaaiyenhprcaf.ghioruIrpTnoeeaunodgvnndcMureida.taanrSapeamyCdklrt'rfaaeseMuenmdranGsdoeIdtpdnDasdayarinoiPgdaHiIits.hdngnnsaiDTgadntskteohhhsheoie.dnaeOveiegcnseirritiaw,aCnovitosstohteeaviieikonnefdnemwdanegsaercwtwpsciatasiassloaasahniintoutniydhkotgadcsheautctniieonareeyaht,ddvtemedetcdoseikd.vtsitAcinhhaasgoteipopwisnneftuta,rahhnnVefiddugaranhliousreddnekr.
OFrSemBmOaalTlinHeanWnteiOrmpRpriLoseDrtSapnrot manodtiionnteghraasl continued to investment, cultivate innovaRteiosnea,rcahugdmatae,ndt ated November
BEST part of Indian pro�ciency in skill develo0p4m, 2e0n2t2, ,pthroetsetacntdard deviation of
Ifwelookadtethveellaorgpemcaepnftusntdractaetgegyowrye,ll before the First Five- intellectual property and bulailrdgeBaensdt-minid-Cclaapsfsundbelongsinthe
we will seeYtehatraPlalragenc. aHp fouwndesvhearv,e the sec tors faces manufacturing infrastructure,ratnhgeereofh2a0s.8n8etvoe2r5.68,whileincase
to invest autnlefaosrte8s0e%enofcthealpleorntgfoeliso. Some of the most been a better time to make oinf mIniddciaa.p fIunnddisa,'sthe range extends
in top 100pceormsipsatinniegs acsopnesrtmraairnktest facing the sector, small and medium-sized indutsot2ri7e.s10c.an play a
capitalisadtioonm. Tinhaetseedcobmy psamniaelslearreunits in the informal big role in making the country take the next big
qactamhodnueamvidcirrakkptsnelhayettnealciengiteasotep�srnrmsdthreeeon.eheoaesoscTcrwarvyoeetsnhekneosvuraiergcitvertprnc,oeseencoardait,nrectttniolihchoiheslnccooeearfnagtlkanwvsrauonolpelcddyaodlirfaooloneiloeflcscmegwvverepoosieyenmscpsmo,ssltroaostoumvpepnnforricloenntiaeloeohotafa.lmisqmttelvrniitsvleuieeendsnieera,cnccolhataniatilnn-yetapoifosvorlieoananlagiisdclrtayaycur,bnhusiiodtnlcairfttainyeuedpd�sroer.eeaoqfcdPdulatooouanapootcdnettrf
leap in manufacturing. India WshHoOuldCAbeNmINoVreEST IN LARGE
When itvcaorimouessstomaamll �idr-mcappofulincide,s has been an issue of ttpfohhlaceenusseessesstdeeocctttgoooirwrvsse.a. TrdshpseegncooiavvleesrltnoympsaennadlAlmtnhdNaIiannrIDknsvpneevtroMtsoeilvvetsoIciaatlDrhdeotsiega-rowsrCrensthwsAoooffhPouttwoootrFidswaUhaytNnoantDindt?ovteoinsmtvioenrsmrtoiiwnd
the fund mcoannacgeerrnh. aTshteo ilnavregsetr65e%nterprises o�er a sti�
As clearly seen, the hindsighctaapnsdtoctkhsebfuuttduorne’twanttotakerisks
vision of SME's cannot be simapslsyoccoiantesdidweirtehdpuare mid cap funds
smaller version of their largerlcIonuvnestteorrpsalortoskiansgforhigherreturns
of the funcdominpceotimtiopnantoiesthtehasmt aarlel scale units in the sale they have di�erent manageritahlasntylalergse, sccaaplefunodf s with reasonable
betweenthoef10o1utot 2p5u0tra. nAkipnamratrkef tr o m t h e s e m a j o r operations, levels of inderpisekndence and
capitalisatiimonp.eMdidim-ceanptsst,otchksetesnedcttor faces a number of decision making characteristics. HWoitwheavteorttahl eosfe27 scheme in this
bemorevoolathtileerthparnolabrlgeemcsaplsiktoeckinseb�utcciaennptromvaidneahgigehmerernettu, rns di�ecraetengcoersy,dinovnesottoerslismhionualtdebtehmeiondpfpuol ortfuthneitciheosice they make. Do
over time.nTohnes-aevcaoimlabpailnitiyesoafrcehgeraopwpinogwceorm, bpuarndieesnaonfdlohacvael the of SlMooEk'satttoheinlotnegrntaertmiontraalcizkereacnodrdgoafitnhe�fiugnhdtyionu wish to invest in.
poBteynitniavletsodtateibxnmeegcsaion,nmsadhelaoftorhrgrteeatlhaganeregdpeomrfcoiaddwp-uocccarotkpmsi.fnuTpgnhadnec,ialeaipssntioitinsfavtleoenamsndtoodlerrrgsloasew.ctsk.aoccf ess wpitnhritoelelmAiotgnghculrorlosratooepotnlbutee,utpgrabitrnfhhlaneouersrmammteeocainvoanotrneotfkmdrrcefetesupsthppa.llpeeruonrterdefeSndttasuMmheednoeuvEadfefrriesaitkslartsoceeepltptlcecwltcatmruhoyfriolancpetrrtuglenmendrrs.toefeaTo.navtfhrhucnemeenrldrou.adeHpnsbwwtecmeneiiallc.lelnaaebndln,ewtoapantyfsoobrucetpopnehrsafisostreemsncoeyrf
StoebcoutrhititehseSauMnndEivEsexrhcsheaavonefgceeommBopeaarrgndeieodsf .InAadssiapae(SrvtEihbBerIma),nsaturkctehietarrefugonufdlatsthohero, uthlde
invest at least 35% of their portfolio in large cap and 35% in mid Toconclude,ifyouareaninvestorwhoislookingforaninvestment
cap stocks, thereby ensuring there is a healthy allocation to each universedevoidofsmallcaps,thenlargeandmidcapcategoryfund
of the universes. is an option worth considering for your equity allocation needs.
Large and Mid-Cap Fund provides the combination of today’s Be patient with your investments and remember to stagger your
marketleadersandfuturemarketleaders.Thiscombinationallows deployment through tools such as an SIP.

63 | BW BUSINESSWORLD | 03 December 2022

OPENING ESSAY SUPPLY CHAIN

CHANGE AGENTS: The BW Businessworld Supply Chain Resilience Awards 2022 winners

THESUPPLY The BW Businessworld Supply
CHAINGURUS Chain Resilience Awards 2022
fetes individuals who are using
technology to optimise supply
chains, thereby boosting
businessoutcomes ByTeamBW

An interconnected global economy is susceptible chain has undergone radical changes since then to become a
to inflationary and recessionary pressures. Global more future-fit function. The inaugural BW Businessworld
supply chains therefore must remain resilient in Supply Chain Resilience Summit and Awards casts the spot-
the face of macroeconomic uncertainty to support light on the changing dynamics across industry supply chains,
manufacturing and agrarian economies world- putting into perspective India’s bourgeoning role in global
wide. A key concern then is how to build durability and ro- supply chain ecosystems and acknowledging some of the
bustness into supply chain processes to make them foolproof exemplary work done in the face of unprecedented challenges.
against uncertainties.
Two-phase Selection
Increasingly viewed as a competitive differentiator, supply The supply chain award winners were decided through a
chain optimisation has become a non-negotiable imperative. two-phase process that culminated in a jury round. In the first
One of the worst-hit areas during the pandemic, the supply

64 | BW BUSINESSWORLD | 03 December 2022 Photograph by Rajesh Gola

phase, BW Businessworld and its affiliates followed an open WINNERS

entry process to invite nominations from all stakeholders. 1. Manufacturing Supply Chain Excellence Award | Gold
Biological E, P V RAJU, Senior Vice President
More than 1,500 companies were reached out in this process.
2. Technology Supply Chain Excellence Award | Silver
More than 150 entries were received representing sectors Dabur, SAHIL VERMA, Head - Digital Transformation and
Analytics - Supply Chain
ranging from FMCG to BFSI to startups. After the first level of
3. Best Supply Chain Operations | Gold
screening, a total of 49 nominees were shortlisted and invited Lite Bite Foods, SANJAY GOYAL, Senior Vice President
Supply Chain
to present their cases before a power-packed jury panel.
4. Best Sustainable Supply Chain | Gold
The jury panel included Neeraj Bansal, Co-head and COO, ITC, JAGADEESH KUMAR KUNCHEY, Executive Vice
President – Logistics and Supply Chain
India, Global KPMG; Vikash Khatri, Co-founder, Aviral Con-
5. Technology Supply Chain Excellence Award | Gold
sulting; Manjunath R, Head of Supply Chain and Logistics ITC, JAGADEESH KUMAR KUNCHEY, Executive Vice
President – Logistics and Supply Chain
Solutions, JLL India; S. Venkataramanaiah, Professor of
6. Best Supply Chain Operations (Process) | Silver
Operations Management, IIM Lucknow, Noida Campus, Lite Bite Foods, SANJAY GOYAL, Senior Vice President-
Supply Chain
and Akhil Chandra, National Head, Institute of Logistics and
7. Supply Chain Aspirer | Gold
Aviation Management. Chep,RAJESH SINGHMAR, Head Supply Chain – India

The jury also comprised 8. Leading Light Award | Gold
Pescafresh, SANGRAM SAWANT, Founder
To ensure that Krishan K. Batra, President
various aspects and CEO, ISM-India; Aditya 9. Supply Chain Aspirer | Silver
of the supply Gupta, COO, Supply Chain Ninjacart, SRIDHAR NUNAVAT, Director, Supply Chain
Management Centre, IIM
Bangalore; Sujit Sahu, Senior 10. Best Use of Drones | Gold
TechEagle, VIKRAM SINGH MEENA, Founder and CEO
chain function Director, Strategic Customer
Engagement, JPAC, Oracle; 11. Best Use of Robotics | Gold
Unbox Robotics, PRAMOD GHADGE, Founder and CEO
and the changes Vikram Janakiraman, MD
it is witnessing and Partner, Boston Con- 12. Technology Supply Chain Excellence Award | Bronze
were given due sulting Group, India; Alagu Vedanta, BIBHUDATTA MOHANTY , Associate General
Balaraman, CEO, Augment- Manager
ed SCM; Ramesh Venkat,
13. Best Digital Transformation | Gold
attention, there Faculty Head – Logistics WebXpress, APURVA MANKAD, Founder and CEO
and Transportation, Loyola
14. Best Supply Chain Operations (Process) | Gold
were award cat- College; Yashpal Sharma, WebXpress, APURVA MANKAD, Founder and CEO
egories such MD, Skyways Group; Shibu
as Best Use of John, Founder, 3D GRAPHY,
3DPERA and Annurag Ba-
tra, Chairman and Editor-in-

Drones,Best Use Chief, BW Businessworld &
Founder, exchange4media.

of Robotics,etc
A Holistic Approach

The entries were invited

across 10 categories. To ensure that various aspects of the

supply chain function and the changes it is witnessing were

given due attention, there were award categories such as Best

Use of Drones, Best Use of Robotics, Digital Transformation

Award, Manufacturing Supply Chain Excellence Award,

Sustainability Award and Technology Supply Chain Award.

