DHL Supply Chain is taking on a contract with international medical technology company, Becton Dickinson (BD), to help optimize its warehousing and distribution operations within its India network.
So far, the two companies have already collaborated to launch a new temperature-controlled facility in Luhari, Haryana, in northern India. Other additions and improvements to BD’s network are scheduled for completion by mid-2019.
According to the India Brand Equity Foundation, the life sciences and healthcare industry in India is expected to grow by a compound annual growth rate of more than 16 percent over the next four years, DHL cited. “This makes the healthcare sector a focus area for DHL Supply Chain — especially in India, which has a 2.8 percent share of the global biopharmaceutical market,” said Terry Ryan, CEO of DHL Supply Chain’s Asia-Pacific region.
While the country is experiencing rapid economic expansion – which is, in part, thanks to growth in the healthcare sector via companies like BD – there is still a long way to go in infrastructure development that must occur for the country to sustain such growth.
India’s government is making moves to address the need for improved logistics infrastructure. Earlier this month, the government released a new initiative that outlines a plan to improve its air cargo infrastructure, develop hubs at all of the country’s major airports, and elevate India into the world’s top five airfreight markets.