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PURCHASE 74 Annual 2012
Blue Dart has
always been a
brand
customer
centric
With the Indian Logistic Industry rapidlyevolving, , a customer centric brand
has been identifying new opportunities
through constant research on customers,
industry verticals and macro economic trends.
In an e-interview with Purchase,
Managing Director
tells us that the company is focused on
innovations and have introduced several
customized products to meet specific
customer needs. Blue Dart today drives
market leadership through its dedicated
people force, state-of- the-art warehouses
and cutting-edge technology and a wide
range of innovative vertical specific products
and value-added services to deliver
unmatched standards of service. With a
mission to establish continuing excellence in
delivery capabilities, their vision is to remain
a dominant force in the industry and
consistently achieve higher growth.
Blue Dart
Mr. Anil Khanna, , Blue Dart
I N T E R F A C E
Mr Anil KhannaManaging Director
Blue Dart Express Ltd
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Give us a brief overview of the present scenario of the logistics industry in India?
Outline the services offered by your company and their service advantage?
The Indian logistics industry is evolving rapidly and the overall economic growth is also having asignificant impact on the supply chain operations. Rising consumer spending coupled with an increasing
Indian middle class is driving the demand for goods and services, which is not only coming from urban
cities but also from Tier II and Tier III towns.
The logistics industry is a key enabler in facilitating trade and commerce because of the time-sensitive
nature of most goods and increasing demand for reliability, efficiency and speed. The opportunities are a
plenty for the industry in India as the current logistics spend in India is 13% of the GDP compared to a
notably lesser percentage of the same in more developed economies. However, the need for the highest
levels of efficiencies still exists.
The demand for express services is surging with each passing year and customer expectations have also
risen tremendously. Today, the express industry provides integrated, value-added, t ime-bound, door-to-door
delivery of documents, parcels and merchandise. It supports industries such as e-commerce, electronics,
telecommunication, IT, banking, retail, auto-components, textiles and apparels, gems and jewellery and
pharmaceuticals. Moreover, with India recognized as an outsourcing destination, manufacturing sectors
such as textiles, automobiles and pharmaceuticals are likely to witness increased activities in the medium to
long term. Also, in order to maintain competitiveness, companies operating in these industries are expected
to outsource their logistics requirements to third-party logistics (3PL) service providers. The logistics service
providers have evolved in India and now there are large operators who offer complete supply chain
solutions across industries.
Besides, the opening up of banking, insurance, telecom, retail and e-commerce sectors would boost the
demand for value-added express services in India, as these are major user industries. Apart from the usual
logistical activities such as transportation and warehousing, these players also provide value added services
such as customs clearance, freight forwarding, import-export management, inventory management,
assembly / installation, packaging and labelling, distribution after sales support, reverse logistics etc.
The benefits of logistics outsourcing are being understood and appreciated and also the realization that
apart from cost, customer service and delivery performance are also important to remain competitive on a
global level where logistics are much more evolved and advanced.
Blue Dart has always been a customer centric brand. We keep identifying new opportunities in the market
place through constant research on customer, industry
verticals & macro economic trends. This regular monitoring
and analysis makes us an intelligent organisation, resulting
in new product initiatives & solutions that are customer-
oriented.
Some of the services offered by Blue Dart are:
Domestic Priority: The fastest, most reliable door-to-door
service. Domestic Priority is designed to cater to documents
and small packages less than 32 kgs with day definite door
deliveries.
Dart Apex: Blue Dart's efficient, door-to-door, on-time
delivery solutions for commercial shipments that require
regulatory clearances and specialized handling through the
distribution chain.
Dart Surfaceline: is an economical, door-to-door, ground
distribution service to for shipments weighing 10 kgs and
above. It offers a cost-effective logistics option for less time-
sensitive shipments
Dart Surfaceline Plus is an economical, multimodal,
door-to-door, distribution service within India. It offers a
cost-effective logistics option for less time-sensitive bulk
shipments. The product essentially bridges
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the gap of transit time between Dart
Suraceline and Dart Apex in the location it
offers its service.Airport-to-Airport: is an air freight service
available on the flights operated by Blue Dart
Aviation between the airports of Kolkata,
Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai,
Hyderabad and Ahmedabad.
Charter Services: offer palletized capacity
for carriage of urgent and large volumes to
eighteen airports in India and four
international airports in the region.
Interline Services: Blue Dart has customs-bonded warehouses and dedicated customs personnel to
facilitate speedy and efficient trans-shipment of international loads among the major metros.
