Japanese shipping giant Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL), which operates the world's second-largest fleet, is setting its sights firmly on India as a strategic growth market. The company has outlined plans to expand across multiple verticals in the country, including energy transportation, automobile exports, logistics, and maritime manpower — with a particular emphasis on recruiting more Indian seafarers. "India is attractive for us," said Jotaro Tamura, President and CEO of MOL, in an exclusive interview with Mint. Tamura was speaking during his first visit to India since taking charge earlier this year. "In our updated business plan, India is one of the priority targets." The expansion is anchored in MOL's long-term corporate growth strategy, known internally as "Blue Action," which charts the company's trajectory through 2035. Tamura confirmed that India has been elevated to a position of strategic importance within this framework, especially during the 2026–30 phase, when MOL intends to accelerate its footprint across key geographies it has identified as high-potential markets. India's inclusion as a priority destination reflects broader global shifts in trade and logistics. As multinational companies reconfigure their supply chains in response to geopolitical uncertainty and the ongoing diversification away from single-country dependencies, India has emerged as a compelling alternative hub. For MOL, the opportunity spans the full spectrum of maritime and logistics services — from transporting crude oil and LNG to supporting India's growing automobile export industry, which has seen a significant uptick in recent years. The maritime manpower angle is equally significant.

Godrej Enterprises Group (GEG) has taken a significant step in reshaping India's industrial energy landscape by introducing the country's first Multilon battery technology for electric forklifts. Rolled out through its Material Handling Equipment (MHE) business, the launch is positioned to address the surging demand for efficient, dependable, and sustainable energy solutions across India's fast-growing manufacturing, logistics, and warehousing sectors. The technology promises a 25% reduction in total cost of ownership, improved equipment uptime, and cleaner industrial operations. Critically, the battery is engineered to last through the entire operational life of the forklift, eliminating the recurring cost and downtime associated with mid-cycle battery replacements. The timing of the launch is deliberate. India's industrial and warehousing market is in the midst of a strong growth phase. The sector recorded more than 11 million square feet of leasing across the top eight cities in just the first quarter of 2026, fuelled by demand from third-party logistics providers, e-commerce platforms, and manufacturing-led supply chain modernisation initiatives. As warehouses grow denser and operational throughput continues to climb, the pressure on energy systems to be safe, efficient, and future-ready has never been greater. What sets the Multilon battery apart is its combination of capabilities rarely found together in a single industrial energy solution. The battery supports both fast and opportunity charging, requires zero maintenance, and delivers high energy efficiency — all while eliminating rare-earth material dependency and simplifying end-of-life disposal. Developed in collaboration with one of India's leading deep-tech battery innovators, the technology is rated for up to 5,000 life cycles. That figure represents nearly 60% more life cycles than standard lithium-ion batteries, a distinction that directly translates to lower long-term ownership costs and fewer replacement cycles over the equipment's lifespan. Another standout feature is the battery's thermal resilience.

India's logistics sector is undergoing a significant transformation, and the world's leading container shipping lines are taking notice. With the country doubling down on integrated supply chain infrastructure, major global carriers are now actively evaluating investment opportunities in multimodal logistics hub projects across India — a move that signals growing confidence in the country's freight future. At the heart of this shifting interest is the expanding hub-and-spoke logistics model, a strategy that has gained considerable traction following the formation of the Gemini Cooperation between Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd. This approach, which centralises cargo at key nodes before distributing it across a wider network, is pushing carriers to deepen their inland logistics footprint in India through large-scale infrastructure commitments. The Indian government has been laying the groundwork for this transition for some time. As part of a sweeping logistics modernisation agenda, New Delhi has approved the development of 35 multimodal logistics parks spread across the country. In addition, five mega multimodal logistics hubs have been earmarked at strategic locations — Dadri, Jogighopa, Nagpur, Chennai, and Bengaluru each chosen for their geographic and economic significance. Of these, the proposed Dadri logistics hub, situated near Delhi, has quickly emerged as the most closely watched project. Its combination of strategic connectivity and substantial cargo-generation potential has attracted interest from both global shipping majors and Indian infrastructure conglomerates. According to industry sources, container carriers including CMA CGM, Maersk, and Mediterranean Shipping Company are actively evaluating bids for the project either independently or through joint venture arrangements. The deadline for tender submissions is expected to fall later this month, making the coming weeks a pivotal period for the project. The scale of the Dadri project is considerable. Planned across approximately 825 acres, the first phase of development alone carries an estimated price tag of around USD 250 million. The hub's location is particularly advantageous it sits near the junction of India's Eastern and Western Dedicated Freight Corridors, positioning it as a natural bridge between northern manufacturing centres and major western gateway ports, including Jawaharlal Nehru Port (JNPA) and Mundra Port. Project documentation makes clear that the Dadri hub is designed with export-oriented industries in western Uttar Pradesh firmly in mind.

Ahmedabad: Professor Debjit Roy of the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIM-A) has earned global recognition after receiving the coveted Wickham Skinner Teaching Innovation Award from the Production and Operations Management Society (POMS). Considered one of the highest international honors in the field of production and operations management, this award celebrates excellence and groundbreaking innovation in teaching and Prof. Roy's selection places him among some of the most distinguished academic minds in the world. The recognition is being widely viewed as a landmark achievement not just for Prof. Roy personally, but for Indian academia as a whole. Experts across industry and academia say the honor brings renewed attention to India's rapidly evolving logistics, transportation, and supply chain ecosystem, and is expected to catalyze greater research-driven policy thinking, deeper industry-academia collaboration, and a stronger culture of academic innovation in logistics and transport management across the country. Speaking after receiving the award, Prof. Roy expressed heartfelt gratitude to his students, colleagues, and the various academic institutions he has been associated with across India, the Netherlands, and the United States. He emphasized that impactful teaching and meaningful research are not separate pursuits they must go hand in hand. Over a distinguished academic career spanning 14 years, Prof. Roy has taught more than 15,000 students, and he acknowledged that these diverse classroom interactions across continents have continuously refined and shaped his teaching philosophy, methodologies, and approach to pedagogy. At IIM Ahmedabad, Prof. Roy holds the role of Founding Co-Chair of the Centre for Transportation and Logistics a pioneering initiative designed to advance cutting-edge research, executive education programs, and meaningful industry engagement in areas including transportation, warehousing, freight systems, supply chain optimization, and logistics infrastructure development in India. The Centre has emerged as a vital platform for bridging the worlds of academic inquiry and operational practice in one of the world's fastest-growing logistics markets. Widely acknowledged as one of India's foremost scholars in the domains of operations management, logistics, and transportation systems, Prof.