CARGOCONNECT-AUGUST 2025 - Flipbook - Page 66
PANEL 5
CUSTOMER-CENTRIC E-COMMERCE SUPPLY CHAINS
“Whether it's Zepto, Blinkit, or Amazon, these companies have been at the
forefront of innovation, constantly
昀椀nding new ways to deliver products
faster and more e昀케ciently. Importantly,
these developments haven't been driven
by the government. Instead, private
players have taken the lead, responded
to customer demand, and shaped the
market. Their success shows how much
customers have accepted and embraced
these new delivery models. In many places, deliveries are happening within
4 hours—or even just 1 hour. This level of speed will de昀椀ne the future of
commerce, and all supply chain models will need to adapt to match that
pace. The same applies to emerging areas like rail logistics and drone-based
deliveries. As mentioned earlier, these are underutilised markets. Private players
have a big role to play in unlocking their potential. Once these players begin
exploring and investing in these areas, they can help de昀椀ne new industry
standards. And when those standards are in place, the government can step
in to support and regulate accordingly.”
“The ultimate ownership of any customercentric approach, strategy, or execution
lies with the brand. However, brands
need strong execution partners to bring
those plans to life. Without alignment
across all partners, customer-centric
execution will remain just a plan on
paper. Whether it's automation in the
middle mile, smart warehousing, or
the use of dark stores, everything must
move at the same speed and in the same
direction to truly deliver a customer-centric supply chain. These partners
need to fully support the brand’s vision and execution. This is especially true
today, where supply chains have become more strategic than ever. There are
many strategic assets available that can help make the entire supply chain
more customer-focussed from end-to-end. These could include backend tech
platforms for planning, demand sensing tools, or predictive analytics. In the
last-mile, if drones are the future, we need private players to step in, guide
the process, and co-create the path forward. There is also a need to align with
regulations and government frameworks around how supply chains are run.”
UJJWALA MISHRA, OM Leader– India and South Asia, GE HealthCare
(MODERATOR)
SEETHARAMAN SRINIVASAN, Director– SCM and Customer
Service, HARMAN International India
“In sectors like steel, logistics costs
are high because of governmentadministered pricing. As a result,
Indian steel is more expensive, even
though many global steel companies are
owned by Indian 昀椀rms. This is where
the NCAR report comes in. I personally
commissioned that report while I was
in the ministry. Unlike the Anderson
Report, NCAR focusses on costs—what
we earn, what we spend, and how much
logistics actually costs across sectors. In some areas, India is among the
most expensive logistics markets. A major reason is the ine昀케ciency in rail
transport. Railways charge high rates, especially for bulk commodities like
iron ore and coal, because of their dependency on freight income. We haven’t
yet developed a rail-based logistics system that works e昀케ciently. Our freight
stations and rail terminals are not equipped to handle fast, 昀氀exible operations
like passenger trains. Ideally, freight trains should be able to stop, load or
unload within an hour and move on, but that's not the case. If India were
to develop a rail-based logistics network, I believe we could bring logistics
costs down to as low as 7% of GDP.”
N SIVASAILAM, IAS, Former Special Secretary (Logistics), Department of
Commerce, Government of India
66 | CARGOCONNECT AUGUST 2025
