Rhenus Logistics has opened a mega-warehouse in India in the wake of the pandemic, continuing its Asia Pacific network expansion.
The 350,000 sq ft facility in the city of Gurugram, south-west of Delhi, has capacity for 30,000 pallet positions and primarily serves customers in the consumer goods, automotive, engineering, industrial and chemicals sectors. Rhenus now has more than 30 warehouses in India with a combined footprint of 1.9m sq ft.
Over the last year, Rhenus has been experiencing greater emphasis on localisation, as companies focused on growing their businesses within their own borders, resulting in growth within China’s domestic market, for example, as well as for intra-Asia trades.
Amid the pandemic, Rhenus has been observing increased traction in the e-commerce segment. Across the country meanwhile, the lockdown situation continues to impact operations.
Vivek Arya, Managing Director of Rhenus Logistics India, said, “Almost all Indian warehouses are now operational for all goods, but there were some limitations impacting day-to-day productivity. For example, social distancing means fewer workers and increased segregation of shifts, restricted operating hours due to government curfews and commuting problems for employees because of the continued disruption to public transport.”
Arya added, “The overall situation remains volatile due to local restrictions, such as the new recent lockdown imposed in Chennai and three neighbouring districts. In addition, many warehouses are seeing a huge surge in storage demand due to the pile-up of import cargo. Many warehouses are overflowing because many of the industries have yet to start fully.”
Source: Rhenus/The Loadstar
