Cold chain firms readying to meet spurt in festive demand

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- S SHANTHI

INDIA'S 135 cold chain logistics firms are working at a feverish pitch to ready themselves for a spike in festive demand. The rise in orders this year of frozen desserts, dairy products, ready-to-eat products and mithai, Sameer Varma, executive director, ColdStar, believes, could be about 20-25% more than usual festive jump. That's thanks to the increasing capacity at quick commerce platforms, which deliver in 10-15 minutes.

Swarup Bose, founder and CEO, Celcius Logistics, said the growth is being fuelled not only by established brands but also by the expansion into new markets and the entry of smaller brands from Tier 2 cities into Tier 1 cities. The big concern now is a possible shortage of reefer vehicles or refrigerated vehicles. Chandrakala Bobba, director, Bobba Group, says the festive rush this year coincides with more consumer spending and a shift towards convenience. His firm has come up with a 'Pay As You Store' model which gives brands the flexibility to pay only for the days and space they actually use. This, it believes, makes festive scaling seamless, without being locked into long-term commitments.