There were also Supply Chain Operations Awards for people

and processes.

The jury process followed a certain set of parameters to

evaluate the entries; these included the uniqueness of the tech

service and product, current market value, the potential for

growth and customer attraction to date. The jury also looked

at the impact of the solutions provided by the entrants before

arriving at the final winners. .

65 | BW BUSINESSWORLD | 03 December 2022

SUPPLY
CHAIN

Biological E Vedanta

Changing for the Using 3D Printing Tech to
Better Boost Manufacturing

BiologicalEhasusedtechnologytobuild Thecompany hasleveragedsustainable
supplychainefficienciesandovercome disruptivetechnologiestoaddress
ecosystemchallenges TeamBW naggingsupplychainissues TeamBW

B IOLOGICAL E WON a Gold award, in the Manufac- M INING AND METALS major Vedanta won the
turing Supply Chain Excellence category at the BW Technology Supply Chain Excellence Award-
Supply Chain Resilience Awards 2022. -Bronze at BW Supply Chain Resilience Awards
2022. The company has managed to success-
The company undertook several steps last year

to optimise its supply chain structure. Apart from fully address supply chain issues by leveraging

measures for post-pandemic resilience, it also paid special sustainable and disruptive technologies.

attention to blockchain and digital supply chain twins, Bibhudatta Mohanty, Associate General Manager,

introduced supply chain as a ser- Vedanta says the company has

vice (SCaaS) and also factored in Category: been using 3D printing technol- Category: Technology

circular supply chains. Invest- Manufacturing Supply ogy to make spare parts. This Supply Chain

ments were also made in intro- Chain Excellence has not only cut dependence on Excellence Award |

ducing cloud-based products, Award | GOLD Chinese OEMs but also helped BRONZE

making greater use of artificial Company Name: overcome logistical challenges, Company Name:

intelligence, the internet of Biological E cut maintenance downtime, Vedanta

things, robots and automation. Leader: PV Raju and improved productivity dur- Leader: Bibhudatta

For PV Raju, SVP, Biological Designation: Senior ing the pandemic, he adds. Mohanty

E, technology has played an im- Vice President Mohanty states that since Designation:

portant role in making the com- the company’s manufacturing Associate General

pany’s supply chain transparent and accountable. “This has setups are remotely located, a Manager

been achieved due to cloud computing, big data analytics, number of challenges can crop

IoT, blockchain and AI.” The supply chain ecosystem faces up despite extensive planning and inventory. What really

several challenges in the current scenario such as material works in such a scenario is advanced and disruptive tech-

scarcity, high freight prices, port congestion, inflation, etc. nologies as well as streamlined operations, he says.

Raju’s advice to overcome these includes keeping liquidity On the National Logistics Policy, Mohanty says, “The

in the business, diversifying sourcing in supply chain strat- logistics policy is going to impact everyone in India. This

egy, identifying alternative shipping ports and improving will act as a catalyst in integrating all supply chains across

demand forecasting. road, rail, and air.”

Photograph by Perig76 66 | BW BUSINESSWORLD | 03 December 2022



SUPPLY
CHAIN

ITC DABUR

Embedding Sustainability Integrated, Connected

in Core Businesses Supply Chain

Theconglomeratehasusedinnovationto Digitalinitiativesaredrivingprocessesat
createsustainable valuechainslinkedto Daburwithaviewtoharnessefficienciesin
itsbusinesses TeamBW the supplychain TeamBW

C IGARETTES-TO-HOTELS-TO-FMCG conglomerate W ITH ITS FOCUS NOW on supply chain optimisa-
ITC has won the Gold for the Best Sustainable tion, Dabur has launched multiple digital initia-
Supply Chain at the BW Supply Chain Resilience tives across processes in supply chain, manufac-
Awards 2022. turing and procurement with a view to harness

The company is focused on the environmental and efficiencies blocked in silo-ed approach. From a larger

social impact within the supply chain to realise its vision perspective, sustainability and environmental aspects have

of sustainable development. This is because many of the been well prioritised along with business development.

value chains encompass small “The National Logistics

and marginal farmers owing to Category: Policy 2022 will assist in the way Category:

its growing dependence on agri- n BestSustainable forward and will help to more Technology Supply

cultural resources. Supply Chain Award efficiently leverage multi-modal ChainExcellence

According to Jagadeesh | GOLD transportation in India,” says Award | SILVER

Kunchey, Executive Vice Presi- n Technology Supply Sahil Verma, Head - Digital Company: Dabur

dent – Logistics and Supply Chain Excellence Transformation and Analytics, Leader:SahilVerma

Chain, ITC, the company intends Award|GOLD Supply Chain, Dabur. Designation:

to realise its vision of sustain- Company: ITC The last few years have been Head-Digital

able development by embedding Leader:Jagadeesh truly challenging and trans- Transformation &

sustainability in its core business KumarKunchey formative for the sector. Verma Analytics,Supply

models. Innovative strategies Designation: Head pointed out the complexities Chain

have therefore been designed and -ExecutiveVice they faced which included net-

implemented to create sustain- President,Logistics work optimisation, transportation management system,

able value chains linked to its and Supply Chain integrated planning and process simplification.

businesses, he says. In order to tackle the uncertainty and disruptions,

Kunchey also informs that the company uses robot- new-age technology has a critical role to play. According

ics and automation to minimise human intervention in to Verma, technology intervention will make supply chain

operations, besides, investing in next-generation safety transparent and accountable. Going forward, there will be

technologies to ensure a safe working environment. added factors to structure and optimise.

68 | BW BUSINESSWORLD | 03 December 2022 Photograph by Studioworkstock

SUPPLY
CHAIN

“Sustainability
and resilience go
hand-in-hand”

CHEPisasustainablelogisticsbusiness
thatoffersashareandreusemodel
servingtheFMCG,beverage,retail,
automotiveandgeneralmanufacturing
industries ByTeamBW

E nhancing customer service level from timely
delivery to on shelf availability of products has
always been one of the key focus areas for Rajesh
Singhmar, Head-Supply Chain India, CHEP.

The company is a sustainable logistics business

that offers a share and reuse model serving the FMCG,

beverage, retail, automotive and general manufactur-

ing industries. CHEP is part of the Brambles Group

and operates in approximately 60

countries.

In line with working for sustain- Category: Supply Chain Aspirer | GOLD
ability, Zero Waste World is an

innovative programme leverag- Company Name: CHEP
ing CHEP’s unique position in the

supply chain to collaborate with Leader: Rajesh Singhmar customer service. Also, he ini-
customers including retailers and tiated and formalised regular

manufacturing companies. The Designation: Head - Supply Chain India market visits in the Supply
objective is to find new ways to meet Chain Department.

growing consumer demand while • Leveraging technology

shrinking the impact of their opera- – He introduced reverse auc-

tions, creating more value, eliminating packaging and tion in Godrej, a primary vehicle tracker, and Anaplan

food waste and weeding out inefficiencies. for planning and incorporating changes in SAP for better

Singhmar started his journey as a fixed term contract inventory control.

trainee with ITC in 2006. In a short span of time, he has • Team development – Singhmar has encouraged his

become Head-Supply Chain India at CHEP. He joined team to focus on personal development, he guided one

Unilever in 2008, where he worked in Supply Chain and resource to take up an executive MBA programme and

Finance functions in multiple roles. In 2017 he moved to another managerial resource to take up lean six sigma.

AB Mauri as Lead Planning & Finance Business Partner Singhmar states, “If you want to be regenerative you

for India. need to go systemic and if you want to be systemic you

Singhmar has been instrumental in aligning projects need to collaborate with your whole supply chain. Sus-

with the larger mission of the company to achieve greater tainability and resilience go hand-in-hand”.

heights of success. He has made The spotlight is currently on

an impact when it comes to “If you want to be regenerative supply chains and how key play-
customer service, leveraging ers can create a positive impact,

technology, and team develop- you need to go systemic and if you review their ecosystem, under-
ment, viz. want to be systemic you need to stand their vulnerability, and
build on end-to-end transpar-
• Customer service – He took

multiple initiatives to improve collaboratewithyoursupplychain” ency for India.

69 | BW BUSINESSWORLD | 03 December 2022

SUPPLY
CHAIN

Supply Chain is
the Differentiator

Pescafreshhasincreaseduse
oftechnologyinmid-mileand
last-miletrackingsystemsand
IoTsolutions
By Abhishek Sharma

G LOBAL SUPPLY CHAIN disrup-
tions because of the war in
Ukraine, have been pushing up

prices of food and fuel. In India

supply chain issues of another kind

weigh on direct-to-consumer seafood

and meat brand, Pescafresh.

