Page 32 - ITLN May-June 2021 issue for Magzter

Interview
Abhishek
Chaudhary
Plan to track

bulk cargo, cover

all major Indian SEZs

NLDS is a joint venture between govt of India represented by National Industrial Corridor
Development and Implementation Trust (NICDIT) and the Japanese IT major NEC Corporation.
Abhishek Chaudhary, vice president - corporate affairs, HR & company secretary - NICDC
and promoter director at NLDS, talks to Libin Chacko Kurian about their solutions, clients,
priorities, technology and future in the context of the recent extension of its service to 9 SEZs.

ICDC Logistics Data Services’  22 percent port dwell time reduction
(NLDS) flagship project, LDB (export cycle)
(Logistics Data Bank) System, We are planning for
Nis a cloud-based logistics extensive coverage in What is the impact of the Covid-19
visualization solution that provides EXIM pandemic on NLDS and the industries
container tracking. Currently, NLDS is the coming years— you serve?
providing container visibility services connecting hinterlands Given the current pandemic situation
for 100 percent of India’s container with all ports of India to where multimodal transport has
volume and LDB has tracked more maximise visibility, and become a necessity and dynamic
than 34 million EXIM containers to reduce logistics cost. decision making is required for the
date. LDB system is integrated with 27 routing of goods-in-transit, visibility and
port terminals, 60 toll plazas, over 167 transparency play a key role in bringing
CFSs (Container Freight Stations), ICDs operations pan-India—Krishnapatnam, agility, resilience and predictability into
(Inland Container Depots), empty yards Kattupalli, Chennai, Tuticorin, the supply chain.
and integrated check posts. Cochin and Mangalore ports in the NLDS played a critical role in giving
Southern corridor and Kolkata, Haldia, information on the whereabouts of
Incorporated in 2015, do you think NLDS Visakhapatnam ports in the Eastern essentials. Backed with innovative
has achieved what it was meant to? corridor along with Deendayal Port in technology and minimum human
It is always an evolving process and Gujarat. With the recent expansion at interface, NLDS kept the logistics
growth has no limits. The concept of Pipavav Port, NLDS now covers 17 ports industry running at pace during the
LDB project was developed after having (27 port terminals) across India. pandemic.
an in-depth study of logistic sector The project has enabled quick
in India and discussions with various decision making for the trade and Give us a sense of the LDB System as
stakeholders across government has improved the competitiveness of your flagship solution and its potential?
ministries/ departments, importers/ logistics and manufacturing industries. The LDB project aims to bring visibility
exporters, trade associations, ICDs It has also provided better governance, and transparency to the Indian logistics
and CFSs. Having been involved in the complete transparency and visibility of system through an IoT (Internet of
project since inception just reminds me services for performance evaluation of Things), Big data and cloud-based
of the initial challenges being faced in various ports, ICDs, CFSs and the entire visualization platform. It works by affixing
bringing the project to its present levels. supply chain sector. We worked on the RFID tags to shipping containers starting
With the support of ministry of principle of ‘naming’ and ‘shaming’ to from their import journey. Positional
shipping, LDB started its commercial generate inter-se competition. information of the containers is tracked
operations across the terminals of through the RFID readers installed at
Mumbai’s Jawaharlal Nehru Port Key improvements brought by the LDB locations such as toll plazas on the
(JNPT) on July 1, 2016, and extended project: highways/ expressways; port entry
the services to Mundra and Hazira  57 percent port to ICD transport time and exit points; ICDs and CFSs. This
Terminals operated by Adani Ports decline information is uploaded on the cloud and
and Special Economic Zones (APSEZ)  20 percent ICD dwell time decrease shared with other logistics systems such
in Gujarat on May 1, 2017. From  49 percent port dwell time drop as the port management systems. To
November 2018, NLDS extended its (import cycle) track the consignment, stakeholders can

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