As India braces for a hotter-than-normal summer, cold chain logistics companies serving quick commerce platforms are ramping up capacity and operational innovations to meet a surge in demand for frozen desserts, beverages, and temperature-sensitive products.
Refrigerated logistics provider Bobba Logistics is trialing pre-conditioned cooling vests and mini refrigerated backpacks for delivery personnel to maintain temperature during last-mile deliveries. The company is also deploying on-demand flash-freezing chambers to rapidly condition small stock-keeping units, enabling faster movement through quick commerce fulfillment systems.
“We are strengthening hyper-local micro-fulfillment capabilities to support faster turnaround. Quick commerce requires a very different operating model, especially for perishables,” said Chandrakala Bobba, director at Bobba Group’s Bobba Logistics. The company is also introducing zonal smart cooling systems to stabilise temperatures quickly when bulk frozen products arrive at warehouses, alongside QR-coded track-and-trace labels, wearable alerts for staff in negative temperature zones, and voice-enabled picking to optimise warehouse operations.
Quick commerce platforms such as Zepto, Blinkit, and Swiggy Instamart reported a nearly 30% surge in summer demand last year for ice cream and cold beverages, with perishables accounting for up to 40% of orders.
To meet rising demand, companies like Celcius Logistics have expanded their workforce and infrastructure. Over the past quarter, Celcius added 50 employees, a 25% increase, bringing its total workforce to over 300. The company has also expanded its electric vehicle fleet by 100 vehicles, established 35 farm-level pack houses, and added 52 urban distribution centres.
“Our tech systems help forecast demand and optimise asset utilisation across vehicles, warehouses, and distribution points,” said Swarup Bose, founder and CEO of Celcius Logistics. “We are investing in fleet expansion, infrastructure growth, manpower scaling, and expansion into newer cities.”
Operational challenges remain during extreme heat. Reefer truck shortages, equipment failures, and transit delays increase the risk of temperature excursions for sensitive products like dairy and pharmaceuticals. To mitigate these risks, companies are deploying predictive demand planning, dynamic warehouse slotting, and automated temperature alerts.
Cold chain operators are also expanding into tier-II and tier-III cities as quick commerce platforms extend their reach. ColdStar Logistics has boosted capacity by 25–30% in cities including Patna, Lucknow, Visakhapatnam, Coimbatore, Kochi, Goa, Indore, Bhopal, Surat, and Vadodara.
“Our transport network has been expanded by over 30% in anticipation of strong summer demand,” said Sameer Varma, executive director at ColdStar Logistics.
India currently hosts around 134 cold chain logistics companies, with the sector valued at $4.7 billion in 2024. According to TechSciResearch, the market is projected to grow at a compound annual rate of 17% to reach $12.2 billion by 2030.
