ES. Tell us a bit about your journey into the world of logistics and how that crossed paths with the logistic industry?
Kinjal Pande. I have seen the industry evolving in a career span of more than 19 years. I did my undergraduate course at Delhi University and an MBA from Pune and got placed with shipping firms until I joined DB Schenker in 2022.
Things are changing now—even in graduate schools—logistics and supply chains are a specific vertical of study.
ES. What is the importance of India as a market for you globally? How many offices and warehouses are there in India?
Kinjal Pande. DB Schenker in India connects all essential global economic regions and offers logistics solutions tailor-made to the customers’ requirements. The market has a unique opportunity to take a more inclusive and proactive role in leveraging our vast pool of skilled resources, competitive costing and developed eco-system for sectors to get ahead in the global supply chain race. We have over 30 offices and more than 50 warehouses situated all across India, and still growing.
ES. What is your goal towards excellence in sustainability within the logistics sector? How does DB Schenker envision sustainable logistics?
Kinjal Pande. Sustainability is the need of the hour – Globally, DB Schenker aims to reduce CO2 emissions by 50% by the year 2030. We are working towards implementing environmental-friendly land transport solutions through the use of energy-efficient fuels and putting in practice sustainable measures in all our buildings as well as throughout the supply chains we manage. We also offer eco-solutions for every mode of transportation, allowing customers to reduce or compensate for CO2 emissions along the entire supply chain. Our green product portfolio and expertise in eco-consulting are at the heart of our sustainable strategy.
ES. What’s your growth plan?
Kinjal Pande. In the last 10 years our warehouse capacity has expanded significantly, we are now operating more than 50 warehouses in India and operating our own line haul services between key cities. We will continue developing our in-house capacity. Additionally, we will also continue to strengthen connection with all key exhibition venues, ports and domestic transportation fleet, focusing more on electric vehicles, electric Material Handling Equipment and digital solutions in all key venues for onsite management.
ES. How many projects does DBS handles annually? Could you share with us any interesting stories about how you or a member organization handled a crisis situation while transporting exhibition logistics recently?
Kinjal Pande. DB Schenker in India generally handles more than 100 large scale exhibitions annually—both inbound and outbound. Our advantage is our global network, and we are able to transport and deliver within the given timelines.
ES. What are the upcoming trends that will influence the exhibition logistics industry?
Kinjal Pande. Sustainability, digital solutions and process optimization are some of the upcoming trends to look out for. At DB Schenker in India, we are constantly working to improve our processes while keeping in mind the need for sustainability in everything we do—be it our inhouse onsite platform like LIFT (Logistics Interface for Trade fairs), IoT solutions for real time tracking or sustainability initiatives like electric vehicles. We recently introduced e-vehicles for last mile deliveries for exhibitions such as EXCON and INDIAWOOD in BIEC. We will maintain the same commitment in our all-upcoming exhibitions across India.
ES. According to you what are the top challenges faced by the logistics Industry today?
Kinjal Pande. The logistics industry faces challenges in finding service-minded talents especially in exhibition logistics. Other challenges include keeping a balance between technology automation and sustainability.
ES. What are some of the major technological advancements that are reshaping the logistics industry’s future and how is DBS adapting to them?
Kinjal Pande. Our major focus for exhibition logistics will be more on IoT Solutions to provide transparency to organizers, exhibitors and venues at shipment level.
Similarly for process optimization, DB Schenker is using GLOBUS and LIFT to meet these exhibition needs. We have also developed an onsite booking system which we will soon be introducing in India.
ES. On another note, what do you enjoy the most about your work? Please share your hobbies, what keeps you busy when you are away from work?
Kinjal Pande. I enjoy the customer centricity in what we do. The fact that we can customize our solutions for our customers and really make an impact towards the end user is very gratifying. Being a fitness enthusiast, I take great pride in advocating a healthy lifestyle with exercise and good nutrition. According to my life experiences, fitness is not only a temporary tool to achieve good health, weight loss, or athletic championships, it is a way of life. I believe that if you are healthy by heart and mind, it will reflect in your work. Likewise, if you are mentally and physically fit you can achieve greater things in life.
ES. What is your leadership style? What according to you are your strong points?
Kinjal Pande. I believe in an open and transparent culture, ensuring all voices are heard and that all team members are aligned and participating equally. I believe in equal opportunities and supporting the team members in their growth journey.
ES. What would be your message to the industry?
Kinjal Pande. In the logistics industry, it is of utmost priority to first understand your consumers and know how to provide for them. Having an effective supply chain solution that is sustainable, unobtrusive, efficient, and quantifiable is essential in reducing the likelihood of transportation operations and store locations spiralling out of control. Your overall logistics strategy should include a significant amount of stakeholder cooperation. For DB Schenker in India, we continuously improve our resources through training, digitalization, robotics, artificial intelligence, and predictive analysis to achieve our growth strategy.
