Freight Forwarder body to host logistics convention in Aug in Chennai

The Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations in India (FFFAI) has announced its 24th Biennial Convention of the Federation to be held from August 12 to 14, 2022 at ITC Grand Chola in Chennai with the theme 'Logistics – Reshape, Embrace and Surge in The Digital Era'. This was announced during its fourth Executive Meeting of FFFAI held on March 23, 2022, in Dubai.

Elaborating on the 24th Biennial Convention, FFFAI Chairman Shankar Shinde informed that the convention would focus on innovative logistics embracing the digital era for surging ahead. "The 'New Normal' has been discussed a lot in every industry which has changed the dynamics of doing business, as the Trade and Industry which in recent years witnessed great changes in Logistics with different challenges and opportunities, with the introduction of Digital Environment has compelled to adopt changes rather than by choice as of now," Shinde said.

Post-Covid, the logistics sector is scaling up considerably and the FFFAI Convention is slated to be a platform to get together and discuss enhancing knowledge through business sessions with expert speakers from various sectors and business networking partners.

"A Customs Broker is the heart of the supply chain and everything will revolve around the Customs Broker with the logistics support system to make the value chain successful. Hence, Customs Brokers play important role in facilitating and expediting the seamless movement of cargo shipments. In the forthcoming FFFAI Convention, we intend to focus on 'Logistics – Reshape, Embrace and Surge in The Digital Era' for the sustainability of successful business investments of time and money. It will also result in reducing the importance of working on-site and shifting the process of logistics to the offices," Shinde added. The FFFAI Chairman further said that Technology will be playing an important role and that business models are slated to change with the adoption of technology and digital marketing.

A.V. Vijayakumar, Convener of the convention outlined the format and said, "We are witnessing rapid, significant, and visible changes, especially in the recent years. With India becoming a signatory to the Trade Facilitation Agreement there is an accelerated approach by the Indian Government – more so of the Ministry of Finance – to create a seamless, smooth, and swift environment for global cross-border trade. The logistics industry is the core center for the success of trade facilitation and a comprehensive rethink is required in our business environment and business model," he observed.

The inauguration session is slated to be addressed by the FFFAI chairman, convention chairman other office bearers of FFFAI, and special guests from the Government, its ministries, and industry experts. There will be six business sessions on various topics aligned with the theme of the convention along with a networking evening function during this biennial event.