Smart Box (Air and Ground Express): is a ready, convenient, economical packaging unit, priced to
include door-to-door delivery service within India. Smart Boxes are available in sizes of 10kgs and 25kgs to
accommodate a variety of products
Express Pallet: is a convenient, flexible yet economical way to send goods within India. It's a special
wood-free palletized packaging, which can be 'built' to accommodate shipment as small as 50kgs or as large
as over 100kgs.
Blue Dart, in line with its focus on innovation, has also introduced several customized products designed
to meet specific needs. These include:
Rakhi Express: that ensures delivery of a sister's 'Rakhi' to her brother through all weather conditions on
the day of Raksha Bandhan.
Student Express: offers a 50% discount on all documents sent to any University/ School / College etc.
Temperature Controlled Logistics (TCL): Designed specifically for the Pharmaceutical sector, TCL offers
packaging solutions ensuring safe and compliant transport in frozen, chilled and ambient conditions.
Using appropriate cooling mediums, the packaging performance delivers temperature for the range -
20C, 2 - 8C and 15 - 25C for varying distribution times.
GOGREEN Carbon Neutral Service: Blue Dart's GOGREEN Carbon Neutral Service allows customers to
neutralize their carbon footprint by paying a marginal offset charge over and above their shipping rates.
The offset charge is calculated on shipment / weight. Carbon emissions from customer shipments will beoffset by reinvesting in environmental protection projects.
Value Added Services
DOD (Demand Draft on Delivery): The invoice value of the (shipper) shipment will be collected from the
consignee in the form of a Demand Draft at the time of delivery. The Demand Draft collected from the
consignee will be promptly returned to you (shipper) to complete the transaction.
FOD (Freight on Demand): The freight of the (shipper) shipment will be collected from the consignee at
the time of delivery.
FOV (Freight on Value) - Insurance Arrangement: Blue Dart can facilitate arrangements to insure the
(shipper) goods through an insurance company. In an eventuality of the shipment being damaged or lost
while in Blue Dart's custody, Blue Dart would assist (shipper) in the claim process and ensure the claim is
settled in the minimum possible time after shipper/consignee handover the required documents to the
insurance company.
COD (Cash on Delivery): The invoice value of the (shipper) shipment will be collected from the consignee
in the form of cash at the time delivery (maximum value of Rs.10,000 per shipment). The Cash collected
from the consignee will be returned to the (shipper) to complete the transaction.
Blue Dart, South Asia's premier express air and integrated transportation & distribution company, offers
secure and reliable delivery of consignments to over 33,665 locations in India. As part of the DP DHL Group
(DHL Express, DHL Global Forwarding & DHL Supply Chain), Blue Dart accesses the largest and most
comprehensive express and logistics network worldwide, covering over 220 countries and territories and
offers an entire spectrum of distribution services including air express, freight forwarding supply chain
solutions and customs clearance.
We provide door-to-door solutions where air transportation is one component, the other being an
integrated air-ground infrastructure to enable last mile deliveries within a short time frame and at globally-
benchmarked quality levels.
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What is your business model and how has it evolved over the years?
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The Blue Dart team drives market leadership through its motivated people force, dedicated air and
ground capacity, state-of-the-art warehouses and service centres, strategically located retail stores, cutting-
edge technology, wide range of innovative, vertical specific products and value-added services, to deliverunmatched standards of service quality to its customers across the vast expanse of Blue Dart Country. In
2011, Blue Dart handled 99.66 mn shipments with a service quality of 99.96%.
With more than 28 years experience introducing innovations and setting standards for the domestic
delivery of time-sensitive shipments in the India and around the world, Blue Dart is the leading domestic
courier and express partner of choice for individuals and businesses providing trust and loyalty to their
customers and delivering consistent high quality services for several years.
Some of our 'firsts' include:
Domestic and International on-board couriers
Hub-and-spoke system
10.30 a.m. delivery service
Early adopter of technology
Introduction of Employee Satisfaction Survey (ESS), Customer Satisfaction Survey (CSS) in the domestic
market
First Choice and Net Promoter Approach
E-mail network
Time definite express door deliveries countrywide
Domestic Cargo Aviation Infrastructure
Certified to the ISO 9001 standards (and later to the ISO 9001-2000 and ISO 9001-2008 standards)
An e-commerce website
Smart Truck and GOGREEN Carbon Neutral Services
With inflation rising, there is no denying that cost pressures have been increasing. Though the express
industry is highly dependent on the economy, primarily manufacturing, our published financial results have
been good. Blue Dart performed reasonably well on all fronts and capitalized on its strong brand equity and
focussed growth plans, customer loyalty, service quality, strong workings with group companies. Though
the express industry is highly dependent on the economy, primarily manufacturing, our published financial
results have been good. Blue Dart posted Rs.12,224 lacs profit after tax for the year ended December 31,
2011, compared to Rs 9,437 lacs profit after tax for the year ended December 31, 2010. Income fromOperations for the year ended December 31, 2011 was Rs.148,960 lacs, compared to Rs. 114,741 lacs for the
year ended December 31, 2010.
