Beyond the Indian market – What is it like for Indian logistics businesses to expand globally

Global expansion is a sensible approach to take your business to the next level. The worldwide market is now truly available to everyone and is attainable. Exploring a new market is more complex than viewing it from the typical brick-and-mortar perspective. To ensure a smooth transition, it is vital to understand the complexities of international expansion and plan accordingly. The interview with Nari Katgara, Director, Jeena Global Pty Ltd explores such nuances of the international logistics market and what is it like to be an Indian player that is looking to expand globally.

Can you tell us about Jeena & Company and its international presence?

Jeena & Company is a 122 years young, end-to-end logistics service provider with a network of 27 offices. We serve over 320 plus locations across India and partner reach across 80 global destinations. We have a customer-focused approach that caters to a vast range of sectors, through specialized subsidiaries. We inaugurated our first international office in Melbourne, Australia in 2018 and further aim to strengthen our position and expand in the global market. So far, the international market has responded positively to our services, and we have been able to not only retain major clients but also have enabled new clients to get on board. As a transformative logistics solutions provider, we have been successful in proving to our international customers the vast reach and amazing prospects India holds. The fact that we are logistics architects with over a 120 years of experience gives us the edge when dealing with international clients who have a plethora of options to collaborate with.

How you are managing the customer-focused approach in international markets?

A customer-focused approach requires you to be innovative and trustworthy, provide personalization to the customer, and be flexible. Customer experience is of high importance in today’s world. Customers demand excellent value for their money and time, thus it is critical that businesses exceed their expectations. The end-to-end client experience now reigns supreme. To provide such a quality experience, one should be familiar with the client’s trade routes, have current market rates and provide them to the customer ahead of time, and understand their operation and small details like what containers they use, and what commodities they use; in short, being proactive goes a long way.

Be it local or international clients, getting timely feedback helps the company know what is going right or what needs improvement. It helps in incorporating the right changes and delivering products and services in a tailored manner that matches each client’s individual requirements. Having the flexibility to adapt and evolve to keep up with constantly changing customer expectations, are traits that are valued by all markets, not just international ones.

Being the 5th Gen leader what innovations you are bringing to the business?

I am religiously focusing on innovation. Innovation is a multifaceted organization-wide effort. Implementing any new idea necessitates thorough market research and understanding. To structure, coordinate, and foster innovation, a set of robust strategies is required. Through carefully studying the international market and customer requirements, it is evident that customers are in need of and appreciate innovation in terms of personalized services and technology.

We have received a very positive response to the tailored SOPs that we create for individual customers. Logistics operations are very standardized across the industry, and the SOPs that we offer provide a customized element for the customer. Freight decisions are frequently low engagement, but it is our objective at Jeena to demonstrate that they are high involvement. Customer cargo is our lifeblood and we treat it as such.

It gives me immense pride to mention that the software that our freight forwarding operations are heavily reliant on has been built in-house and is at par with international standards. I wanted to ensure that this software is robust and scalable enough to meet our business requirements both on the domestic as well as international front. As Australia business’s backend operations are handled by my team in India, we have made certain customizations in the software for seamless business operations.

Does innovative/new technology excite the international market? How technology plays an important role in this sector?

Yes, innovative/new technology pretty much excites anyone at any part of the world. As India is a flourishing market, technology does play a crucial role in having the international market on board with the service offerings of Indian logistics companies. The international market expects logistics businesses to be at par with their industry standards and it excites them to partner with businesses that understand and integrate new technology into their operations.

New technology aids in addressing gaps and meeting the demands of the global market. It has improved supply chain productivity while cutting costs and inefficiencies, transforming our operations. Technology has improved cargo tracking, supply chain management, and international shipping. It has assisted Jeena in demonstrating its competence in the international market.

What is an international trend you have observed and can be seen in the coming years in India?

A few trends that I have observed in the international market that can be seen in the forthcoming years in India are:

Automation: Logistics involves numerous monotonous tasks that do not require human intelligence. The global market has recognized this and has begun to integrate automation in order to improve efficiency and minimize human errors by letting technology do its job.

Artificial intelligence: Artificial intelligence and its influence can already be felt globally. The advancement of technology, particularly artificial intelligence, has had a positive influence and is being utilised to improve supply chains across the world. Many businesses are already embracing and utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to enhance their supply chains in a variety of ways.

Cloud computing: Cloud computing has greatly aided international businesses in becoming globally relevant while also reducing IT infrastructure costs. It is being used to manage, access, alter, and exchange data from distant places efficiently.

These technology trends have enabled the international logistics sector to step up its business and enhance progress globally. Considering the drastic transformation the Indian logistics sector is going through, the adoption of these trends is soon to be seen in the Indian market as well.

What are the international expansion plans of Jeena & Company?

Jeena being an international freight forwarder plans on a footprint across the globe. Opportunities are endless in the international market, and we intend to expand our operations and establish branches across various parts of the world. To be precise, Australia has a huge potential and uncharted territories to offer. At the moment, it is quite nascent, hence, we plan on expanding first within Australia before venturing into further international expansions.