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Focus
Maritime
Digitalisation

FIATA (International Federation Amazon as well. All this will generate a
of Freight Forwarders Associations) lot of acceleration,” he said.
advisory body for information technology However, according to Gil, where these
chair Tej Contractor opined that the companies are really lagging behind is in
journey with carriers has been a terms of internal digital transformation.
rollercoaster ride over the past few “Open innovation and digital
years. “Currently, we are in a unique transformation are two sides of the same
place, as carriers force their users coin. If they don't transform themselves,
to use digital tools to inform the they're not going to reap the benefits of
carriers, if and when there are space open innovation. Because at the end of
constraints. The intention is to speed up the day, the new game is data. Startups
digitalisation. However, the results may and open innovation are generating data.
vary once normality has returned. We But if they don't combine that data with
have seen a big downward trend in rates the in-house data, then they're not going
and carriers entering the integrated We have seen a big to get the advanced analytics that they
logistics space, so digitalisation remains downward trend in rates want,” he said.
a priority for all. Interoperability is the and carriers entering According to Contractor, the single
missing link,” he said. the integrated logistics biggest milestone is acceptance.
On the same line, Harpreet Singh “It is after acceptance that we see
Malhotra, managing director of Tiger space, so digitalisation successful rollouts taking place.
Logistics, a 22-year-old BSE-listed remains a priority for all. Whether a government body or a
freight forwarder that claims 50 Interoperability is the private organisation, we see across the
percent share in India’s two-wheeler missing link. board that the acceptance to take on
exports, complained that even though digitalisation projects is at an all-time
every stakeholder is doing their own Tej Contractor high, and the legislation is supporting it
bit, there is nothing much on a macro FIATA too,” he said.
level. “Nothing much is happening. Thus he mentioned United Nations
Shipping lines are digitalising their towards open innovation. “They Commission On International Trade
own operations, ports are digitalizing have innovation funds, accelerators Law’s (UNCITRAL) Model Law on
their own while freight forwarders and incubators to bring in startups Electronic Transferable Records (MLETR)
like us are coming out with their own to transform the industry. They're which aims to enable the legal use of
platforms,” he said. creating a vibrant ecosystem of
Sanjay Bhatia, CEO and Co-founder startups, which is a huge achievement
of Freightwalla, informs that, in for a conservative industry and is
the current scenario, the industry, something that we should take into
especially in developing economies, is high regard,” he said.
still very manual and largely driven by Another tangible effect that he
traditional freight forwarders. However, could point out is the arrival of big
he believes that digitisation in logistics tech companies into this space. He
and maritime transport will witness a gave examples of Maersk and IBM
multi-fold development in the upcoming collaborating to create the blockchain-
years. “The adoption of technology based data exchange solution
at every touch point of the logistical TradeLens, Microsoft investing in
process by manufacturers will help the the energy transition
Indian logistics industry usher in a new and Starlink
era,” he said. launching
Starlink
Milestones of maritime digitalisation Maritime by
On the contrary, Gil argues that the 2023. “And
biggest achievement of maritime we will very
digitalisation is that both ports and soon see
shipping companies are working moves from

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