One of the strongest pillars of the Indian economy, logistics is without a doubt, scaling new heights in recent times. As a cost-effective solution to transportation of goods across the country, the industry is seeing tremendous growth and technological advancements. Besides increasing competition with the entry of new players in the market, the length and complexity supply chains and has increased the number of suppliers at all levels, which makes it ripe for disruption.

Following the law of supply and demand, when prices of goods increases, there are more suppliers over that period of time. As compared to previous decades, we are now doing an increased amount of trade among each other and due to this increase in number of vendors logistics have become highly fragmented and commoditised.

When we talk about the entire supply chain process, the objective of a disruptor is to increase time, processes, quality and cost efficiency. On the other hand, logistics in specific is often a commoditised part of the supply chain and the role of a disruptor is to reduce costs and improve services in terms of time, handling and other auxiliary services. Hence, the act of a disruptor, which will supposedly shake up the entire supply chain at once, will fundamentally be a technological one and we are already seeing several signs of this taking place.

A prime example of technology disrupting supply chains is in the increasing use of 3D printing, which has changed the entire way products are produced, warehoused, distributed, transported and even serviced. Another example is blockchains, which claim to make the entire supply chain process extremely transparent and secure.

A general perception, which is fast changing, is that the logistics and transportation

sectors have lagged behind in technological innovation as compared to other sectors in India. With the Internet of Things (IoT), coming into logistical operations, the game is set to change. The IoT is a network of physical objects that are technologically capable of collecting and exchanging data. This allows for ground breaking access to real-time information and has the potential to transform the entire logistics sector, including end-to-end supply chain. IoT will also bring in unprecedented clarity in to operations, influence logistics and other decisions on how goods are produced, stored, routed, monitored and delivered to customers. In warehousing, IoT will also allow companies to track and manage inventory using mobile technology. No doubt then, that this is being seen as the most disruptive technology in the supply chain today.

As the industry moves from being a mere service provider to end-to-end solutions, it has paved the way for technology to play a growing role and makes the future look promising

The use of robotics in supply chain management has also been a major break through for the industry. The Innovation has led to the adoption of light weight, agile robots, which through artificial intelligence and sensors will work along with human resources to perform automated tasks. In the future, robots will also be used to carry out routine tasks like unloading trucks, packing, picking up orders, shipping, and inventory, all with high levels of accuracy.

As innovations in technological advancements continue to grip the logistics sector, self-driven vehicles are seen as the next big thing. Supply chain and logistics professionals are actively considering this as a new way to alter operations. These vehicles have the potential to significantly reduce labour costs and increase efficiency, as they can do so without breaks, as required by man. Self-driven vehicles will also be employed at warehouses for transportation and other facilities. Besides achieving higher levels of safety, self-driven vehicles will also transform the supply chain by being able to load and transport every shape and size of products.

In the logistics space, disruptors using technology will actively reduce in costs (in terms of discovery, work hours etc.) as well as increase services (in terms of reduced transit times, better communication leading to reduced errors, discovery and others.). Freight Aggregator Platforms will be able to provide on the spot comparative analysis as well as ensure transparency and control over logistics using the IoT.

With the growth of the economy and e-Commerce in specific, there is an increasing need for logistics and the Indian industry is set to robustly grow at 10-15 percent annually and will lead the pace of growth for the rest of the economy at large. As the industry moves from being a mere service provider to end-to-end solutions, it has paved the way for technology to play a growing role and makes the future look promising.