Union government is now working to set up logistics clusters and develop infrastructure across eight primary warehousing hubs. Specifically for the pharma sector, the government has identified three locations at Ahmedabad, Mumbai and Pune.
 
Ahmedabad was shortlisted for its large consumer market and a growing manufacturing base besides its connectivity to the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC). Mumbai has the country’s two busiest ports of India: JNPT and Mumbai ports, besides its connectivity to Bhiwandi, Mankoli and Padgha along NH 3 and State Highway 35. In the case of Pune, the key plus point was its proximity to large-scale manufacturing units and easy access to Mumbai.
 
Indian pharma is looking forward to the logistic revolution. From large companies to the small and medium scale enterprises would profit from an advanced and efficient logistics infrastructure.
 
According to Kaushik Desai, pharma consultant, the dedicated warehousing hubs for pharma will boost supply chain management. The use of Internet of Things (IoT), robotics and Artificial Intelligence will ensure transparency and efficiency up to the last mile connectivity. Not only that, monitoring of cold chain logistics will provide the much-needed assurance of temperature controlled transportation of sensitive drugs like vaccines and biologics.
 
Logistics is going to play a major role in enhancing supply chain efficiencies which will be critical if pharma industry has to face the challenges of improving accessibility and controlling costs. It is good to know about the plans for a dedicated logistic parks aligned to the larger infra projects in the National Highways Development Project (NHDP). The current proposals are for all 3 parks in western India. We hope this will be expanded to the north and southern states too, stated Sunil Attavar, president, Karnataka Drugs and Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association.

Terming it as logistics relay for pharma, Sudeep Sen, assistant vice president, TeamLease Services said that it is a visible shift from godowns to modern warehouses and quicker delivery services. The logistics sector will be the key differentiator for success for the Indian pharma sector.
 
“Infrastructure, logistics and warehousing no doubt will drive next level of growth in India. The benefits are multi fold for pharma. From enabling reduced transportation cost, efficient inventory management which drives economies-of-scale, the move will facilitate the last mile reach of medicines to allow exponential growth, create lean distribution channel and generate employment. Definitely it is an opportunity for logistics start-ups especially with cold chain capabilities,” said Harish K Jain, secretary, KDPMA and director Embiotic Labs.
 
According to TeamLease Reports on Logistics Jobs, Big bets, Big jobs, the government move is expected to provide employment avenues. The impact on the seven sub-sectors: road freight, rail freight, warehousing, waterways, air freight, packaging and courier services is likely to result in 3 million new jobs, upping the employment numbers in the sector from the current 10.9 million to 13.9 million by 2022.

“Now Tier-2/3/rural geographies will make up for 43% of these 1 million potential jobs. Maharashtra, Delhi, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka will account for 67% of all e:commerce logistics jobs. Skill requirements for the nascent logistics sub-sector are relatively more stable. Here the roles are likely to be shaped by technology,” said Sen.
 
Creating freight corridors and multimodal hubs will better the logistics architecture. In the coming years, there could be a demand of specific training programmes for logistics in pharma as there is a need for specialized knowledge and skill to handle and deliver drugs and medical devices, said Sen.