ACFI Conclave 2025 highlights India’s leadership in global air logistics

The Air Cargo Forum India (ACFI) concluded its annual conclave at the Taj Palace, New Delhi. The mega gathering consisted of delegates from leading corporations in Air logistics, policymakers, and prominent think tanks from India and abroad. The conclave was themed “Air Cargo Leadership in a Changing World.” It focused on four key themes: resilience through innovation, sustainable and green cargo infrastructure, express logistics and e-commerce acceleration, cargo security, regulations, and risk management.

Sanjiv Edward, President, ACFI and CEO – Cargo and Logistics, GMR Group, chaired the inaugural session. The other participants were Arun Kumar, Honorary Secretary ACFI and Managing Director, Infinity Supply Chain Solutions Pvt Ltd, Avinash Razdan, Honorary Treasurer, Group CEO – CSC Group (Delhi Cargo Service Center), Karanjit Singh Wadhwa, Chairman, ACFI Event Management and Director, Grace Group, Satish Lakkaraju, Board Member, ACFI and CEO, Nexgen Logistics Pvt Ltd, Glyn Hughes, Director General, TIACA,  Piyush Srivastava, Senior  Economic Adviser,  Ministry of Civil Aviation, Dheeraj Rastogi, Principal Commissioner of Customs, Delhi Customs and Ramesh Mamidala, Head Cargo Commercial, Air India Ltd.

In his presidential address, Edward said the cargo stood at a pivotal historical moment. He said that India was no longer a silent facilitator of global trade. The air cargo industry has emerged as a strategic enabler of economic growth. India was at the forefront of this global transformation. India’s ambition in logistics has shifted from incremental change to leapfrogging for the future, where the Indian air cargo sector becomes an international benchmark. In concluding remarks, he said, “Together let us rise to this moment, when air cargo soars, India roars. And when India awakens, the world looks at us.”

The Chief Guest of Honour, Rastogi, emphasised the need to ensure compliance with a host of laws governing goods entering or exiting India, both speedily and efficiently. At the same time, measures should be taken to protect the country from unlawful intrusions of cargo. The strategy in the past decade had been to automate most of the tasks in the chain. The process started with digitalisation and graduated into the integration of stakeholders. Subsequently, there was the emergence of SWIFT, followed by eSANCHIT and the development of the risk management system. This ensured that we focused on noncompliance and, at the same time, facilitated the compliant trade.

The second Chief Guest of Honour, Srivastava, said that the global geopolitical situation would not improve for quite some time. India needed to be ready for this disruption through innovation and technology. He conceded that this change was difficult. The demand could be instant and unpredictable, but ramping up the supply took time. He felt it was necessary to concentrate on disruptive changes. They were inevitable and part of the system. The aviation sector is undergoing many changes and may not be the same 20 years down the line.

Glyn Hughes, Director General of TIACA, said that in 2025, the industry faced one of the biggest challenges as trade policy was dictated by the world’s largest economy, which sought to unravel the success of the last three decades. We could not afford to rewind the success, which was why the event’s theme was crucial and apt.

On this occasion, ACFI signed an MoU with TIACA to strengthen global collaboration and knowledge sharing.

Further, ACFI and ASCELA Insights released the knowledge paper ‘India’s Air Cargo Horizon—Seizing Global Reroutes, Regional Dominance and Resilience’, unveiling a transformative vision to position India as a global air cargo hub.

The first Business Session was themed, From Turbulence to Triumph – India’s Air Cargo Rise in a New World Order. Ramesh Mamidala moderated the session. The participants included Mark Sutch, Chief Commercial Officer – CarGo International, IndiGo (InterGlobe Aviation Ltd), Suvendu Choudhury, Vice President, Operations Planning & Engineering, India, FedEx, and Rajkumar S, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Sequel Logistics Private Limited. Himanshu Pant, Managing Director & CEO, MGH Group, and Vineet Malhotra, Director, Kale Logistics.

Dwelling on the session’s theme, Sutch said that the next twelve months would be highly uncertain due to the regional geopolitical situation. But he felt that the air cargo industry was very resilient. The industry was able to tide over the Red Sea crisis, even though the crisis has not abated.

