As part of AMTOI’s Silver Jubilee celebrations, the Eastern Region Chapter hosted the Managing Committee meeting and a Seminar on ‘East India’s Multimodal Transformation: Collaboration for Logistics Success’ on Wednesday, 12th June at Veedol100 banquets, of the iconic Tollygunge Club, Kolkata.
BrijLakhotia, Convenor AMTOI – ERC, welcoming all present, said that as we navigate the increasingly complex and dynamic landscape of logistics, it has become evident that customers are seeking a unified and comprehensive solution that addresses all their logistics needs. In today’s fast-paced competitive era, freight forwarders must be willing to adapt and evolve, embracing multimodalism as a key strategy to remain relevant and stay ahead of the curve. The slogan at AMTOI, ‘Catalysing Multimodalism,’ serves as a testament to the unwavering commitment to driving this transformation in the logistics industry, and the theme, ‘East India’s Multimodal Transformation,’ underscores the region’s dedication to fostering a collaborative environment where stakeholders from across the logistics community can come together to share knowledge, resources, and expertise. By working in tandem, a seamless, efficient, and customer-centric logistics ecosystem capable of meeting all evolving needs can be created. This requires embracing cutting-edge technologies, optimizing processes, and developing innovative solutions that streamline the supply chain.
President Xerrxes Master spoke about the good work that AMTOI has been doing for the past 25 years through its four regional chapters and extended Board of 18 trade bodies, which meet to discuss matters of mutual interest for the benefit of members. Under the patronage of AMTOI, various councils – namely NVOCC Council, Liquid Logistics Council, and Women’s Wing – are the only Pan India bodies for Multimodalism and provide assistance to these segments of the industry. AMTOI has added tremendous value to its members, including weekly updates on the shipping industry, quarterly AMTOI news publication (which has truly become a collector’s item), assistance in registration and renewal of MTO Licenses, and a Grievance Redressal forum. He informed the house that AMTOI now has a say in drafting amendments to various Maritime-related Laws, being the only trade body that caters to the benefit of MTOs and promotes the growth of Indian Flagships and container owners.
Guest of Honor, AshutoshJaiswal, besides other important matters, dwelled upon the need for Skill Development of drivers in the Road Transport Industry, thus improving the quality of these services. He expressed that AMTOI can play a major role in this venture, as India is expanding very aggressively, yet lacks well-trained and skilled drivers, leading to a high percentage of road accidents. In 2022, India’s GDP stood at 3.39 trillion US Dollars, and the road accident versus GDP percentage stood at a staggering 5.8%, tantamount to 13 lakh crores in losses. He opined that improving skills is crucial for the growth and efficiency of multimodal transportation in both domestic and foreign trade and will bring down damages, thus saving money to the exchequer. He also spoke on the need for a cargo community system.
Chief Guest Dr.Shivajirao H. Dange IRS, Principal Commissioner of Customs at Airport ACC, complimented AMTOI for doing great service to the trade for 25 years. Comparing the Eastern sector to other sectors, he felt that there are many opportunities in this sector, as all modes of transport for International trade – Road, Rail, River, and Air – are available and can be used with integration and coordination. He said that Indian customs is also working in different areas and stations at Indo—Nepal borders and Indo-Bangladesh borders to modify its role. India has achieved a global ranking of 38 in the Logistics sector, but there is a need to improve, and opined that multimodal operators have a major role to play in it. He informed that customs has taken many steps to improve the ease of doing business and has formulated and implemented many policies as per the direction of CBIC. Faceless assessment, paperless processing are swiftly implemented, and the AEO program is ongoing, but as the number of AEO operators in Kolkata is lesser, he informed on its benefits. He assured the house that Customs is trying to help the trade. He further informed that Customs has taken steps towards Direct Port Delivery, recently opening a container scanning division at N.S. Docks, Kolkata. There are also steps for Ship-to-Ship transfer. He said that Customs is also changing and adapting and looking into new areas for improvement with all the new technologies and developments. He said that to reduce Dwell Time of clearance, other stakeholders must play their part, as not even 10% of time is consumed by customs. He shared many of his experiences. He concluded by saying that a vision for the logistics sector in Eastern India can be drawn up, and AMTOI has a responsible role to play.
