CARGOCONNECT-AUGUST 2025 - Flipbook - Page 61
PANEL 1
CROSS BORDER TO LAST-MILE SUPPLY CHAIN
INNOVATION
“India’s growth story in Q-com is following
a very different and more sustainable
trajectory. That said, the rapid expansion
of this industry also brings with it certain
challenges that need to be addressed. While
I wouldn’t call for strict regulation just
yet, there is definitely a need for some
structured guidelines. To that end, we
at Warehousing Association of India, are
currently working on forming a task force
comprising leading Q-com companies.
The aim is to engage with the government constructively—to show that this
is a legitimate and long-term industry, to outline what kind of support we
need from policymakers, and in return, to commit to certain standards and
responsibilities from our side. Q-com is inevitably adding to urban tra昀케c
and causing some level of disruption, and that needs to be managed. At
the same time, many dark stores currently operating in this space are not
fully compliant with basic norms. For example, very few hold valid FSSAI
certi昀椀cations for handling food products. Even fewer maintain proper cold
chain infrastructure, which is essential for delivering perishable items safely.”
MANU RAJ BHALLA, Director and Global Head– Contract Logistics
and Supply Chain, Freight Systems India and President, Warehousing Association
of India (MODERATOR)
“In many cases, including in my
own business, as much as 95% of
total emissions fall under Scope 3,
which can be further broken down
into 15 categories. Among these,
the highest contributor for most
companies is typically ‘purchased
goods and services’, with logistics
being one of the most impactful
areas to be addressed. The very 昀椀rst
step is measurement. Companies
need to quantify their carbon output to know where to start. For instance,
your last-mile emissions might be high because you're operating from a
few macro-warehouses instead of many smaller micro-warehouses. That’s
where the concept of dark stores or MFCs comes in—not just for speed but
also as a major lever for reducing emissions. Over-packaging is a serious
problem when it comes to the extended supply chain, as the volume and
excessiveness contribute as emissions related to purchased goods. Simply
put, sustainability is not a single-pronged solution. By optimising packaging,
building micro-warehouses, or involving customers in delivery choices—we
can make a meaningful di昀昀erence in decarbonising logistics.”
DR DEEPA CHANDRAN, Sustainability Head – Lifestyle Brands,
Aditya Birla Lifestyle Brands
“In today’s fast-paced world, we’re seeing a strong shift toward Q-com, where
customers increasingly expect their
orders to be delivered within 10 to 15
minutes. This demand is becoming the
norm, especially in urban areas. From
a company perspective, we’ve observed
this trend closely with our brand, Score,
which focusses on intersectional wellness
products, speci昀椀cally condoms. In tier I
cities, the demand for quick delivery of
such products has surged by over 200%. Customers prefer the privacy and
convenience of having these products delivered quickly rather than purchasing them in-store. However, delivering on this promise consistently poses
challenges. In some locations, even though e-com platforms have a strong
delivery track record, delays still occur. It could be a region-speci昀椀c issue or
related to particular customer clusters. To improve on delivery lead times,
e-com platforms need to access the data at their end, inform logistics partners
and help them adapt and ensure better delivery windows. Looking ahead,
AI and ML are likely to play a major role in addressing these challenges.”
“By 2028, our goal is to ensure that
over 90% of last-mile deliveries are
done using zero-emission vehicles. In
India, we’ve taken this global pledge
seriously. However, the journey
hasn’t been easy. Back in 2017–18,
EVs in India were barely available,
and we faced several concerns—from
high capital costs and limited charging infrastructure to questions about
vehicle performance, battery safety,
and overall viability. We began with retro昀椀tted EVs, converting diesel Tata
Ace trucks into electric ones. We also used small electric three-wheelers, fully
aware that these weren't ideal for transporting large IKEA products like beds,
sofas, and bookcases. But we had to take that 昀椀rst step, although it wasn't a
perfect solution. Until 2022, the process was far from smooth, but we kept at
it. Slowly, we started building momentum. Today, I’m proud to say that not
only has IKEA globally made progress in last-mile sustainability, but IKEA
India now leads all other IKEA markets in this area. We currently deliver
95% of our orders in India using zero-emission vehicles.”
ANKIT HULGAR, Sr Manager, Sales Head– E-commerce,
TTK Healthcare (Consumer Product Division)
KAUSTABH ACHARYA, Project Implementation Manager,
IKEA India
CARGOCONNECT AUGUST 2025 | 61