The second Business Session was on the Tech-Driven Cargo: Accelerating Express, E-Commerce & Data-Led Operations. The Moderator was Lakkaraju. The panellists were Joyce Tai, Executive Vice President,  Freightos; Cyrus Katgara, Partner, Jeena & Company; Rajesh Menon, Regional Head of Cargo for South Asia, Middle East, and Africa, Cathay Cargo; Ravinder Kumar Pathri, Managing Director, Sales, FedEx, Alok Kumar Singh, Lead Logistics, Tata Electronics and Parvinder Singh, Managing  Director,  Hans Informatics.

Pathri discusses the progression of technology in his company. He explains that the device they had created measures the real-time visibility of sensitive cargo. It would give real-time information about the package to the minute. The device could monitor temperature, provide stock information, humidity, light exposure, and track compliance. FedEx was planning to be carbon neutral by 2040.

The third Business Session dwelt on Business Session Green Corridors & Sustainable Trade Lane – Air Cargo’s ESG Imperative. The session was moderated by Keku Bomi Gazder, Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer, Aviapro Logistics Services Pvt Ltd. The engaging panellists were Anupama Kachhap, Head of Commercial, WFS Bengaluru Private Limited, Glyn Hughes, Director General, TIACA, and Kadhir Kadhiravan, Dy. Chief Executive Officer, GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd, Dinkar Singh, Director, Public Affairs, Indian Subcontinent, UPS, and Devi James Melchoir, Senior Vice President – Logistics, Indev Infra Private Limited.

Hughes, dwelling on the theme, said that five years ago, sustainability was a subject that was not talked about in conferences. This has now changed. There are now discussions on Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). The aviation industry is expected to be net zero by 2050. Globally, SAF production would account for about 1% of the fuel needs this year, costing more than 3 times the regular fuel. It was estimated that the world would need about 8000 refineries to produce the fuel required, which would require significant investments from the Government. It would also call for a firm commitment from the aviation sector.

The fourth and concluding Business Session was themed on Securing India’s Cargo Future: Compliance, Risk and Resilience by Design. The session was conducted by Yashpal Sharma, Chairman and Managing Director, Skyways Group. The participants in the discussion were Keku Bomi Gazder, Managing Director & CEO, Aviapro Logistics Services Pvt. Ltd, P Balasubramanium, Founder & CEO, Air Cargo Consultancy International Services (ACCIS), Rajesh Menon is the Regional Head of Cargo for South Asia, Middle East, and Africa (SAMEA), Dr Ravi Prakash Mathur, Head – Global Freight and Projects, Apollo Tyres Ltd, Kiran Jain, COO, Noida International Airport, Giridharan Srinivasan, Area General Manager – Indian Subcontinent, Commercial, Etihad Cargo and Faizabad Ahmed, Vice President, ICICI Lombard

Yash asked Giridharan about the risks involved in the logistics industry. He responded that new-age risks are constantly evolving. Today, cyber risk is one of the most significant risks encountered by the industry. Yet, people do not have answers to resolve this huge liability. India is the most susceptible country to cybercrimes.

Based on her experience in airports, Jain said that most airports worldwide focus on cargo, not passengers. However, the upcoming Noida Airport was a greenfield project, allowing them to focus on both. Whether it be sustainability, compliance, or risk management, it ultimately came down to proper airport design.

The conclave ended with the Innovation Awards Ceremony, recognising trailblazing innovations shaping the industry’s future. AFA focuses on a pivotal crossroads in a world marked by geopolitical shifts, technological disruption, and evolving consumer expectations. Leadership in this changing environment demands more than operational efficiency—it requires vision, agility, and collaboration across the entire value chain. As India emerges as a global logistics hub, forward-thinking leadership becomes critical in shaping resilient and digitally empowered air cargo ecosystems. The Air Cargo Forum India underscores this transformative journey, reminding us that authentic leadership is not just about navigating change but anticipating it, embracing innovation, and charting a bold path forward.