Nagpur's Strategic Rise on India's Logistics Map
The Advantage Vidarbha conclave has spotlighted Nagpur's emergence as a pivotal logistics center, driven by its central geography, expanding highway networks, and growing investor confidence. Industry leaders emphasized the region's untapped potential in critical sectors including warehousing, industrial parks, cold storage facilities, and air cargo infrastructure.
Blue Dart Executive Highlights Logistics Evolution
Balfour Manuel, Managing Director of Blue Dart, articulated how logistics has transformed from a basic transport function into a core pillar of the modern economy. Detailing the company's extensive operations, Manuel revealed that Blue Dart manages approximately 2,600 trucks daily, delivers nearly 60 packages every second, and operates 8 dedicated Boeing freighters nightly across India.
He underscored that speed, seamless connectivity, and precise execution are essential, noting that Nagpur's central location provides a natural advantage for express logistics. However, Manuel identified several gaps requiring urgent attention:
- Inadequate first- and last-mile connectivity at airports
- Limited air cargo scheduling for time-sensitive exports
- Insufficient airside cold storage facilities
- Poor integration between industrial parks, rail terminals, and warehouses
Manuel advocated for a dedicated cargo ecosystem featuring predictable slots, freighter incentives, and air cargo-friendly policies to fully unlock Vidarbha's export capabilities. Emphasizing inclusive growth, he highlighted Blue Dart's recent hiring of over 200 differently abled employees, reinforcing logistics as a significant employment generator.
XSIO Logistics Parks Announces Major Investments
Ashish Agrawal, Director of XSIO Logistics Parks, shared his entrepreneurial evolution from conventional warehousing to developing integrated, Grade A logistics parks. He announced substantial investments totaling around Rs 2,000 crore in Nagpur, spread across 5 strategically located logistics parks connected to expressways, rail networks, and urban centers.
Agrawal attributed the real transformation to the pandemic-driven e-commerce surge and a subsequent partnership with global investor Blackstone, which accelerated large-scale development in the region. Looking forward, he identified industrial parks as the next growth frontier, where pre-approved land, ready infrastructure, and shell facilities could reduce project timelines from years to just 90 days.
He revealed plans for a 105-acre industrial park near the expressway, attracting interest from companies including solar manufacturing units. However, Agrawal also flagged challenges such as:
- Non-compliance issues in the sector
- Substandard construction quality
- Lack of sustainability focus in parts of the warehousing industry
The conclave concluded with a consensus that Nagpur's logistics sector is poised for significant growth, provided these challenges are addressed through coordinated efforts between industry stakeholders and policymakers.