Established in 2004 by Sangram

Sawant, Pescafresh has served more Category: Leading Light Award| GOLD

than 100,000 households till date, Company Name: Pescafresh

thanks to its integrated supply chain. Sawant says, “Our Leader: Sangram Sawant

supply chain, especially for fresh seafood, is very depen- Designation: Founder

dent on supplies from the remotest landing centres which products in its raw, processed, semi-processed or finished
state across the company,” says Sawant. “We have increas-
could be any of more than 5,000 coastal villages spanning ingly adopted a system that is scalable and is based upon
bin management, so Pescafresh at a click of a button can
the west and east coast.” Sawant explains that several know which product is stored at which stage and which
bin,” says Sawant.
transporters work in truckloads, connecting smaller
Sawant says technology had allowed the company to
towns and cities. The organised players, however, do not track yields of products more effectively, which is the most
critical element of the supply chain journey. Pescafresh
offer loads as small as 100 kilograms to bring the fresh has launched the PescaLIVE initiative, to enable a trans-
parent service to consumers. Sawant says that an up-
produce to major cities. Such smaller loads are currently graded supply chain can potentially reduce shrinkage in
the fresh food business to less than one per cent. He says,
being handled by transporters in the unorganised sector. “It allows us to procure more products and raw produce
based on data, based on visibility across the first, mid and
In the ongoing financial year Pescafresh has scaled up last mile of the business, this further allows us to procure
opportunistically based upon data which does increase
its operations to more than four cities with another four to gross margins further by 10 to 15 per cent.”

follow. Sawant divulges two company strategies, namely,

augmenting human resources with supply chain special-

ists and technological intervention that have enabled this

feat. Pescafresh has been hiring experienced operations

and inventory management personnel from leading QSR

chain restaurants. “We have invested in our own custom-

ised tech which covers a robust inventory management

system that is tailored to the needs of the Pescafresh busi-

ness based upon more than a decade of insight,” he says.

Meanwhile, Pescafresh has increased use of technol-

ogy in mid-mile and last-mile tracking systems and

Internet- of- things (IoT) solutions with temperature

tracking sensors across all stages of business operations.

“Our solutions enable us to track the movement of all our

70 | BW BUSINESSWORLD | 03 December 2022

SUPPLY
CHAIN

‘Data Speaks the Truth’
is Company Motto

LiteBiteFoodsusesmodern
technologytotrackthelive
movementofallitscargo
By Abhishek Sharma

P RIME MINISTER Narendra Modi’s Na-
tional Logistics Policy (NLP) has given
much hope to business and industry,
which should turn more competitive

with the seamless movement of goods

that the NLP promises to ensure. Announcing

the policy, the Prime Minister said that it would

reduce agricultural wastage, improve last-mile

connectivity and reduce logistics costs in India.

“The logistics sector is on the cusp of transfor- Category:
n Best Supply Chain Operations| GOLD
mation from the present slow-paced traditional n Best Supply Chain Operations
(Process)|SILVER
ways of working towards more agile and digital (ways).
Company Name: Lite Bite Foods
The new policy will transform the way we look at our logis-
Leader: Sanjay Goyal
tics, it will be a more cohesive, inclusive and ensure a more
Designation: Senior Vice President,
collaborative approach,” says Sanjay Goyal, Senior Vice Supply Chain

President, Supply Chain, Lite Bite Foods. transparent that anyone can glance through the details.
It also enables the company to fix responsibility and ac-
Goyal explains some key changes in the supply chain countability. “Data speaks the truth,” says Goyal.

structure of his company. Lite Bite Foods, he says, had The NLP focuses on areas like process re-engineering,
digitisation and multi-modal transport and aims to bring
made logistics and the supply chain more agile and flexible down logistics costs. “Various multi-model logistics parks
or hubs are being created with end-to-end comprehensive
to be able to cater to the needs of business. solutions and the aim is to reduce the overall logistics cost
in India, bring India in parity with the global benchmark
The company focuses on speed and safety and just-in- and make Indian products more competitive globally,”
says Goyal. He believes that at the moment the supply
time delivery, keeping important parameters like tem- chain and logistics are fragmented and not cohesive. The
need of the hour, therefore, is to have an integrated logis-
perature in mind in the case of sensitive cargo. “On-time tics approach, he believes.

delivery is important and with speed to avoid any loss of

business due to non-availability. A 100 per cent fill rate

is the norm we follow and practice and it is a way of life,”

Goyal goes on to say.

Technology plays a huge role in the supply chain and its

role will become more important as the business envi-

ronment in India turns more demanding. Technology is

enabling the processes in the supply chain to become more

transparent and seamless. Lite Bite Foods uses modern

technology to track the live movement of all its cargo. The

application the company uses ensures that its cargo has

the right temperature and prevents sensitive food cargo

from going bad.

Goyal tells BW Businessworld that the process is so

71 | BW BUSINESSWORLD | 03 December 2022

SUPPLY
CHAIN

Farmers will Benefit
Most from NLP 2022

Challengesinthesupplychain
ecosystemincludebuildingstructural
agilityandensuringoperations
reactivity,saysSridharNunavat

By Abhishek Sharma

T HE NATIONAL LOGISTICS Policy
2022 will particularly ben-
efit Indian farmers by allowing 
them to take their produce to the 

markets faster even as it reduces 

waste and delay, says Sridhar Nunavat, 

Director Supply Chain, Ninjacart. 

“Considering the sensitivity of agri 

products it is always challenging to 

understand how much to procure. 

At Ninjacart, we procure based on 

demand. As per target with optimised 

inventory minimising, we dump losses 

and maximise sales,” he says. Accord- Category: Supply Chain Aspirer| SILVER

ing to him, the agri supply chain is  Company Name: Ninjacart

mostly challenged by problems linked to  Leader: Sridhar Nunavat

demand versus supply, pricing, margins  Designation: Director, Supply Chain

and inventory management.  ensuring operations reactivity.
 “The way to tackle these issues proactively is to redesign 
Logistics costs
the supply chain by using advanced analytics, having a 
At the Global Logistics Summit, Union Minister of State  demand-based sense with enhanced labour planning and 
for Commerce C. R. Chaudhary said that India lost 14 per  accelerating the automation process,” he suggests. Nuna-
cent of its GDP owing to poor logistics, which is an issue  vat believes that integrated planning and collaboration, 
that the NLP addresses by bringing down costs. Nunavat  asset flexibility and increasing proximity to customers 
reiterates that India’s current logistics costs need to be  would help bring structural agility to the supply chain. 
reduced to make Indian goods more competitive in the 
world market. “The policy establishes a broad, multi-juris-  “Adopting dynamic inventory placement with digital 
dictional, cross-sectoral framework for the growth of  the  twins, activating real-time end-to-end proactive respon-
entire logistics ecosystem in an effort to address concerns  siveness and deploying agile teams will ensure operations 
of  high cost and inefficiency,” he says.  reactions to business demands,”  he says. He urges compa-
nies to focus on building predictive analytics to help their 
He sees the key objectives of the NLP as reduction in  business acquire foresight. 
manufacturing costs to enable competitive pricing, ef-
ficient flow of operations, integrated systems to ensure 
end-to-end communication flow, improved inventory 
management and an end-to-end logistics management 
solution with traceability. The key challenges in the supply 
chain ecosystem, he says, were anticipating and mitigat-
ing variability upfront, building structural agility and 

72 | BW BUSINESSWORLD | 03 December 2022

SUPPLY
CHAIN

On-demand
Drone Delivery

TechEagle’scurrentproduct
portfolioincludesanentirelymade
inIndiahybride-VTOLdrone,which
candeliverparcelsupto100kmsin
lessthan50minutes
By Team BW

A connected supply chain is an impera-
tive rather than a necessity espe-
cially post-pandemic. Vikram Singh
Meena, Founder and CEO, TechEagle

finds this aspect as one of the major

areas which needs to be streamlined. Going

forward, the future roadmap of the logistics

sector in India will be greatly impacted by

the National Logistics Policy 2022. Meena

believes that the new policy will help leverage

multi-modal transportation in India more ef-

ficiently. He further discusses about the major

changes made to their supply chain structure Category: Best Use of Drones| GOLD

to optimise it from all aspects. In the last Company Name: TechEagle

year, network optimisation, transportation Leader: Vikram Singh Meena

management system, integrated planning Designation: Founder and CEO

and process simplification using RPA (robotic garage to solve the problem of healthcare and logistics
accessibility in rural and urban areas. In May 2022, the
process automation) were concern areas which witnessed startup carried out parcel delivery in the Kutch region of
Gujarat with India Post. It was also the longest flight in
vital transformation. extreme winds of 31 kmph, the company claims. With 5G
services, the company plans to enhance their services. It
TechEagle is a drone delivery startup which works with intends to manufacture drones that have the capability of
communicating with each other to collectively perform
the vision to transform last-mile delivery. The state-of- complex logistic tasks and inculcate IoT. Talking about
the company’s larger goals, TechEagle’s Founder and CEO
the-art drone delivery technology will ensure consistent said, “Our goal is to make drone-based delivery more cost-
effective than traditional modes of transportation while
and reliable distribution. The company provides drone remaining fully autonomous, safe and equipped with
innovative features.”
delivery services for civil applications and products for

defence. The current product portfolio includes an entirely

made in India hybrid e-VTOL drone which can deliver

parcels up to 100km in less than 50 minutes. Shortly, the

plan is to increase these capabilities by multifold.

In order to cover the larger spectrum, the company

introduces many projects at a wider range. The prominent

partnerships and projects include, delivering medicines in

Himachal Pradesh in a partnership with the government

of Himachal Pradesh, drone delivery trials with Swiggy

mid-mile delivery of its Instamart items and food delivery

trials with Zomato to enable food delivery via drones in a

hyperlocal environment.

TechEagle was founded in 2015 in IIT Kanpur’s hostel

73 | BW BUSINESSWORLD | 03 December 2022

SUPPLY
CHAIN

Column Pramod Ghadke

Diversification is a Key
Area of Optimisation

“AtUnboxRobotics,wehavebeenable
toprovidescalabilityandefficiency
andcloseto99percentsortationand
consolidationaccuracy,“saysGhadke
(Astoldto ReshamSuhail)

T HE LOGISTICS SECTOR in India was estimated Category: Best Use of Robotics|
to be worth around $250 billion in FY 2021 and GOLD
is projected to grow to $380 billion by 2025. But
the sector is far from perfect with its over-reliance Company Name: Unbox Robotics

on road-based transport, excess paper trails for Leader: Pramod Ghadge

processes and manual labour.

The Indian logistics industry also entails higher costs Designation: Co-Founder and CEO

(14 per cent of GDP) when compared with other BRICS

nations (where the average is 11 per cent of GDP). The

recently launched National Logistics Policy (NLP) will

be instrumental in addressing a lot of these issues in the

coming years. mation will set the foundation for Logistics 4.0 in India

One of the NLP’s main objectives is to reduce over the next five years.

logistics costs down to eight per cent of GDP by creating Since our business revolves around robotics,

an efficient, integrated and sustainable logistics network there is a huge requirement for sourcing electronic compo-

through the use of better-qualified personnel, techno- nents. But due to the pandemic and several other factors,

logical tools and the setting up of industry standards. their procurement lead times have become very high.

