Driving digital logistics

How is Kale’s Cargo Community System transforming air cargo at Indian airports and adapting to e-commerce growth?

Our Cargo Community System (CCS) is digitizing processes to reduce dwell time, enhance coordination and eliminate paperwork. A unified dashboard enables digital document submission and smart truck slot booking, slashing turnaround times from hours to minutes. Technologies like OCR and APIs automate data sharing and significantly improve export processing. As e-commerce grows, CCS is scaling to handle higher volumes while staying compliant with GST and e-waybill norms. AI-driven analytics, predictive models, and route optimization tools further boost supply chain responsiveness.

What challenges and solutions emerged during the rollout of CCS in global locations?

Rolling out CCS in Africa brought unique challenges like regulatory fragmentation, digital readiness gaps and infrastructure limitations. We addressed these through flexible workflows, stakeholder engagement and change management programmes. In Oman, the National Port Community System rollout improved customs clearance rates, shipment visibility and compliance through real-time data sharing and digitalization, offering a blueprint for success in similar regions.

How are AI models and IoT tools improving efficiency in warehouse operations and client decision-making?

AI models such as time series forecasting and machine learning help predict cargo arrivals, manage demand and optimize inventory. These tools reduce dwell time and inventory mismatches. Real-time tracking powered by IoT gives clients full visibility into shipment location and status. This helps them reroute, reschedule and adjust supply chain plans proactively, improving operational efficiency and customer satisfaction.

What benefits have clients seen from truck slot management and digital trade corridors, and how does blockchain support this?

Truck slot management reduces waiting time and congestion, directly saving time and costs. Digital trade corridors enable pre-arrival information sharing between airports, enhancing cargo visibility and decision-making. Blockchain secures and simplifies documentation, improving transparency and trust in cross-border processes.

How do drone-enabled last-mile solutions fit into Kale’s logistics ecosystem?
Drones help bypass traffic and tough terrain, cutting delivery time and cost for small, high-priority shipments. Equipped with GPS and sensors, they ensure accurate navigation and secure delivery. Our CCMS integrates with drone systems for tracking and real-time updates, making them a practical extension for time-sensitive deliveries.

What is the role of Kale’s Centre of Excellence and how will your recent $30 million funding support new initiatives?

Our Center of Excellence in Pune drives innovation with a focus on AI applications, skill-building and best practices. The recent $30 million funding will boost global expansion, accelerate R&D in deep tech and promote wider adoption of digital logistics solutions. We are also partnering with industry associations to scale tech adoption across the sector.

What major barriers do you face in deploying tech and how are they addressed?
Resistance to change and lack of digital awareness remain challenges. In some markets, stakeholders are reluctant or slow to adopt new systems. We address this through awareness-building, training and demonstrating measurable benefits to users. Once stakeholders see the impact like reduced paperwork and faster processing, they become advocates of the system.

Any final thoughts or trends to highlight?

Sustainability is central to the future of logistics. Technology helps reduce environmental impact through paperless operations and fuel-efficient routing. Some airports have already saved millions of paper copies and hundreds of gallons of fuel using our solutions. The fusion of smart-tech and sustainable practices is the way forward for the entire industry.