The Reset Of India’s Logistics & Supply Chain: Dark Stores, Transparency & More Trends

If nothing else, the pandemic has certainly brought supply chain, logistics and transport networks into mainstream discussion. Along with debates on availability of essentials, Indian social media and internet forums were rife with talk about supply chain bottlenecks and hurdles, and as the lockdown extended from 14 days to more than a month, even startups and businesses at large realised how the traditional supply chain model needs to be set aside for this new reality.

With lockdown now about to enter the fourth phase in India, non-essentials like electronics, fashion apparels, accessories, furniture and other categories have still not received government’s approval to go on sale across the country, but only in a few select zones. Such restrictions have made logistics tech and intelligence all the more indispensable for businesses, particularly in hyperlocal, retail and distribution sub-sectors.

In fact, experts believe that one of the most critical operations for any business going forward will be supply chain planning and spending to improve logistics tech, visibility and transparency. This has become increasingly complex for brands due to the formation of containment zones and various other restrictions imposed on movements of goods in different geographies.

“The whole situation is very dynamic as many of these restrictions are changing on a daily basis, making it very difficult to plan for the distribution of goods,” LetsTransport CEO and cofounder Pushkar Singh told Inc42.