The policy will also shift focus The global shortage of semi-

to establishing intermodal and The NLP, working in conjunction conductors has affected us all in
multimodal infrastructure the technology sphere. Addition-
with automation will set the
systems to reduce the current ally, India still depends greatly

over-dependence on roadways to foundation for Logistics 4.0 in India on imports of active components,
other modes of logistics. over the next five years making the domestic electronic
and technology industry sus-
It is worth noting that the

Union government has taken an ceptible to global supply chain

initiative to compile an e-book with warehousing stan- disruptions. To mitigate these challenges, we have actively

dards that will optimise the current warehousing sector developed partnerships with many stakeholders in the

by streamlining procedures for better warehouse efficien- supply chain ecosystem.

cy. To make logistics truly seamless, the iLOG platform Supply chain diversification is one of the key areas of

will integrate the various digital portals into one platform optimisation that we have undertaken over the last year.

to enable transparency of information across the logistics By enhancing our supply chain partnerships and at the

value chain. same time by optimising our product design, we have been

Robotics-based automation will also play a vital role in able to achieve higher cost-efficiencies and increase our

ensuring faster turnaround, improved processes and cost productivity, thus enabling us to provide timely service to

efficiencies. The NLP, working in conjunction with auto- our customers and add value to their operations.

74 | BW BUSINESSWORLD | 03 December 2022

SUPPLY
CHAIN

Control Tower: Unifying
Supply Chain

WebXpresshelpscustomerstoinvestin
ControlTowertomonitorGPSdatafrom
vehiclesinrealtime TeamBW

I NDIA IS FAST RECOGNISING that the key to a thriv- Category:
ing manufacturing sector lies in world-class logistics n Best Supply Chain Operations
infrastructure. Already, the Central government has (Process)| GOLD
started LEADS — Logistics Ease Across Different n Best Digital Transformation |
States (LEADS) programme to help compare state- GOLD
wise performance.
Company Name: WebXpress
Logistics is witnessing massive changes in India, driven
by the government as well as the private sector. The Cen- Leader: Apurva Mankad
tral government recently unveiled the National Logistics
Policy to institute a framework to reduce logistics costs. Designation: Founder and CEO

“We understand the complexities thanks to advances
in technology such as APIs, IoT and Cloud – it has
become easier to connect multiple systems and bring
transparency,” Apurva Mankad, Founder and CEO,
WebXpress said.

Tech in Logistics

Giving an example of the use of technology in logistics,

Mankad says that by using geo-fences and GPS data they hicle and raise an alert. A scorecard can identify facilities

can accurately tell when a vehicle arrived at a customer lo- that have maximum delays to help optimise operations,”

cation. Thus, any delay can clearly be accurately attributed says Mankad.

and relevant partner or team can be held accountable, he Poor Track Record
adds.

WebXpress combines the collective wisdom of over 80 It is estimated that more than 50 per cent of vehicles in

supply chain companies across eight countries and more India are waiting for a driver at any point of time. This

than 20,000 users. WebXpress means that customers do get re-

works with a vision to deploy It is estimated that more than quired vehicles at the right time.
technology for sustainable and Technology can help transport-
50percentofvehiclesinIndiaare ers predict the arrival time of
capital efficient logistics indus-

try. waiting for a driver at any vehicles at destination, explains
India has some of the largest point of time Mankad.

wait time for vehicles at factories Under the Gati Shakti Master

and warehouses whether for Plan the government is fast-

loading or unloading. In fact, many companies literally tracking building of multi-modal logistics parks. Also, it

use vehicles on road as ‘inventory’ storage while customer has created a Unified Logistics Interface Platform (ULIP)

is convinced to take delivery. to connect all stakeholders for visibility across the logistics

“Technology can monitor excessive waiting time of a ve- chain.

75 | BW BUSINESSWORLD | 03 December 2022

INDEPTH SUPPLY CHAIN

THE global supply chain SUPPLYPOINT BREAK:
has been under im- CHAIN
mense pressure since
the Covid-19 pandemic While chip shortages are likely to
broke out in early 2020. continue for some time, supply
While industries all over the world chain problems are expected to
breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of be resolved in due course of time
2022 after two straight years of sup- By Rohit Chintapali
ply chain nightmares, the Ukraine-
Russia war once again induced
doubts over what was to come. The
war brought with it disruptions in
supply chains that increased freight
charges, caused container short-
ages and lowered the availability
of warehousing space. In addition,
the prices of several commodities
including fertilisers, food products,
and oil and gas have only soared.
Even on its last leg, 2022 continues to

76 | BW BUSINESSWORLD | 03 December 2022 Photograph by Visual Generation

see supply chain disruptions as Covid economy. “Today, we are witnesses enough to deal with automated buyers
lockdowns persist in the quintessen- to the massive game of catchup as and the evolution of the supply chain
tial point of origin for most supply we recover from the phase of biggest needs to be in line with the accelera-
chains – China. This has meant that backlogs the world has ever seen,” tion in machine ordering. “Now is
deliveries of automobiles, devices, said Gazder. the time to build a digital foundation
consumer technology items and re- that integrates the partner ecosystem,
tail inventory have continued to be March Towards Digitalisation leverages data throughout the end-
impacted even as we enter the last Over the last two years, businesses to-end supply chain and automates
month of the year. have realised that digital supply processes and decisions. It’s also im-
chains can help them make better portant to evolve the operating model
Speaking at BW Businessworld’s decisions, identify the demand for to enhance supply chain efficiency, ca-
Supply Chain Resilience Summit & their products and manage the re- pability and capacity,” says a Gartner
Awards 2022, Keku Gazder, MD & lationships that come in between. report.
CEO, Aviapro Logistic Services said, This way the businesses can prevent
“In February 2020, we saw the begin- undiscovered delays in sub-assembly In line with the massive digitali-
ning of a really bad game of global and shipments that are expected in sation efforts undertaken by various
musical chairs. The result of that traditional supply chains, which eas- industries in the last two years, many
was a domino effect of shortages that ily bring about deadline misses and surveys from 2022 indicate that busi-
produced a spike in prices as well as unhappy customers. nesses also stepped up their digital
empty shelves.” supply chain investments. And these
Gartner predicts that as the world digital tools have been pivotal in im-
It could easily be said that when gets more digitised over the next 10 proving the element of resilience in
China sneezes, the rest of the world years, the demand from the “machine” supply chain planning and execution.
falls ill. This couldn’t be truer when customers will become relevant and Business leaders have identified that
it comes to the global supply chain, generate as much as 20 per cent of rev- building workflow resilience can be
as the world consumes over US$ 3.55 enue. This would mean that the fu- achieved via artificial intelligence
trillion worth of exports in goods and ture supply chain needs to be capable (AI) and automation. Technology
services from the largest exporting

Photograph by Leo Wolfert 77 | BW BUSINESSWORLD | 03 December 2022

INDEPTH SUPPLY CHAIN

utilisation is truly breaking silos, de- According to a have also suggested that India was
riving insights and enhancing per- McKinsey survey, fast becoming an attractive option for
formance. “Automation is not about as companies manufacturing.
replacing people with tech or robots. address their
But an express business company visibility issues, The newly released US News and
needs to go ahead with it to reduce digitisation World Report says that India scored
delivery timings. Implementation efforts are shift- 100 per cent in ‘cheap manufactur-
approach will be a key factor to keep ing to the next ing costs’ beating out even China and
a check on pre- and post-condition big challenge Vietnam in this race.
after automation and to also check in supply chain
the customers’ experiences and their management Recently, Telecom and IT Minister
feedback,” said Rajesh Kapase, CEO, – capturing the Ashwini Vaishnaw announced that
Trackon Courier Services. demand signal Apple iPhones are all set to be made
in India, as a new plant is slated to be
According to a McKinsey survey, powerhouse. One of the reasons for set up at Hosur near Bengaluru. The
respondents in almost every sector this is inadequate and underdevel- facility is expected to employ 60,000
reported that they invested in digital oped infrastructure. Another is the people. “This clearly shows that not
supply chain technologies in 2021. stifling bureaucracy. Because of these just production, but supply chain in
Amongst the sectors, automotive two primary factors, India ends up terms of production is also gaining
and healthcare surprisingly reported having a relatively weaker standing
“lower-than-expected” investments. in comparison to countries like Thai-
The report believes that this could be land and Vietnam.
due to implementation delays in the
automotive sector, while in health- However, infrastructure spending
care the investments have dropped has received a good amount of gov-
after several years of progress. In- ernment attention in recent times.
terestingly, more than 80 per cent The country has also been attracting
of overall respondents said that they a fair bit of interest as a potential al-
would make further investments in ternative to China for manufactur-
the near future. ing. China’s strict lockdowns coupled
with the tech war with the US have a
“As companies address their vis- lot to do with this too. Various reports
ibility issues, digitisation efforts are
shifting to the next big challenge in
supply chain management – captur-
ing the demand signal,” noted the
McKinsey survey.

This year’s survey reveals that
respondents’ focus for digital in-
vestments was demand and supply
planning, followed by inventory op-
timisation. Meanwhile, supply chain
visibility came in as fourth on their pri-
ority list. This is despite 45 per cent of
respondents reporting that they either
have no visibility into their upstream
supply chain or that they can see only
as far as their first-tier suppliers.

