Kale Logistics launches online e-booking platform RIGEL for air cargo industry

March 29, 2018: Kale Logistics Solutions has recently launched a specialised e-Booking Platform by the name of RIGEL at WINGS INDIA 2018 at Hyderabad. The platform is one of Kale’s Trade Facilitation initiatives, focused on driving ease in cargo booking for the air cargo industry. The e-Booking platform was launched in the presence of KT Rama Rao, Minister for IT, Industries & Commerce, etc. Government of Telangana; Rajiv Nayan Choubey, secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation, BS Bhullar, Director General of Civil Aviation; Vandana Aggarwal, economic advisor, Ministry of Civil Aviation and notable industry delegates.

The IT Logistics partner in a press release said that this e-Booking Platform is India’s first comprehensive online platform to assist ‘cargo rates’ discovery and booking procedures for the air cargo industry. Currently, the air cargo industry is heavily dependent on manual and cumbersome processes wherein airline routes and schedules have to be digitally solicited. Absence of a single online source that can provide information pertaining to availability of cargo routes and the corresponding reservation rates to exporters, freight forwarders and custom brokers has made the process tedious and prone to malpractices.

With Kale’s online e-Booking platform, routes, rates and schedules for cargo booking are readily accessible through the system, thereby benefitting the concerned stakeholders. It also ensures that compliances for further processing of the shipment are met at the point of booking. This booking data is reusable for further shipment processing by way of connecting to other stakeholders like airports and airlines. The platform is equipped with comprehensive modules for RFQ and Quote Management, multi-channel booking with EDI communication with Airlines, GST invoicing, e-payment gateway, tracking and reporting for all stakeholders. A pilot run of this platform has been successfully completed with a leading exporter, one of the largest freight forwarding/customs broking organisation and a leading airline to ascertain the usability and functionality of the platform.

Commenting on the launch, Rajiv Nayan Choubey, secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation, said, “Platforms such as RIGEL have become a necessity in today’s trade ecosystem. It is a new era IT-solution to a complex age-old problem whose time has come.Trade Facilitation initiatives like RIGEL provide the much necessary digital support to drive ease of business. Its potential reach is multimodal. Moreover, it also brings stakeholders, including the shippers from the hinterlands of India, under a single platform thus allowing an opportunity to discuss and find constructive solutions for the furtherance of the industry along with necessary compliance being met. RIGEL reaffirms the role of technology in streamlining and improving the air cargo trade scenario.”

Meanwhile, Vineet Malhotra, director, Kale Logistics Solutions said, “At Kale, we have always been passionate about bringing products that will enable Trade Facilitation across the domain. With the launch of RIGEL, we have once again reaffirmed our belief. We are confident that just like our other Trade Facilitation platforms; RIGEL too will revolutionize the traditional functions of air cargo industry. We are expecting that the current manual processes of booking followed by the Air Cargo industry will soon become obsolete. Our comprehensive offering through this product will benefit Exporters, Freight Forwarders and Custom Brokers and Airlines.”

(From L to R): Ms. Vandana Aggarwal, Economic Advisor, Ministry of Civil Aviation, Mr. K. Bodke of Jeena & Co., Mohan Limaye, Kale Logistics Solutions, Ms. Usha Padhee, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation, Mr. Sandip Somany, Sr Vice President, FICCI, Mr. K.T. Rama Rao, Minister for IT, Industry & Commerce, etc. Government of Telangana, Mr. Rajiv Nayan Choubey, Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation, Mr. B.S. Bhullar, Director General of Civil Aviation, Government of India, & Mr. Vineet Malhotra, Director, Kale Logistics Solutions, Mr. Keku Gazder, CEO, AAICLAS, Mr. Vinay Dube, CEO, Jet Airways at the launch of RIGEL at WINGS INDIA 2018, Hyderabad, Telangana)