Tiger Logistics (India) Limited, an international logistics and freight forwarding company is all set to launch a cutting-edge price discovery and supply-chain automation platform, aiming to bring in efficiency and transparency to the highly fragmented shipping sector of the country. This will in turn make shipping accessible to more than 63 million SMEs and MSMEs. In India, MSMEs contribute nearly 40% of overall India’s exports, approx. 6.11% of the country’s manufacturing GDP & make up for 24.63% of the GDP from services sector.
This digital platform aims to simplify operations procedures that will revolutionize the freight industry, starting with the Indian market, and then expanding into other developing nations.
Commenting on this digital initiative, Harpreet Singh Malhotra, CMD, Tiger Logistics and a veteran in the shipping industry said, “Technology is the operating word in the current times. Shipping cannot lag behind if we have to sustain the business. This new digital segment will help exporters and importers to instantly book their freight, automate their documentation process, keep track of their shipments, and manage payments all on a single platform. In the process, they will save hours of manual work, bypass countless email exchanges and experience a fully transparent logistics process.”
“In its first rendition, Tiger’s full-stack platform will offer cross-border solutions for ocean and air shipments, along with first-mile transportation, last-mile delivery and customs clearance. With real-time rates, complete visibility, and access to instant information about shipment updates, Tiger’s platform will mirror Make My Trip for the international logistics sector,” Malhotra added.
The platform is being spearheaded by Simar Malhotra, Manager Key Accounts and Digital Lead, a Stanford University graduate and the second-generation leadership of the management. “International shipping is highly unorganized, wrought with inefficiencies and is presently going through a massive freight and container crisis. While big shippers have the power to negotiate rates directly with carriers and multinational forwarders, SMEs and MSMEs get left behind in the chase. With our new platform, we hope to change this and democratize access of every business to freight services.”
The growth in export share of MSMEs in FY22 would be important to note as the government has been aiming at increasing the current share to 60 per cent. Former MSME Minister Nitin Gadkari had said last year at public forums that the government had aimed to increase the export share by 12 per cent in five years along with a jump in contribution to the gross domestic product from around 30 per cent to 50 per cent and additional 5 crore jobs in the MSME sector.
The digital platform of Tiger Logistics is a disruption to the existing manual norms of operations in the freight industry. The focus is to build a robust MSMEs clientele in the Indian market, and provide a seamless, jargon-free and customer-first experience. Once the pilot kicks off, the platform will also incorporate cargo insurance and cargo financing among other features to build itself as a one-stop solution for all shipping requirements.