India Market
India has a lot to offer to global in-
vestors due to its demographic ad-
vantage coupled with a vibrant pri-
vate sector. But some impediments
impact its growth as a supply chain

78 | BW BUSINESSWORLD | 03 December 2022

traction in our country,” said Gazder. chips are for so many of a car’s func- ductor manufacturing ecosystem to
tions. The World Economic Forum address the domestic demand and
The Semiconductor Puzzle said it best, “It’s now clear to all: we supply. The belief is that such an eco-
The world has changed a great deal are living in a semiconductor world.” system would help keep the domes-
since the onset of the pandemic. Be- tic supply chain going, exempt from
sides rapid digitalisation, rampant Rising inflation, soaring interest heavy reliance on materials com-
supply chain problems brought to the rates, lockdowns in China and geopo- ing from other countries in times of
fore the issue of heavy dependence litical tensions have meant that busi- crisis.
most countries have on eastern econ- nesses are reigning in their expenses,
omies for their semiconductor needs. which have in turn hit the PC and While chip shortages are likely to
It could be said that the semiconduc- smartphone market. On this news, continue for some time, supply chain
tor industry has never before found even semiconductor giants such as problems are expected to be resolved
itself in the spotlight before the situ- Micron Technology have warned of in due course of time. Meanwhile,
ation in 2021 when chip shortages tougher times ahead and made sig- technology will be a key aspect to
shut down entire automotive produc- nificant reductions to their Capex. keep the domestic supply chains go-
tion lines. All of a sudden, everyone ing everywhere across the globe as
seemed to have realised how crucial To make amends and adapt, nations we count down the days to a potential
including the US and India are now recession.
moving towards creating a semicon-

Photograph by Kamonrat 79 | BW BUSINESSWORLD | 03 December 2022

SPOTLIGHT

“Our aim is to W
democratise the
entrepreneurial EALTHY STOCK MARKET leaders,
second-time founders, bankers and
ecosystem” even cash-rich salaried employees
are joining the club of angel inves-
Apoorva Ranjan Sharma, tors. This is strong enough evidence
Co-founder, Venture Catalysts ++ that the startup ecosystem of India
has established itself as a potential
speaks to BW Businessworld alternative for investment along-
about the angel investment side traditional options such as FDs
landscape in India, focussing and mutual funds. Apoorva Ranjan
on startups’ contribution in the Sharma, Co-founder, Venture
national economy, and more Catalysts++ along with three
other Co-founders - Anil Jain, Anuj
By Resham Suhail Golecha and Gaurav Jain leads
Venture Catalysts++. Venture
Catalysts ++ is an early-to-growth
stage fund that includes five funds
ranging from early-stage to sector-
focused.

The company first launched its
$150 million accelerator fund in
2020 and it has launched four more
including - Venture Catalysts Angel
Fund, a $200 million fintech-focused
fund called Beams, Proptech fund
Spyre and a $200 million growth
stage sector agnostic fund Elev8.
The group has a combined portfolio
of over 300 startups whose consoli-
dated valuation is pegged at around
$10 billion thus making it the coun-
try’s largest early-to-growth stage
investing platform.

With over 3,000 angel inves-
tors present across 55 cities, Ven-
ture Catalysts++ has a network in
the country where it has helped
create awareness about startup
investments.

80 | BW BUSINESSWORLD | 03 December 2022

and said that Property tech, Agritech
and Media tech are going to be huge
sectors, for sure. “India is a very large
market for all these three sectors and
completely untapped,” he added.

“Today,ifwearea$3 trillion High Risks For Higher Returns
economy, not less than $500 The sudden influx of capital from
billionhas come from startups. This new profiles of investors is also charg-
is close to 17 percent of the GDP. I ing the environment. Angel enablers
have learnt the science of risk-taking
am hopeful that it will be somewhere by spreading out investments across
5-6 companies instead of focusing on
around 25 percent in three years” just one. With the barrage of impres-
sive IPOs and high-value mergers
India’s Potential ing the hub of startups. For these in- and acquisitions, India is becoming
vestors, the investment comes with a an investment destination, especially
The year 2021-22 has been reward- lot of risk. Investing in an early-stage for early-stage investors. Sharma ex-
ing for the funder-founder ecosys- startup is nothing but a leap of faith. plains that as an early-stage focused
tem, Bharat has touched the mark Speaking about the wide and diverse VC they take small bets but with the
of 75,000 registered startups in the Indian diaspora, Sharma states, “If mission to support startups till their
75th year of independence. Home- China has 1.3 billion angel investors, three stages atleast. “We do maybe
grown startups secured $19 billion India will have at least a million an- five to ten investments or more but
in funding across 900 deals in H1 of gel investors. That’s my statement we try our best to build those compa-
2022, marking an all-time high in for the future of angel investing in nies to the next level. If they’re doing
funding and the deal count is huge this country.” well, we invest more,” he adds.
evidence of the increasing confidence
of investors. “Today, if we are a $3 The Golden Period Bright Times Ahead
trillion economy, not less than $500 Since 2014, more than 2,500 angel Currently, India is very uniquely po-
billion has come from startups. This investors have participated in over sitioned, with an upsurge in angel in-
is close to 17 per cent of the GDP. I 3,500 funding deals. When asked vestments across the segments and
am hopeful that it will be somewhere about the sectors which hold high fruitful massive exits can be expected
around 25 per cent in three years,” potential with the current Indian ca- at scale and soon. Angel investors will
Sharma projects. Over the years, In- pabilities, Sharma shared his belief continue to play a meaningful role
dia has gained the reputation of be- whose inputs go much beyond bring-
ing in just the cheque. “Our aim is to
democratise the entrepreneurial eco-
system, enabling more investors to
explore higher return asset classes.
As a byproduct of these initiatives, we
have also contributed to the wealth
creation and job creation in the coun-
try,” says Sharma.

The union government has estab-
lished a model, the Fund of Funds
(FOF), which has been the largest
catalyst along with angel accelera-
tors for the Indian early-stage eco-
system. The pool of angel investors
will get bigger to witness the trans-
formations in several entrepreneurial
journeys.

Photograph by Rawpixal 81 | BW BUSINESSWORLD | 03 December 2022

INSIGHT UN CLIMATE CHANGE CONFERENCE

HELLO WEST!
FINANCE IS
THE FUEL FOR
FOSSIL-FUEL BySrinathSridharan
CHALLENGE

82 | BW BUSINESSWORLD | 03 December 2022

With nearly a sixth of able zero-carbon ideas.
the global population, They would need conventional
and especially
younger demographics emissions based on growth in the short
at that,India has the term, before aspiring for meeting the
responsibility of driving growth challenges by replacing fos-
constant social and sil fuels with those with zero carbon
economic growth.It emissions. Unfortunately, the push to-
cannot afford to be ward zero carbon emissions has been
slack in its internal interpreted as a full ban on fossil fuel
efforts at growth, energy. This is economically unviable,
especially when it does and unfair to expect of developing and
not have a sixth of the poor nations. Given all the global stud-
world’s wealth ies, research data, governmental nego-
tiations – it is an accepted premise that
T HE RICHER NATIONS have developed and even over- nations need finance and the latest
saturated any more potential development. A look at human commercially deployable technology
history shows that economic development typically brings towards climate transition and climate
physical comfort to humans. Be it simply the gadgets in the mitigation, and that it is important to
kitchen or farms, vehicles for transportation of people, cat- understand the challenges of develop-
tle and cargo, refrigerators, air conditioning, cold chains, ing nations.
roads, airports etc., and offices and homes. Or be it larger sci-
ence and technology that aid in development across various Moreover, many global minerals for
spheres that help societies. For decades, the developed na- clean energy are controlled by a few
tions have been using these – what we colloquially think of as – creature comforts. nations – here is another roadblock
that developing countries need help
They now need what’s replacement-stock or upgraded versions of these with. They cannot wait endlessly for
infrastructural comforts. But with a difference. They just need to support the any roles by the controlling-state, or
clean energy base. Whereas, the other developing and poor nations don’t have they cannot afford to pay access-pre-
this infrastructure – either in total or for many, even in part. Their aspiration to mium. A Covid lockdown as well as
support economic development is also to improve the quality of living for their the current Russian-Ukraine war has
citizens as well as the ability to provide this socio-civic infrastructure. This delta shown how mighty nations have be-
of growth aspiration from the current low base cannot be met by currently avail- come protectionist about their domes-
tic needs and politics. No doubt, some
of them have behaved overzealously as
hoarders of all things they need, just to
fight their own inflationary concerns
as well as appease the trade and stra-
tegic partner-nations they deal with.

Not Just Coal
Calling a spade a spade at the COP27
summit at Sharm-el-Sheikh in mid-
November, India threw a surprise card
at the developed nations. It mooted
the idea that all nations should phase
down all fossils fuels, and not just coal.
With this, few geopolitical lines will
clearly be drawn. There would be a
pushback from the 2021 COP26 delib-
erations where India had kept the en-
tire focus on coal alone. This new stand
upset many nations rich in oil and gas
reserves, including India’s own allies

PhotoCourtesy: UNClimateChange 83 | BW BUSINESSWORLD | 03 December 2022

INSIGHT UN CLIMATE CHANGE CONFERENCE

in the Arabian Sea region. The Indian
delegation, no doubt would have ar-
guments to counter the worries that
this new pitch would make it harder to
track the reduction across fossil fuels
in general, and that might complicate
or delay the process. The criticism that
India relies on coal power and emits
the third largest amount of carbon di-
oxide will persist, for the developed
nations need arguing points.