One of the reasons for this is that we introduced a lot of innovative products, technology and had very
clear sector, geographic and SME focus:
Innovative Products: Blue Dart recently launched India's first end-to-end GOGREEN Carbon Neutral
Service that allows customers to neutralize their carbon footprint by paying a marginal offset charge over
and above their shipping rates. Carbon emissions from customer shipments will be offset by reinvesting in
environmental protection projects and a Blue Dart certificate will be issued to the customer annually that will
mention the total amount of CO2 offset for the customer. This new service, a GoGreen initiative is an
extension of DPDHL's global environment protection program launched in 2008 and will provide customers
in India with an environmentally responsible shipping option.
Innovative Technology: We launched Smart Truck an intelligent pick-up and delivery vehicle that
combines a number of innovative technologies including a route planner. Piloted by Blue Dart in Bengaluru,
the Smart Truck technology is designed to provide solutions to urban logistic challenges such as traffic
restrictions, density and clogging, while ensuring environmental protection and fulfilling customer needs for
on-time delivery. These vehicles compute delivery deadlines to calculate the ideal sequence for shipments,
and use real-time GPS to avoid jams and optimise routings, thereby enabling flexibility and last-minute pick-
ups. This allows the Smart Truck to provide better customer service and a more cost-effective operation as a
result of optimum use of vehicles with less wasted miles.
Sector Focus: There are certain sectors that do not get impacted by a
slowdown - sectors like health sciences and the spare parts segment of
the auto sector. Apart from this, we have identified high-growth verticals
like e-commerce, where we will look for a large market share.
SME Focus: We identified Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) as
another growth lever as they offered a good business opportunity.
Geographic Focus: In terms of expansion; we concentrated on
expanding our reach to tier II and III towns and cities where we currently
do not have presence.
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Are cost pressures affecting the overall performance of the company, and measures adopted to maximize your business?
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Opportunities and challenges facing the logistics industry in India and measures required to enhance efficiencies in service?
Growth drivers to the logistic industry in India?
How efficiently has the logistic industry harnessed the power of technology to its advantage?
The opportunities are aplenty for the express industry in India as the current logistics spend in India is13% of the GDP compared to a notably lesser percentage of the same in more developed economies. In an
increasingly competitive environment process optimization and cost management have assumed key
competitive advantages as companies have realized that scale is the key and a significant differentiator. The
key success drivers of the express service provider largely depend on the size and scale of operations,
nation-wide coverage, dedicated air and ground infrastructure like aircraft, vehicles, facilities and ground-
handling capability apart from superior transit times and a loyal base of customers.
The growth in the industry
is largely driven by the
increase in trade, government
policy reforms, increased
spending on infrastructure,
and the overall economic
growth driven by the
domestic consumption and
growing affluence. At present,
the express industry in India
is still unorganized and
fragmented. The industry
faces several issues like high
logistics costs, inadequate
infrastructure, capacity
constraints, low usage of
technology, complex tax laws,
over regulation, policy issues
and lack of skilled manpower.
Infrastructure plays an
important role in
development. Road
infrastructure is a bottleneck
though over 70 % of freight
transportation in India is viaroads. Advances in IT
solutions will make tracking and tracing of shipments much more seamless than it is today. The
implementation of the proposed uniform Goods & Service Tax (GST) regime may see a shift of trend in the
movement of goods. Also better understanding on Government's part about the role played by logistics in
order to give it an industry status and less cumbersome regulatory requirements of ST/Octroi/Customs will
lend an added impetus.
India's air express industry looks promising. To enjoy the full benefits of integrated air express services,
the government needs to address restrictive civil aviation agreements, cumbersome customs clearance
procedures, and restrictions on investment in ground transportation operations. A strong commitment from
private sector operators coupled with determined efforts by the government and regulators will see a
transformation for the sector and optimize cost.
Infrastructural improvements in terms of better support systems for transport via air, road, rail and even
ports will facilitate the express logistic industry's contribution to the Indian business. As cargo infrastructure
at airports is being developed, albeit at a slow pace, movements by air will account for a large share of the
inter-modal transport of express cargo. The use of technology will continue to be a critical success factor
and key differentiator. The need for single-window solution provider will gain in importance as customer
look to further streamline their logistics processes.
As large businesses look at outsourcing their logistics needs to focus on their core business, logistics
express players will gain more momentum and importance. This augurs well for the industry.
IT is and will remain to be an important factor and a key differentiator to any logistic service provider.
