Global logistics leader Deutsche Post DHL will invest around €45 million in India over the next three years to further support its growth in the country. This investment will be mainly in the new upcountry developments, upgrading and expanding its infrastructure and bolstering its retail presence, said the group’s global chief executive officer Frank Appel, while inaugurating the company’s first fully solar powered Express Service Centre in the Asia Pacific region in India.
“India’s integration into the global economy has been accompanied by economic growth and progressive policy initiatives. With the country emerging as a global trade hub, India remains a critical growth market for us and we will continue to invest proactively to support the business here,” Appel said addressing the media and other guests at the inauguration of DHL Centre in Mumbai.
The new DHL Express Service Centre uses solar-powered panels that reduce the consumption of grid electricity by 30 per cent. The successful adoption of this green technology paves the way for increased use of alternative energy sources in current and new facilities going forward, the company said in a statement on Monday. The Goregaon Service Center is the company’s 45th Service Center in the country, and the 6th in Mumbai, in addition to the existing centers in Andheri, Byculla, Thane, Vashi and Vidyavihar. The facility, which will enhance pickup and delivery network capabilities for DHL in Mumbai, continues the ongoing DHL Express commitment to invest in infrastructure, fleet, technology and people, to deliver high quality time definite delivery services to its customers, it added.
Globally, DHL Express has actively adopted green initiatives as part of DPDHL Group’s GoGreen environmental protection program. These initiatives are built on two basic principles of ‘burn less’ and ‘burn clean’. The Goregaon Service Center is in line with DPDHL Group’s climate protection goal of reducing all logistics-related emissions to net zero by the year 2050.
“As our previous commitment to improve carbon efficiency by 30 per cent over the 2007 baseline by 2020 was achieved last year, four years ahead of schedule, we have now made a bolder promise – to achieve zero emissions in logistics by 2050. This new facility in Mumbai is a great example of how we’re improving business efficiency by enhancing our reach, and adopting green technologies across our network,” said Appel.
In India, DHL Express has taken proactive steps to align with the Group’s vision by adopting green practices such as effectively using LED lights across 22 of its facilities and a fleet of vehicles running on clean fuel (compressed natural gas).
R S Subramanian, Senior Vice President & Country Manager, DHL Express India, the first solar powered DHL Express Service Center in the region can pave the way for increased use of solar power in all its facilities.
“As the first logistics company to provide a carbon neutral shipping solution to enable our customers to achieve their own climate protection targets, we remain committed to reducing the impact of our business operations on the environment,” Subramanian added.
DHL Express has maintained its leadership position in India for more than 35 years, and provides access to 598 cities and over 33,000 locations within the country. DHL Express India has over 60,000 customers including importers, exporters, manufacturers, entrepreneurs, and small and medium sized businesses. With a robust nationwide network of over 400 vehicles on road, 19 weekly inter-continental flights, 67 daily international and 80 domestic commercial flights, DHL India have access to an international network of over 220 countries and territories.
BW Reporters
Unnikrishnan is currently Senior Associate Editor with BW Businessworld at its Mumbai Bureau. During his two decades long journalistic career, he has received several media awards and recognitions. His articles on healthcare, life sciences and intellectual property rights (IPR) have been republished by several international blogs and journals.