With nearly a sixth of the global
population, and especially younger
demographics at that, India has the
responsibility of driving constant so-
cial and economic growth. It cannot
afford to be slack in its internal efforts
at growth, especially when it does not
have a sixth of the world’s wealth. India
has cited the latest IPCC (Intergov-
ernmental Panel on Climate Change)
reports to drive home the point that to

At last year’s COP26 in Glasgow, Prime
Minister Narendra Modi had sought
$1 trillion in climate finance for India, to
help meet our 2030 targets

meet the target of keeping tempera- a new mitigation work programmes power. This has actually reduced with
ture rise to 1.5 or 2 degree Celsius, the on the Top 20 emitters of greenhouse its gigantic push toward the renewable
world will need to phase down all fossil gases. The rationale for the Indian energy mode. India has been upfront
fuels and not just phase out coal. action is clear – that there are many that in keeping with its increasing
developing countries among the Top energy needs, it would be forced to
India also called out the developed 20 emitters with no historical obliga- depend on coal as a major source of
countries, for selectively ‘greening’ a tions to reduce their emissions. The power generation for the next three to
few energy sources, when they actu- argument for the Indian action is that four decades. It is also understood that
ally have no scientific basis for doing any new mitigation work programme new coal-based power plants won’t be
so. The basis for this has been the Eu- of these developing nations must not developed.
ropean Parliament’s recent decision result in revising the Paris Agreement
to classify some uses of gas as “green”. (climate commitments of countries At last year’s COP26, India had an-
Can’t this be called greenwashing? At have to be nationally determined). nounced its ‘panchamrit’ (five elixirs)
the United Nations Climate Change strategy for going green, instead of
Conference that began on 6 November Energy Needs & Sources going Net Zero by 2070. The strategy
India, backed by some other countries, Currently, India sources 55 per cent included sourcing 50 per cent of its
also blocked the introduction of a pro- of its energy needs from coal-based energy requirements from renewa-
posal by developed nations to focus on bles by 2030, creating 500 GW of

84 | BW BUSINESSWORLD | 03 December 2022

non-fossil fuel power generation ca- tionally determined contributions” India has also pledged to create a “car-
pacity by 2030, cutting back carbon (NDCs) to the U.N. Framework Con- bon sink,” to absorb the equivalent
emissions by a billion tonnes per year vention on Climate Change (UNFCC) of 2.5 to three billion metric tonnes
by the same target year and reduc- in August this year. Under the terms of carbon dioxide by 2030, through
ing the carbon intensity of its GDP of climate treaties signed by the COP mass-tree planting. Finance is the
by 45 per cent from the 2005 levels nations, every country must submit its key. A report by the New York-based
by 2030. own goals for reducing emissions and Asia Society Policy Institute estimated
explain how those targets would be that India would need $10.1 trillion in
There has been substantial progress met, and importantly, every year the investments to achieve its pledge of
in executing these target commit- nations are expected to demonstrate complete carbon neutrality by 2070.
ments. For example, the latest NEP progress.
(National Electricity Plan) aims to Climate Finance
achieve 57 per cent renewable capac- With India’s new NDCs, it has At last year’s COP26 in Glasgow, Prime
ity by 2027 and 68 per cent by 2032. pledged to reduce the intensity of the Minister Narendra Modi had sought
It also plans for a 24 per cent increase emissions from its national economic $1 trillion in climate finance for In-
in solar power production targets for output by 45 per cent by 2030, com- dia, to help meet our 2030 targets.
2027 compared to the previous plan. pared to its 2005 level. (The previous A research report, released ahead of
target was 30 per cent). In addition,
India submitted its updated “na-

Photo Courtesy: Space Man Kris 85 | BW BUSINESSWORLD | 03 December 2022

INSIGHT UN CLIMATE CHANGE CONFERENCE

talks on climate change finance at the India has been vociferous in bringing
COP27 summit in Egypt, commis- to the global table, its views and
sioned by the current and previous cli- concerns voiced for and on behalf of
mate summit hosts, Egypt and Britain, the Global South
explains that funding is required to
cut emissions, boost resilience, deal ing, or we will fail to deliver the Sus- source much of their grunge work to
with damage from climate change and tainable Development Goals (SDGs) developing nations, which helps them
restore nature and land. by the deadline of 2030.” Poorer coun- to claim a clean and green life. But at
tries already face the brunt of climate whose cost?
It further articulates that develop- change, but are financially helpless
ing countries need to work with inves- in doing anything about it. We can- India has been vociferous in bringing
tors, rich countries and development not have a climate-poor situation for to the global table, its views and con-
banks to secure $1 trillion every year, nations who don’t have the means to cerns voiced for and on behalf of the
in external financing for climate ac- Global South. As one of the most popu-
tion by the end of the decade and to combat climate change. lous nations, it has a huge climate chal-
match that with their own funds. Isn’t A Huge Challenge lenge before it. After all, development is
this report yet another reiteration for The developed nations have to get a basic human right and national right.
the previous COP meets? their promises right, and start deliv-
ering on the promised financing the One nation cannot infringe on an-
Developed nations have broken developing nations’ climate actions. other’s right towards its infrastruc-
their promise made at COP15, that Merely maligning the idea of fossil tural development. The world needs
they would contribute $100 billion fuels won’t either deter the develop- green. In an ideal world “my green”
ing nations from their aspirations for should not be different from “your
annually to help developing countries development or to a better quality of green”. At this point, it’s sadly green
decarbonise and deal with the impacts life for their citizens. with envy and finger-pointing.
of climate change. These have not been
adhered to, and all the world has now After all, the developed nations out- Financial resources and sound
are broken promises. investments are needed to address
climate change, to both reduce emis-
Earlier, the UN Secretary General sions, promote adaptation to the im-
Antonio Guterres, in his foreword to pacts that are already occurring, and to
the UN’s Financing for Sustainable build resilience. The benefits that flow
Development Report had highlighted from these investments, however, dra-
that “Financing for sustainable devel- matically outweigh any upfront costs.
opment is at a crossroads. Either we Transitioning to a green economy, it
close the yawning gap between politi- found, can unlock new economic op-
cal ambition and development financ- portunities and jobs.

The United Nations suggests that
an investment of $1 on an average on
combatting climate change yields $4
in benefits. Instead of riling other na-
tions over coal, can the developed na-
tions simply put money on the table to
demonstrate their commitment to a
green world.

q This article first appeared on
BW Businessworld.in on 17 November

Photograph by Bivash Banerjee 86 | BW BUSINESSWORLD | 03 December 2022



COLUMN UN CLIMATE CHANGE CONFERENCE

CLIMATE
WISDOM – A
NEW DAWN IN
EGYPT

Sudhir Mishra is By Sudhir Mishra & Simran Gupta
Founder & Managing Partner,
Trust Legal Advocates & Consultants T HE ‘CITY OF PEACE’, Sharm -El-Sheikh became the city of a ray of
Simran Gupta s is Advocate & hope on 20 November with a new dawn for climate justice and climate
Associate, equity for the world.
Trust Legal, Advocates & Consultants The world has waited too long for the consensus on the climate com-
pensation fund and after a number of intense negotiations and discus-
sions, the COP27 (27th Conference of Parties) at the Red Sea resort
town in Egypt resulted in a historic agreement being sealed by the creation of a loss
and damage fund (L&D).

A mission thirty years in making, being blocked for long by the rich or the devel-
oped countries, was finally and successfully accomplished at the COP27 in Egypt.
The concept of ‘environmental compensation’ which became the talking point at
the Egypt negotiations, is already a very established mechanism in many countries
across the world.

In fact, in India way back in 1996 in the historic judgment of the Indian Council of
Enviro-Legal Action v. Union of India [(1996) 3 SCC 212], the Apex Court for the first
time applied and defined the ‘Polluter Pays Principle’ where the polluter is absolutely
liable to compensate for the harm and pollution caused to the environment. According
to this principle, the polluter has to not only compensate the victims of pollution but
also compensate for the restoration of environmental degradation caused.

Thereafter, the concept of climate compensation was further defined and affirmed
in the judgment of Vellore Citizens’ Welfare Forum vs. Union of India [(1996) 5 SCC
647], that the polluter pays principle and the precautionary principle forms an intrin-
sic part of the environment laws of India.

As an amplification of this very concept of climate compensation, in a first at the
global level, the ‘loss and damage’ fund is being created as a down payment for the
future as a dedicated fund to help developing countries, particularly those most vulner-
able to the impacts of climate change to deal with climate related losses and damages.

Based upon the concept of Common but differentiated responsibilities (CBDR), a
fundamental principle which was agreed upon years ago even in the 2015 Paris Agree-
ment that rich nations must bear a larger burden of tackling climate change since they
emitted more greenhouse gases over the decades, the result of which has to be suffered
by the developing or under-developed countries.

In fact, the Sunday Egypt declaration for climate justice is a huge achievement, as

88 | BW BUSINESSWORLD | 03 December 2022

The COP27 with the Tagline – ‘Together for implementation’ – was
initially meant to focus on how commitments would translate into real-
ity but in vain. And since many consider the COP27 “a missed opportuni-
ty” from India’s perspective, the victories include the COP27’s endorse-
ment of the sustainable lifestyle mission and a clause regarding energy
transitions, which did not single out particular fossil fuels

United States and many other countries world and second-largest historical all fossil fuels, as proposed by India and
were fundamentally against compensat- emitter of greenhouse gases. several other nations. The COP27 with
ing vulnerable countries on account of the Tagline – ‘Together for implementa-
higher emissions by developed nations. A transitional committee constitut- tion’ – was initially meant to focus on
ing 23 members, 10 from developed how commitments would translate into
In an attempt to run away from their and 13 from developing countries, will reality, but in vain.
historic responsibility of irretrievable now decide on the modalities and
damage to the environment, the de- answer questions about how payouts And since many consider the COP27
veloped countries at the COP27, were will be made under the fund and its “a missed opportunity” from India’s
even pushing to include high income sources, which will be further consid- perspective, the victories included the
countries and emerging economies like ered at the COP28 to be held in COP27’s endorsement of the sustaina-
China and India and wanted to narrow November 2023 at the UAE. ble lifestyle mission and a clause
the beneficiaries to only the most vulner- regarding energy transitions, which
able such as island nations and under- Further, guided by the pragmatic did not single out particular fossil
developed countries. suggestions from India, the COP27 fuels.
even agreed to transition out all fos-
‘Together for Implementation’ sil fuels and not just coal, which was As an Indian it is a proud moment
This year’s COP resulted in deep dwell- lacking in the earlier COP26 agree- that as the fifth larges t economy,
ing upon the differentiation between ment. This was supported by nearly 80 India is voluntarily marching towards
developing and developed countries as countries including the United States drastically reducing carbon emissions,
the USA and the European Union and EU, but faced opposition over the shunning all fossil fuels in future,
(EU) kept pushing for China being a inclusion of oil and gas from a few de- embracing non-conventional energy
contributor to any fund being created veloped countries like never before and emphasising in
as the largest current emitter in the Egypt that our planet has no more
The agreement, however, fell short patience.
and did not include a wider target on

Photograph by UN Climate Change 89 | BW BUSINESSWORLD | 03 December 2022

MKTG40UNDER40

FMMUAATRUSKRTEETEIRNGS

Brand mavericks who are
driving modern marketing’s
transformation and keeping their
businesses ahead of the curve

By Chaitali Dixit

M arketingisexperiencingan a select number of entrants met the jury chaired by Naveen
overhaul where technol- Soni, President, Lexus India.
ogy and digitisation are
continually revolution- The jury panel also included names such as Ajay Kakar,
ising the business land- CMO, Aditya Birla Capital; Atit Mehta, Marketing Head,
scape. As the sector gears Byju’s; Asha Kharga, Chief Customer & Brand Officer, Ma-
up to meet new challeng- hindra Group; Deepali Naair, Director Digital Sales, India
es, real change is driven & ASEANZK, IBM; Anjali Malhotra, Founder C-Xcel,
by growing talent and leadership. BW Marketing World Director Founder Institute Accelerator; Anisha Motwani,
shines the spotlight on 40 future masters whose strategies Founder, StormTheNorm Venture; Shefali Chhachhi, Co-
and consumer insight have pushed their brands and busi- founder & Managing Partner, Hearth Ventures; Girish
nesses forward in their growth trajectories. Kalra, CMO, Tata AIA Life Insurance, Karthik Nagarajan,
CCO, Wavemaker India; Sachin Chhabra, Head of brand
The winners were arrived at following a two-phased marketing, ACC; Nitin Sethi, Chief Digital Officer, Adani
process concluding with the jury evaluation. The first phase Group; Mehraj Dube, DGM Marketing, ABP Network
invited entries from the Indian marketing and advertising and Sumeet Pahwa, Head Brand Marketing, TATA Tele
fraternity. Following a pre-screening in the second phase, Business Services.