Innovations in the IT space has contributed largely to not only increasing profitability but also enhancing
customer satisfaction in an industry like ours. The applications from incorporating IT systems are not only
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limited to air cargo movement and invariably affect the entire logistics universe in a similar manner. IT
greatly improves the tracking and tracing of shipments and the various interactions have become seamless
due to automation. The customer satisfaction levels have also jumped big time from the traditional sense oflogistic service providers.
Blue Dart has been the only Indian air express company
that has invested extensively in Technology infrastructure to
create differentiated delivery capabilities, quality services and
customised solutions for the customer. We have one of the
largest private computer networks in India. We are the only
Indian express company to have indigenously developed
tools that include an advanced state-of-the-art track and trace
system for all our consignments. Consignments are scanned
from pick up to every transit point till delivery, using bar
coding and laser scanner technology, transmitting updates
automatically to our database. This enables our customers to
receive real-time, complete and accurate information about
their consignments.
IT has enabled us to incorporate efficient processes which not only helps in increasing the bottom line of
any organization; but also provides an environmentally conscious direction, giving the logistic service
providers with an option to reduce the CO2 emissions and thereby decreasing the carbon footprint eg. our
Smart Truck, the intelligent pick-up and delivery vehicle.
Going forward we will witness advances in IT solutions which will make tracking and tracing of
shipments much more seamless than it is today. Interactions will become much more automated; web-
based solutions will provide real time information and better customer relationship management across the
entire supply chain.
DHL Express (Singapore) Pte Ltd. owns 81.03% stake in Blue Dart and the coming together of the world's
No. 1 international air express service provider and South Asia's premier courier, and integrated express
package Distribution Company has created a force to reckon with in the Indian logistics space. Blue Dart in
association with its group companies DHL Express, DHL Supply Chain and DHL Global Forwarding reaches
33,665 locations in India and 220 countries worldwide through its integrated air support and ground
network, with over 1,911,263 sq. ft. of facilities which include 7 aviation hubs and bonded warehouses, 12express hubs, 69 domestic warehouses, dedicated air services with a fleet of two Boeing 737 freighters and
four Boeing 757 freighters, 7355 vehicles and last but not least over 7,898 passionate and dedicated Blue
Darters. All of this together results in secure, reliable, time-definite distribution thereby simplifying our
customers' lives.
There is a growing concern of Green factors in logistics industry globally. In itself the logistics industry
has one of the severest challenges in the role of Green sustainability. The important areas of Green Logistics
are being able to measure your footprint and create suitable strategies to reduce carbon or particulate
emissions. The improvements in CO2 efficiency for DHL Express India and Blue Dart's operations is
impressive as the business already registered significant increases in CO2 efficiencies in 2009 due to
abatement measures put in place. DHL Express India achieved a massive 29% improvement in 2009, and
Blue Dart achieved 10% improvement in the same year.
Blue Dart - DHL's GoGreen program commits us to continually address issues that affect the environment
Do you have any strategic alliances?
Any energy efficiency measures adopted in your operations?
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and seek innovative solutions to reduce our carbon footprint and provide better services to customers. In
fast-growing, emerging markets such as India, those needs are critical and will grow more so as the world
continues to urbanize and megacities proliferate. The Smart Truck, the intelligent pick-up and deliveryvehicle which computes delivery deadlines to calculate the ideal sequence for shipments, and also uses real-
time GPS to avoid jams is an ideal solution to address this as tour planning would ensure less duration of
the vehicle on the road as well less carbon emission,
We constantly endeavour to create awareness amongst our employees to protect environment by using
the available natural resources judiciously. Observing global days like Earth Hour, Earth Day and World
Environment Day with activities like 'No Printing', 'Carpooling' and 'Share Green Tips', etc. help drive the
message across all our offices. At our workplace we practise energy conservation with the Power Saver:
Lights Off initiative where all offices across Blue Dart Country switch off lights for 15 minutes daily and for an
hour on the last Saturday of every month.
Our vision is to be the best and set the pace in the express air and integrated transportation and
distribution industry, with a business and human conscience. We commit to develop, reward and recognise
our people who, through high quality and professional service, and use of sophisticated technology, will
meet and exceed customer and stakeholder expectations profitably.
We want to establish continuing excellence in delivery capabilities focused on the individual customer.
Blue Dart would like to bring immense value to internal and external stakeholders by incorporating high
benchmarks and quality standards in every aspect of business. This would ensure that Blue Dart advances
as a Brand with a clear focus on fundamentals and stands for Quality, Consistency, Reliability, Passion and
Commitment. With this holistic approach, Blue Dart will remain a dominant force in the industry and
consistently achieve higher growth in the years to come.
What is the vision and mission of your company in India for 2020?
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