Mahindra Logistics starts cargo charter operations in Middle East

Mahindra Logistics on Thursday announced that it has commenced cargo charter operations in the Middle East, marking its foray into the overseas market.

The charter business will be an independent division serving customers and partners across multiple verticals and geographies, Mahindra Logistics Ltd said in a statement.

The company said it will service the Middle East region from its headquarter set up in Dubai.

As a neutral player entering the global air cargo charter business, the company said, it will offer dedicated aircraft, enhanced transit time, and the expertise in end-market solution development, among others.

With this launch, the company will augment freight forwarding with cargo charter operations partnering with customers in electronics, consumer durables, pharma and engineering, it said in a statement.

With increasing complexity in global supply chains, cross-border supply chain services have become critical to supply chain resilience, Rampraveen Swaminathan, Managing Director and CEO of Mahindra Logistics, said.

"The UAE, and Dubai, provide us a great launch pad to develop the business. This also marks the first international foray for Mahindra Logistics," Swaminathan said.

The choice of Dubai, UAE as the hub for its global charter operations bears strategic importance, the company said, and added that over the past few decades, the UAE has emerged as India's third largest trading partner in the year 2021-22. Dubai has also emerged as a global and regional trading hub.

"We have chosen Dubai as the location for our air charter brokering business due to the unparalleled access and connectivity it provides," Saurav Chakraborty, head of global cross border solutions at Mahindra Logistics Limited, said.

The company estimates this step will significantly enhance its integrated solutions portfolio in line with the long-term business objectives, he added.