90 | BW BUSINESSWORLD | 03 December 2022

MKTG40UNDER40

BW MARKETING 40 UNDER 40

1. Aabhinna Suresh Khare 21. ManishaDokania
Chief Digital & Marketing Officer and Brand Head, Edelweiss Mutual Fund
Head of Strategy, Bajaj Capital
22. MedhaviNain
2. AayushPuri Head of Marketing- Anastasia Beverly Hills,
Founder & Business Head, Anacity India, House of Beauty

3. Abhinav Chetan 23. MuralidharanKannan
Founder & CEO, Digital for Non-Profits & Digicated Chief Manager - Marketing, ACC

4. Abhishank Babbar 24. NehaDk.
Lead, Channel Communications, Bira 91 Chief Marketing Officer, Pizza Hut India

5. AdityaBabbar 25. NehaKulwal
Senior Director - Head Product & Marketing, Managing Director, APAC, Admitad India
Samsung India Electronics
26. NikunjKewalramani
6. Ahmed Aftab Naqvi Communications Lead, Posist Technologies
Co-Founder & Global CEO, GOZOOP Group
27. PranaySwarup
7. AmanArora Founder & CEO, Chtrbox.com
Co-Founder, Director & CMO, Keventers
28. PrateekMalpani
8. Ameya Padmakar Velankar General Manager & Head of Brand,
Head of Marketing, India & South Asia, Wakefit Innovations
Uber Systems India
29. PuneethBekal
9. AnkitKhirwal Director - Area Marketing, Mastercard
Head of Marketing, Upgrad
30. SameerNanjangud
10. AntaraKundu Chief Manager - Digital Marketing & CRM,
General Manager - Marketing, The Body Shop India Skoda Auto Volkswagen India

11. ArushiAwasthi 31. SaumyaRathor
Director- Brand Communications, Hero Vired Category Lead - Pepsi Cola, PepsiCo

12. AyaazKhan 32. ShivamRanjan
Vice President- Marketing, Max Life Insurance Marketing Head - Motorola India and SAARC,
Motorola Mobility India
13. BhawnaSikka
Category Head- Oral Care, 33. SonamBikramVij
GSK Consumer Healthcare Associate Director & Brand Lead - Quaker,
PepsiCo India
14. Burhanuddin Pithawala
Head of Growth Marketing, HealthPlix 34. SowmyaIyer
Founder & CEO, DViO Digital
15. ChandniDavda
Senior Manager - Digital Strategy, 35. SubhamoyDas
South Asia, WWE National Director, GroupM Media India (ESP)

16. ChiragChheda 36. TaniyaBiswas
Head Retail Marketing - Activation & Events, Co-Founder, Suta
IDFC First Bank
37. TarunKankani
17. IshaSharma Vice President & Head -
Head of Brand & Marketing, Wholsum Foods Brand & Communication, DMI Finance

18. JaspreetSingh 38. VigneshMurali
Head of Marketing & Public Relations, VP - Head of Marketing, Brand & Corporate
Financepeer Communications, Equitas Small Finance Bank

19. KedarKulkarni 39. VikasChawla
Vice President- Digital, Puretech Digital Co-Founder, Social Beat

20. Khushboo Solanki Sharma 40. VishwasAnand
Founder & Director, Content Marketing Strategy & Operations Excellence
Zero Gravity Communications LLP Leader – Global Marketing, Schneider Electric

91 | BW BUSINESSWORLD | 03 December 2022

MKTG40UNDER40

NEED-BASED SOLUTIONS
AT THE RIGHT VALUE

By Md. Zakariya Khan

Thinking Out-of-the-box

Early on in his career, Khare was leading the digital products
division as the company’s chief digital officer. He has been
instrumental in taking several new initiatives like building
the new mutual funds platform, enabling Super RM App
and delivering a comprehensive investment report - EDGE.
Khare is the youngest member of Bajaj Capital’s C-suite.

Under his leadership and decision-making ability, Ba-
jaj Capital’s profit increased by 300 per cent in FY 21-22
compared to FY20-21. His efforts helped the company to
improve business relations with the leadership of lead-
ing asset management and insurance companies in India
through FINtastic Talks with Sanjiv Bajaj.

AUlaiecnnbaocdidmlrieeetyrpars,AasBheraeiadbpdjahbatjiynnoCd3naF0adpY0Sei2tu0cpairl-es’es2iros1pchnreo-KnmfhtitaianrkeFin’Ysg21-22 The Correct Culture
young leader and a true entrepreneur, Abh- Khare made it possible to build a culture of transparency
inna Suresh Khare, the chief digital and mar- and the focus was on deliverables. He launched the ful-
keting officer and head of strategy at Bajaj ly integrated retirement planning tool, which helped in
Capital, roped in YouTube, Apple Podcasts driving the organisation from financial well-being to total
and Spotify to bring the company’s events to well-being. He implemented the digital-first approach for
an international level by organising phygital talks with the Bajaj Capital and has been instrumental in a three times
financial master Morgan Housel. Khare developed the Su- increase in profitability - the highest-ever growth for the
per RM App and brought the company’s customer relation- organisation.
ship management to the app that can access lead distribu-
tion, appointments and much more with a click of a button. Khare has a deep user experience and a design thinking
approach at all touchpoints of integrated channels. His
Bajaj Capital is an investment services group engaged ability to apply consumer psychology in the digital and
inter-alia in the distribution of mutual funds, insurance, offline world using the fundamentals of product manage-
fixed deposits, bonds and loans. It’s working with a mis- ment is unparalleled. Khare is a leader who can envision
sion to provide need-based solutions at the right value and customer requirements and build products.
forming lifelong client relationships through a happy team
and service excellence. WINNER
Aabhinna Suresh Khare

Role
Chief Digital &Marketing Officer and

Head Strategy, Bajaj Capital

Age
37 years

Sector
BFSI – Financial Services

92 | BW BUSINESSWORLD | 03 December 2022



Q&A

MKTG40UNDER40

BALANCING THE PHYSICAL

& DIGITAL

By Yukta Raj

Influencer marketing has grown vigorously across AicnwaotyhmhuilemesghsurtPonilwluicbrtaaihtilsiaonanfgcfniwirenmiwgthlebecregowlaineacsvyyuesmmroeef drsia

industries. Do you expect this to continue? WINNER
Many people have switched from traditional marketing Aayush Puri
methods. The attempt to be in front of consumers, every
minute,can be achieved only through influencers. This is Role
why I think influencer marketing is here to stay. Communi- Founder & Business Head, Anacity
cation is moving to digital platforms much more. As digital
rises further, influencer marketing will also find newer ways Age
and avenues to grow and show its effectiveness. 24years
Sector
What are your thoughts on meme marketing and IT Services & IT Consulting

whether large brands can take advantage of it?
I hope we become a meme someday! That is the fastest way
to become popular. There are certain factors to be kept in
mind. You need to do moment marketing through memes
which engage the audience but at the same time are not
very offensive. The important thing here is to know where
to draw the line as after a period, memes can become of-
fensive. One has to be mindful while deploying this.

There is much conversation around phygital mar-

keting. Do you see the digital part overtaking the

physical part at some point?
Right now, we must be clear that traditional or physical
marketing is also doing very well. The current need is to bal-
ance both physical and digital. Many brands either depend
wholly on digital or spend disproportionately on physi-
cal. This is because lead generation still happens through
hoardings, billboards, radio advertisements and other
traditional ways. This may change in the next few years
but not right now.

What are some of the challenges that marketers

are facing today?
The first is to be able to market to your clientele the technol-
ogy that has come into the world. Many brands are still not
comfortable with the disruption we are seeing. They still
tend to sway away from it not only because of the resistance
to change but they are content with the current outcome.
More efforts will have to be made to get more brands to be
comfortable with what digital has to offer.

94 | BW BUSINESSWORLD | 03 December 2022

Q&A

MKTG40UNDER40

EXPERIMENTING MUST
CONTINUE

By Team BW

On brands playing catch up… bteAaxubkpdheegisnreiamatbsve,aCwnchtkhiesnicetghaa,ntamisfnuaatslylhtosecuthhftaaaocntfegnoeefcbeisgsity,
More than half the population of India, which is a very large
consumer base by itself,is now connected. We are witnessing WINNER
the rise of digitisation in a manner that is transformational Abhinav Chetan
for everything, people, organisations and businesses. The
speed of connectivity is no doubt driven due to the impact of Role
the last two years. Many brands have capitalised on and con- Founder & CEO, Digital for
tinue to make the most of this trend. But some still need to Non-Profits & Digicated
catch up. Therefore, there is a certain headroom for growth.
Age
Another aspect brands need to look at closely is the rise 36 years
of artificial intelligence (AI)and machine learning (ML), Sector
especially when one is talking about digital marketing. Technology, Information & Internet
Automation can now do the job of many for the mundane
and mechanical aspects. This will allow teams to focus more
on creative and strategic thinking.

On how the rise of tech is changing marketing…
A big advantage of AI, ML and other tech advances is that
now we have much more access to data and insights on con-
sumers. In creativity and messaging, we are moving beyond
the traditional forms that were limited to texts and graph-
ics. Storytelling is happening on Instagram and Facebook.
The same campaign will be shown differently to different
customers. Therefore, from research to creativity to distri-
bution, marketing has changed in all important aspects.

