The need of the hour is to make good use of innovative technology and solutions as cold chain is a science and not a temporary jugaad, said Neeraj Bansal, CEO of DHL SmarTrucking India while addressing a conference on the sidelines of recently concluded India Cold Chain Show 2018 in Mumbai. He adds, “In India 85 per cent cold chain logistic and transport market is still unorganised and unreliable due to lack of trained drivers, technology use and short comings in temperature compliance. The cold chain logistic sector is under-invested and has been left in the cold. The sector has lots of challenges to address including huge food damages, wastage and operational losses,” he explains.
The three-day mega trade exhibition “India Cold Chain Show 2018” organised by Reed Manch Exhibition India from December 13 to 15, 2018 at the Bombay Exhibition Centre, in Mumbai, Maharashtra, attracted thousands of cold chain industry professionals and trade visitors from across India, specially Maharashtra and Gujarat. The event featured over 210 leading companies from the cold chain industry including ICE Make Refrigeration, DHL, Mahindra, Blue Star, Gandhi Automation, Arctic, Pluss, Cold Box, Emerson, Kelley, Hormann and Honeywell among others.
India Cold Chain Show 2018 brought new technology and innovative solutions under one roof to address various challenges faced by the stakeholders of the industry in India. Some of new and innovative products at display include Ice Make Refrigeration’s Cold Room and Refrigerated Containers, DHL’s high-tech smart trucks, Godrej’s floor care solutions, Gandhi Automation’s Entrance Automation & Loading Bay Equipment, Blue Star’s consumer product range among others.
Rajendra Patel, Joint Managing Director at Ice Make Refrigeration Ltd, one of the leading manufacturers and suppliers of cooling solutions equipment, said “Ice Make has been in the forefront in producing innovative cooling and refrigeration solutions to large number of varied industry sectors. We have a basket of over 25 refrigeration solutions products manufactured under four categories like Cold Rooms, Commercial Refrigeration, and Industrial Refrigeration & Transport Refrigeration and newly added Ammonia Refrigeration.” Ice Make also manufactures Solar Cold Room which has been designed for cold storage requirement of farmers in interior areas where proper storage temperature and adequate infrastructure is not available. A range of these products such as highly efficient Cold Room and Refrigerated Containers were at display at the exhibition.
Anuj Mathur, Chief Operating Officer, Reed Manch Exhibitions India said, “ The unique show apart from showcasing the entire range of solutions and services for cold storage infrastructure, material handling, AIDC Solutions, refrigeration, temperature control, cold transport, cold logistics and supply chain for diverse industries with cold chain intensive business operations, also lined up various activities such as Annual General Meeting for The Federation of Cold Storage Associations of India, concurrent conferences which serves as a knowledge and networking platform for various industries such cold chain, food, pharma, healthcare, logistics, export and biotech sectors along with an industry workshop, disseminating knowledge to prospective entrepreneurs on how to start a cold storage and subsidies available from state and central government.”
He adds, “India Cold Chain Show is a unique matchmaking platform that connects and features the leading companies providing latest and innovative solutions and consumers of these products and services such as cold storage owners, 3PL/4PL companies from wide industry segments.”