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In a country as large and geographically diverse as India, refrigerated transport is crucial for the safe distribution of fresh and frozen commodities.

The Indian cold-chain market has gained momentum and is currently an essential part of the global supply chain industry. India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and the Middle East make up the dynamic region of the Indian Subcontinent. Exports of pharmaceuticals, followed by meat, seafood, seasonal fruits, and vegetables continue to make their way into Rotterdam, Hamburg and Felixstowe ports in North Europe and the Mediterranean every year between January and April.

The second-most populous country has also made its global mark and was crowned as the pharmacy of the world, ranking third as a global producing hub of life-saving products that account for 20% of the world’s medicine supply. India’s current pharma market stands at a massive $50 billion, with Indian pharma companies catering to over half of the global vaccine demand in destinations including the US, UK, Europe, South Africa, Russia, and Nigeria.

Similarly, Indian pharmaceutical exports have recently witnessed an exceptional growth of almost $10 billion in 8 years, achieving the highest export volumes since 2013-2014, despite the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, global trade disruptions and frequent lockdowns of the past three years.

The newly upgraded ZMI service makes ZIM the only independent carrier connecting the Indian Subcontinent to North Europe and the Mediterranean, with an extensive presence all across ISC inland destinations and major ports like Nhava Sheva, Mudra and Colombo. The enhanced ZMI service is set to expand to a weekly direct call and operate a total of nine vessels, providing a seamless one-stop solution for the increasing high demand of the pharma industry along with other growing sectors, from one gateway to various others.

Vivek Sharma, ZIM India Commercial Vice President, who has more than two decades of experience in the industry clearly explains that every day is a learning opportunity in today’s dynamic maritime world. When it comes to customers, “we believe in creating a value proposition, which our service brings to our customers and their business along with sustainable volume contribution.” In achieving this, Sharma put a well-deserved spotlight on ZIM India’s reefer-dedicated sales team who are all committed towards the development of India’s pharma industry and currently hold an extensive coverage in all major locations in the district, including Mumbai, New Delhi, Mundra, Chennai, Cochin, Tuticorin, Hyderabad, and the complete Hinterland region.

The Indian pharmaceutical industry is growing by leaps and bounds as demand for pharma cold chain logistics is expected to increase by an average of 20% in the coming years. Looking at this commodity sector, ZIM is backed by newer innovations that feature considerable advantages such as complete cargo transparency, first-class personal service along with an array of advanced digital tools, all offering tailor-made solutions for those in need of efficient and reliable cold chain logistics.

Vivek Sharma

Senior Vice President- Commercial - India Subcontinent & Malaysia
sharma.vivek@zim.com