Any business leader who has successfully navigated the ups\r\nand downs of the evolving landscape will emphasise how logistics services \u2013 be\r\nthey domestic or international are critical for global supply chains to\r\nfunction and consequently for the economy to grow. Without logistics support,\r\nHenry Ford would not have been able to start the iconic Ford automotive\r\nbusiness, neither would Amazon be a world leader in the e-commerce business.\r\nThat\u2019s exactly why a number of market leaders in diverse industries continue to\r\nrely on experienced partners like Allcargo Logistics, ECU Worldwide and\r\nGati-KWE for seamless, end-to-end integrated logistics services.<\/p>
Recognising the significance of supply chain management, National Institute of Industrial Engineering (NITIE), one of India\u2019s premier educational institutions, has been offering virtual courses for students and professionals worldwide, in collaboration with leading international universities. On 21st<\/sup> March 2021, NITIE held the closing ceremony of its Global Online Certification Course on Supply Chain Digitization and Management for which it partnered with Prof. David Simchi-Levi from MIT, USA. Mr. Shashi Kiran Shetty, Chairman \u2013 Allcargo Logistics, ECU Worldwide and Gati, who is also the Chairman of the Society and Board of Governors (BoG) at NITIE, addressed the audience along with eminent industry leaders. The Chief Guest for the event was the Honourable Minister of Road Transport and Highways and MSMEs, Government of India, Mr. Nitin Gadkari.<\/span><\/p> Logistics \u2013 Driving the economy forward<\/b><\/span><\/p> India is today poised for growth, powered by policies and incentives that boost businesses. And businesses require support to help them move – literally. Be it the transport of raw materials, value added products, machines and tools, or shipping the finished product to the end user, supply chain solutions are required. The easy availability of logistics could be the deciding factor that converts micro enterprises into small enterprises, and small businesses to medium businesses and allows the medium businesses to enter the big league. The significance of the logistics industry came to the fore during the pandemic. Although most people were operating from home, the logistics sector worked overtime to ensure businesses and the economy kept going. Cold-chain solutions became all the more significant, as they helped store and transport COVID-19 vaccines.<\/span><\/p> Digitalization of the supply chain<\/b><\/span><\/p> The internet boom drastically enhanced the ease of doing business and drove consumption up. Both of which boosted the economy. The COVID-19 pandemic has given a greater push to digitalization and in a post-COVID world, there will be a greater thrust on thinking and adopting digital. <\/span><\/p> In this context, logistics operations need to ride the digital wave to drive the bottom-line higher on the balance sheet of the economy. The digital transformation is only going to accelerate and it is the need of the hour for entities across the logistics ecosystem to collaborate and enhance efficiencies.<\/span><\/p> Companies like Allcargo that aim to be frontrunners, have not only adopted a host of digital technology and tools but are also enabling their partners and associates across their network in over 180 countries to go digital with state-of-the-art online platforms like ECU360 and efficient solutions like API\/EDI integration.<\/span><\/p> That\u2019s precisely why enhancement of the logistics infrastructure and the need to be agile and flexible were important points that were reiterated in this interaction among logistics industry stalwarts.<\/span><\/p>