DHL investing €70m to strengthen Indian e-commerce operations
DHL eCommerce is investing €70m to strengthen its operations and meet the fast-growing demand for e-commerce logistics services in India. Through its Indian subsidiary Blue Dart Express, this investment will go into the expansion of its air hubs in Delhi and Mumbai, which are part of its network of 13 air hubs in India.
In a statement issued last month, Blue Dart said: “Catering to the increasing shipment volumes by B2C e-commerce consumers in India, the air hubs, measuring 5,761 sqm and 4,274 sqm in Delhi and Mumbai respectively, will be equipped with automation to handle a daily volume of over 500 tonnes. The automation in both air hubs enables Blue Dart to process higher volumes of inbound and outbound shipments in a shorter span of time for distribution to consumers across India by air. With the Mumbai air hub located at an airside facility, it will further accelerate the speed of domestic cross-border air shipments, streamlining customs processes and boosting on-time performance.”
Juergen Gerdes, CEO, Post – eCommerce – Parcel, Deutsche Post DHL Group, commented: “The e-commerce industry is an extremely exciting one that offers tremendous opportunities for businesses and consumers alike. The global B2C cross border e-commerce market will multiply in size to USD1 trillion in 2020 ,” said . “The growth is driven by increasing consumption from expanding middle classes, greater mobile and internet penetration and improving logistics and infrastructure as consumers increasingly shop online and expect shorter delivery times. With our added focus on innovation such as the StreetScooter and In-Car Delivery, we are gearing up to ensure we stay ahead of the game and be able to anticipate and meet the needs of the overall industry, e-tailers and end customers.”
Charles Brewer, CEO, DHL eCommerce, added: “The U.S. and Asia Pacific are the two largest B2C e-commerce markets in the world, and the opening of these new facilities will be another milestone in the expansion of DHL eCommerce logistics network. India is a really important market for us and is one of the fastest-growing, with B2C e-commerce expected to grow from €9.6bn in 2016 to between €30-40bn in 2020.”
DHL eCommerce has made3 a number of investments in the Indian e-commerce sector recently, through Blue Dart Express. In 2015, the company launched its Parcel Locker at Gurgaon’s Unitech, Cyber Park, to enable more choice and convenience for consumers to collect their shipments.
Other initiatives have included “Smart Trucks”, which uses technology to help vehicles overcome urban logistics challenges, and “Mobile Wallets”, which aims to offer secure and streamlined cash-on-delivery solutions for e-commerce consumers.