On the need to experiment…
We must get be cautious with the comfort of the budget.
When there is enough money to spend, the human ten-
dency to experiment and try newer things that may not be
very popular yet is lesser. It is fine to do the tried and tested
but experimenting ushers in innovation. Overall though, it
is a great time to be in marketing. There are many new ways
of looking at doing business and engaging consumers. Due
to tech availability, we can easily test multiple variations of a
campaign on different channels and know what is working
and what is not.

On spending trends…
The market is looking much better than it was last year.
Even though we hear a lot about revenge spending and
pent-up demand, which is the case, there is a lot of cautious
spending happening as well. This may continue given some
of the broader economic changes that we are seeing.

95 | BW BUSINESSWORLD | 03 December 2022

Q&A

MKTG40UNDER40

MARKETING IS
EVER-EVOLVING

By Team BW

Do you see marketing budgets also changing to

reflect this?
The channel to use is the secondary question. The first is
whether you are clear about the message to be conveyed and
the target audience. If these two points are clear, no matter
whether it has to be influencer marketing or meme or social
or performance, it ought to be aligned with the objective
rather than doing it just for the sake of it. That is the right
way of utilising the budget.

aetAonvbedjhurbimysrthihpnaiignnnkgvtoaBmlnauubeeswbttaortreetiphscrehien.csFnoeoonnrsthhutuihmmrerye,brrfairnsdt In your role, what are some of the challenges you
think marketers are facing?
Despite the growth in digital marketing, brands are The biggest challenge for any marketer,especially given the
still not leveraging some of its forms such as influ- time we are in, is to not get swayed away by new technolo-
encer marketing. Why do you think this is the case? gies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning.
Unlike many other functions such as finance or human One may argue that ideally, we should be doing something
relations or manufacturing, marketing must continually around the NFTs (non-fungible tokens) of the world. How-
change because consumer behaviour changes constantly. ever, what we genuinely believe in is that till the time we
We saw several changes in the last two years and we can now don’t have a long-term vision for it, we will not get into
see that a few brands have gone back to basics. This too is something like that. It has to be of value to the consumer
important and therefore we will perhaps continue to see and be true to what we stand for. It is not the best idea to
this. Influencers and other newer forms of marketing are do something just because we are the first ones in the busi-
already as a part of the mix in a larger scheme. Brands were ness to do it.
not using them but this behaviour is already changing and
will be more pronounced in the future. What can we expect from Bira 91 in the year ahead?
Some great products are going to be introduced in the mar-
ket. Things have changed from last year but our approach
is to be true to what our consumers have tried and what
they believe Bira 91 is about. Our efforts ahead will also
continue this.

WINNER
Abhishank Babbar

Role
Lead, Channel Communications, Bira 91

Age
34 years

Sector
Food & Beverage Services

96 | BW BUSINESSWORLD | 03 December 2022



MKTG40UNDER40

CONNECTING WITH THE

CONSUMER

By Md. Zakariya Khanditya Babbar has been instrumental in grow-

ing the Samsung brand and market share
in the smartphone industry in India. He is

Aresponsible for driving strategies around
Part of Samsung’s leadership team, he is contributed to
the success of the Samsung mobile business in India, which
claims the top position through the creation of innovative
products, platforms and solutions in the smartphone space.

product mar- He has created marketing

keting, product development campaigns in driving smart-

and P&L management. phone adoption and growth

“The mobile business is a of the category in India.

high-intensity and fast-paced

business that requires speed High Aspirations

of execution, thinking big Babbar’s objective is to de-

growth, identifying gaps and velop an organisation that

building products for the In- is exemplary in the industry

dian consumer,” says Babbar, and is constantly evolving to

Senior Director - Head Prod- deal with new consumer be-

uct & Marketing, Samsung haviour. He believes that the

India. biggest challenge a marketer

In the course of his work of faces is maintaining a mean-

knowing the consumer and ingful relationship with the

understanding the Indian consumer. He wants to chal-

market, Babbar has developed lenge the status quo to un-

categories and campaigns for cover a new way of connect-

different products. He has ing with the consumer in the

launched several products AoicsdrhgciatoaynnnagissBitanaatgnibotcblnoyanterhsvaauoitmmlvisiesnertgxobetedomhedapvevelaailoorlyuwparaintnhd most authentic manner.

over the years, which have Apart from other accolades,
won consumers’ hearts. in 2013 and 2017, he won the
Samsung Superstar Award -
Leveraging Opportunities Silver and Samsung Superstar
For Babbar, one of his great Award - Gold, respectively.
achievements that helped the
organisation in rapid growth

is the creation of the Bharat

Smartphone with Airtel (M01 WINNER

core). He says, “With data explosion, feature phone users Aditya Babbar

required an entry-level smartphone that could enable their Role
smartphone experience without compromising a good Senior Director-Head Product & Marketing,
screen and battery life.”
Samsung India Electronicss
He explains consumers usually aspire to own the lat-

est technology but some barriers restrain them from up- Age
grading their handset. This includes the resale value of 39 years
the old phone and the cost of ownership. Babbar has been

instrumental in the creation of Galaxy Forever and Galaxy Sector
Assured Innovation and has created two new platforms Computers & Electronics Manufacturing
in partnership with Survify to boost sales after Covid-19.

98 | BW BUSINESSWORLD | 03 December 2022

MKTG40UNDER40

A CHAMPION OF CHANGE

By Md. Zakariya Khan

When the world was hit by the deadliest
financial crisis in 2008, Ahmed Aftab
Naqvi, Co-founder and Global CEO of
Gozoop, saw an opportunity to create
something meaningful amid that black
swan event. Thus, Gozoopwas born from this seed of thought
in a small garage in Mumbai with a single laptop and truck-
loads of self-belief to make things happen.

Naqvi realised that businesses would need to market
themselves better with an efficient approach to bounce back
from the crisis. He also envisioned that digital in India, which
was under five per cent that year, had immense potential to
grow. Both these factors fuelled his drive to pioneer the art
and science of digital marketing in India.

“Sometimes it is not enough to think outside the box but
to break it. This has been a guiding philosophy to me that
has helped accelerate Gozoop into not just one of the lead-
ing independent advertising companies in India but also an
organisation that is widely regarded as one of the best places
in India to work,” says Naqvi.

Breakthrough Ideas SNgtinharoceqwevcioitthhmsatinrpsacakjeenepcpytt’tsoioGgrnyolo,,zAnbooaholwmpoopseenedtratAaintfitgoanubsp
In 2021, Oman marked its spot in the world of cricket as the
country co-hosted one of the biggest events in the region – Naqvi has led Gozoop towards phenomenal growth since
the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021. Gozoop got a challenge its inception and has now set up global operations for the
to create an anthem that reflects the passion Omanis hold for company as well. He has built a strong management team
cricket. By the end of the tournament, the agency created an with the appointment of new leaders to ensure that the or-
impression with the local audience not only about Oman as ganisation is not founder-dependent.
a budding cricket nation but also highlighted the Ministry
of Sports and the Ministry of Tourism. “We established this WINNER
by introducing a twist in our communication with - ‘Cricket Ahmed Aftab Naqvi
Has a New Address,” Naqvi recalls.
Role
Overall, the campaign garnered an impression of 159 mil- Co-Founder & Global CEO, Gozoop Group
lion views covering all the digital platforms. The campaign
captured 126 million views and an engagement of 10.6 mil- Age
lion. The average view rate on the video was 41 per cent which 37 years
is above the average benchmark of 30-35 per cent. The cam- Sector
paign successfully ranked on top tweet trends despite the Advertising
heavy traffic of IPL and movie trailer launches.

Going Global
Naqvi has created a rapidly growing business with his em-
ployee-friendly policies. For example, during Covid, he de-
clared that the company would face no layoffs and Gozoop
employees also received timely bonuses during the tough
period.

99 | BW BUSINESSWORLD | 03 December 2022

Q&A

MKTG40UNDER40

EXPANDING HORIZONS
GLOBALLY

By Chaitali Dixit

What are some of the tenets that you followed in

building the Keventers brand?
There are many products and too much clutter at the
moment. The market sometimes seems to be saturated.
How does one reach out or connect with the audience
against this backdrop? In a country like ours, when one is
looking to connect with the audience, the most important
thing is to resonate emotionally. That’s what we have per-
sonally done as a brand. In some cases, brands with excel-
lent products may not be able to connect with audiences
due to the lack of reach on digital or offline platforms. But
for us, this has been mission-critical.

As normalcy returns, how are you balancing your A&iznImneCtdurEaoiiOnatoi,v,AuUKertAeoljeovErtuaesr,ntnCtoeeoryr-es,faobecuemhgnibdinnaegnrrki2,neD0gd0irwoeacnicttrhaoonrss

online and offline marketing? budgeting. Now as everything is picking up and there is a
For us, it is always about giving a complete,good-quality huge upswing in retail, and we are primarily a retail-focused
experience to our customers. About 50 per cent of our brand, it’s a good time. The budget remains a concern.
business is offline. Delivering the right product and mar-
keting on the ground differs from doing it online.
Through stores, advertisements, coupons and the like,
we attract customers’ attention and then we need to
ensure they are given the best service.

Online continues to be a big chunk of the business. About
40-45 per cent of customer outreach online is through food
delivery apps even though some platforms have their web
presence as well. The strategy is different in this aspect.
We have a call to action everywhere in our ads and we want
to show the imagery that prompts people to buy. Right
now, we are focussing on digital in a big way. Most people
believe this is very cost-effective. Given our presence across
65 cities and outside India, this makes more sense as well.

With so much diversity and different modes emerg- WINNER
Aman Arora
ing, what are some of the key complexities market-
Role
ers are witnessing? Co-founder, Director & CMO, Keventers
During the last two years, there has been confusion about
budgets. We don’t know when to spend and what to spend. Age
That’s the biggest concern. I remember we had launched a 32 years
new product category of smoothies, and there was a lot of Sector
work put into it. We thought about marketing campaigns, Food and Beverage Service
online and offline, but then Covid happened. Three to six
months later, when we were starting communication again,
there was a second wave. It got very difficult. It’s almost the
same challenge that every brand is facing when it comes to

100 | BW BUSINESSWORLD | 03 December 2022