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Rising tensions in the Middle East following attacks by the US and Israel on Iran are expected to disrupt trade flows, push up freight and insurance costs, delay cargo shipments, and drive a surge in global oil prices, thereby increasing India's import bill, say experts. Though India's trade with Iran has declined over the years due to Western sanctions, the country's two-way commerce with Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE has registered healthy growth. Experts and exporters are of the view that prolonged tensions in the region will have consequences for India on the trade front. Iran has reportedly closed traffic through the Strait of Hormuz and a large share of India's crude oil and LNG supplies from Iraq, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar transit this narrow choke point. Estimates suggest roughly 35-50 per cent of India's crude imports and a significant portion of LNG shipments pass through the strait. "Any disruption would push up freight and insurance costs
A cargo plane carrying money crashed Friday near Bolivia's capital, damaging about a dozen vehicles on a highway, scattering bills on the ground and leaving at least 15 people dead, an official said. Fire Chief Pavel Tovar did not clarify if the dead were in the plane or in the cars on the highway near the airport in La Paz. He said there were people injured. The aircraft struck vehicles in the city of El Alto, which is adjacent to La Paz, before coming to rest in a field, according to images circulating on social media. There were conflicting reports of whether the plane was taking off or landing when it crashed. Debris from the aircraft, destroyed cars, and bodies littered the road. According to Tovar, at least 15 vehicles were involved. Firefighters managed to extinguish the flames engulfing the aircraft. The plane, a Hercules aircraft belonging to the Bolivian air force, was transporting new banknotes from the Central Bank to other cities and a large number of bills scattered o
Airport services company SATS's multi-modal cargo logistics facility at Noida International Airport is ready for operations as the mega aviation hub is set to be inaugurated next month, a company official said. The Singapore-based company has already invested close to Rs 1,000 crore in building the new cargo facility. "The next phase, expected to be an additional Rs 600 crore in investment, is to develop the adjacent integrated logistics park providing seamless end-to-end airfreight services to the air cargo industry players," Bob Chi, CEO of SATS Ltd's Gateway Services for Asia Pacific region, said on Tuesday. He was speaking at the Uttar Pradesh Investment Roadshow here hosted by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. SATS' investment is aimed at making Uttar Pradesh's new airport a global aviation hub. The investment is through its 50:50 joint venture of Air India and SATS Limited (AI-SATS). SATS has been working in India since 2008. Beyond the financial investments, SA
India needs to embrace new technology and can save up to Rs 20,000 crore by using AI for cargo handling at ports, said Member of Economic Advisory Council to PM Gourav Vallabh on Tuesday. Speaking at session 'AI-Powered Ports: Reimagining Efficiency and Operations' at the AI Impact Summit here, Vallabh said India is emerging as a global leader in the field of new technology. "There is an approximate saving by uses of AI of Rs 20,000 crore in our handling.. And every year we can save Rs 15,000 crore as far as the logistic cost is concerned," he said. The question is not whether AI will transform India's ports, Vallabh said adding "the question is whether we are going to lead it or not." He noted that India's logistics cost at 7.97 per cent of GDP is competitive, "but for Viksit Bharat 2047 aim, our ports should be intelligent and should have intelligent ecosystem." He said India needs accelerated policy initiatives to reduce the logistics cost. He pointed out that 95 per cent of
Air cargo services between India and Afghanistan will commence very soon, an Indian External Affairs Ministry official said on Friday, during a visit by Afghanistan's Taliban Trade Minister Al-Haj Nooruddin Azizi to India. "I am pleased to announce that the air freight corridor on the Kabul-Delhi sector and Kabul-Amritsar routes have been activated and cargo flights on these sectors will commence very soon," Anand Prakash, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs, said. "This will significantly enhance their connectivity and further strengthen our trade and commercial ties," he added. The official further informed that on Thursday, both sides agreed to depute a trade attache in each other's embassy to oversee and support bilateral trade cooperation. Moreover, he said, the joint working group on trade, commerce and investment will be reactivated to boost bilateral trade between India and Afghanistan. "Bilateral trade stands at around 1 billion. However, there remains ..
Multimodal logistics operator Allcargo Terminals Ltd (ATL) on Tuesday said it plans to raise Rs 38.28 crore through the issuance of up to 1.32 crore fully convertible warrants to the promoters/promoter group. The proposed fundraise, which will kickstart ATL's three-year expansion plans, will be utilised for building capacity and setting up new container freight stations (CFS) and inland container depots (ICDs), the company said. An Allcargo group firm, ATL, specializes in CFS and ICD with pan-India presence, serving diverse logistical requirements at strategic locations such as JNPT, Mundra, Chennai, and Kolkata. "The Board of Directors of ATL has approved the preferential allotment in its meeting held on July 15, 2025," Allcargo Terminals said. "As India's logistics sector undergoes structural transformation, ATL is well positioned to scale up operational capacity while remaining capital-efficient and growth-focussed, creating sustainable value for all stakeholders," said Shashi .
A Bird Group's cargo vehicle hit the wing of a stationary Akasa Air aircraft at Mumbai Airport on Monday, causing some damage to the right winglet, according to sources. However, there was no impact to passengers or the employees in the incident, which took place early morning on Monday after the airline's flight QP-1736 arrived here from Bangalore and the baggage and cargo were being offloaded, they said. The driver of the cargo truck apparently misjudged the height of the Boeing 737-Max aircraft's wing, leading to the vehicle clipping with the aircraft's wing, according to sources. "A third party ground handler, while operating a cargo truck, came in contact with an Akasa Air aircraft that was parked at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, Mumbai. The aircraft is currently undergoing a thorough inspection," Akasa Air said in a statement. The airline also said that it is investigating the incident with the third party ground handler. Delhi-based Bird Group's company
India's ban on ships carrying Pakistani goods from anchoring at its ports has increased freight charges and transit time, according to a media report. Following the Pahalgam terror attack, India imposed a comprehensive ban, effective May 2, 2025, on the direct or indirect import or transit of goods originating in or exported from Pakistan. Pakistani importers said the Indian ban has resulted in longer shipping times and higher freight charges, Dawn newspaper reported on Sunday. Mother vessels are not coming to Pakistan due to this Indian action, which delays our imports by 30 to 50 days, said Javed Bilwani, President of the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry. He said importers are now relying on feeder vessels, which raises costs. Exporters also reported a spike in shipping and insurance costs following the Indian ban. However, they said the overall impact on exports remains minimal, the paper reported. There is no significant impact on exports..., except for a rise in insu