As the economic capital of India and being an important nodal point on the highways that criss-cross the country, Mumbai sees significant movement of cargo. The rise of e-commerce over the last few years has only increased this traffic of goods. To match the increased demand and offer businesses looking for an extra edge with bolstered express logistics services, Gati, one of India’s premier express distribution companies, recently launched a superhub to specially cater to the Mumbai region.
Designed to deliver excellence for businesses, the Bhiwandi superhub is the latest facility that has been developed across India. Over the past the two years, Gati has strengthened its presence across every zone in India, with a worldclass surface transhipment centre in Farrukhnagar, Haryana, to cater to the northbound logistics traffic, followed by facilities in Guwahati, Assam, in the East, and Nagpur, Maharashtra, in the very heart of India.
Locational advantages
Situated in Bhiwandi, the superhub integrates the best of a distribution warehouse and surface transhipment centre operations, and combines the strengths of three facilities under one roof. Thereby, not only creating exceptional operational synergies with Gati’s existing facility in Panvel, but also creating unparalleled value for customers who benefit from the augmented efficiency.
Its strategic location enables it to extend support to the pharma, automobile, engineering goods, retail, and telecommunication industries that are situated in the surrounding area. The mega distribution hub is a terminus for Mumbai and Navi Mumbai, to cater to short haul or regional distribution as well as consolidate-sort-dispatch of long-haul loads for the rest of the country.
Commenting on the launch, Pirojshaw Sarkari (Phil), CEO – Gati Ltd. said, “We are pleased to open the super-hub for companies of varied scale to use our facilities and services to grow their businesses. Our super-hub will help them enhance cost efficiency, inventory movements and speed-to-market. The launch of the Mumbai super-hub will further strengthen our position in the highly competitive express logistics space. Bhiwandi has been an undisputed choice for us to set up our super hub thanks to its ability to offer seamless connectivity, congestion-free access to warehouses and convenient inward and outward movements of heavy-duty haulage trucks. With more STCs in line across India with Grade A warehousing facilities, we are working towards developing a robust supply chain backbone, catering to a range of industries.”
World-class logistics infrastructure
The Bhiwandi superhub offers built-to-suit, technology-enabled warehousing solutions of global standards and advanced features and material handling facilities. Additionally, integrated warehousing and distribution mechanisms, and superior safety features such as fire hydrants, CCTV setup, power back-up facilities etc., give businesses the peace of mind they are looking for.
Battery-operated hand pallet trolleys have been deployed at the facility to ensure operational efficiency. An AI-powered, round-the-clock tracking system at the facility offers real-time visibility of the movement of goods.
The large size of the superhub, as well as the 61 operational docks and electric dock levellers capable of managing around 200 trucks a day with a throughput capacity of approximately 150 thousand tonnes a month, allow for large volumes of cargo to be handled with ease and speed, providing shorter turnaround times to customers.
Focus on care, concern, and sustainability
In keeping with its strategic focus on ESG, sustainability features have been integrated into the design of the facility, and within the premises, steel pallets are used instead of plastic or wooden ones. These initiatives help reduce consumption and conserve resources.
Keeping the requirements of Gati Associates, resident team members and handlers in mind, the facility also has a hostel which offers convenient accommodation while maintaining high standards of safety and hygiene. It also has a drivers’ lounge with adequate safety and hygiene in place to ensure rest and rejuvenation for the drivers.
By augmenting its nationwide physical infrastructure, and optimizing systems, processes, and operations with robust digital tools and technology, Gati continues to deliver on India’s progress every day.