Balmer Lawrie : and CWC signs MOU for Cold Chain logistics, general warehousing and other ancillary services

Balmer Lawrie and CWC signs MOU for Cold Chain logistics, general warehousing and other ancillary services 20 April 2023

Balmer Lawrie & Co. Ltd., a Miniratna I PSE under Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Government of India (GOI) and Central Warehousing Corporation (CWC), a Miniratna I PSE under Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, GOI signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for utilising storage / warehousing space of CWC for providing Cold Chain logistics, general warehousing and other ancillary services for a period of ten years from the date of sign off. The MOU was signed on 20th April 2023 by Mr. Adhip Nath Palchaudhuri, Director [Service Businesses], Balmer Lawrie & Co. Ltd. and Mr. Rajeev Kumar Bansal, Group General Manager [Commercial], CWC in the presence of senior officials of Balmer Lawrie and CWC.

As part of the association, Balmer Lawrie and CWC will collaborate to leverage each other's capabilities and complement each other to provide best-in-class services to customers in keeping with the growing demands of the segment. The organisations would work together to strengthen and expand their foothold not only in Cold Chain logistics but also general warehousing and distribution pan India.

Speaking about the association, Mr. Adika Ratna Sekhar, Chairman & Managing Director, Balmer Lawrie said, "Balmer Lawrie is extremely happy to associate with CWC as this will give a fillip to its Cold Chain Business Unit's aspiration of achieving Rs 100+ crore by 2027 and also setting up Mini Temperature Controlled Warehouses having a capacity of 1500 to 2000 pallet position in Tier II and Tier III cities across the country. This is indeed a noteworthy alliance that will address the supply gap in the Cold Chain logistics segment and will significantly contribute to the country's economy."

Commenting on the association, Sh. Amit Kumar Singh, Managing Director, CWC said, "We are delighted to partner with Balmer Lawrie. CWC has diversified its operations from time to time to keep pace with the dynamic market. Cold chain business is new to CWC and this association will definitely prove to be a milestone. The synergy of the expertise of Balmer Lawrie in the cold chain field and the reach / presence of CWC at the most strategic locations will change the dynamics of cold chain logistics in the times to come. We have 458 warehouses across the country besides other infrastructure and Balmer Lawrie can leverage them to explore mutually beneficial business opportunities. I believe this is a win-win proposition for both the organisations and it will have positive impact on the logistics industry."

About Balmer Lawrie& Co. Ltd.:
Balmer Lawrie & Co. Ltd. is a diverse Miniratna I, PSE under MOPNG, GOI with presence in both manufacturing and services sectors. With its Joint Venture companies both in India and abroad, Balmer Lawrie has eight strategic business units - Industrial Packaging, Greases & Lubricants, Chemicals, Travel & Vacations, Logistics Infrastructure, Logistics Services, Cold Chain and Refinery & Oil Field Services. In Logistics, Balmer Lawrie is an end-to-end logistics services provider backed by state-of-the-art infrastructure comprising Container Freight Stations, Cold Chain Units, Temperature Controlled Vehicles and Warehouses. Balmer Lawrie is amongst the leaders in the Logistics industry in the organised sector. Balmer Lawrie provides Cold Chain logistics solutions under the brand LOGICOLD.

About Central Warehousing Corporation (CWC):
Central Warehousing Corporation was established under the Warehousing Corporations Act, 1962. It is a Miniratna PSE under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution and is the largest Public Sector warehousing service provider in the country. CWC has been in the field of Warehousing since 1957 and has been providing scientific storage facilities for agricultural produce and other notified commodities. CWC is operating with 458 warehouses having 111.86 lakh metric tons storage capacity through 14 Regional offices and 4 Satellite offices. The corporation is also operating 21 container freight stations/domestic clearance depots, 01 ICP at Petrapole, and one Accompanied Baggage Warehouse (ABW) at IGI Airport Delhi. Currently, CWC is operating 39 custom bonded godowns with a storage capacity of 1.71 lakh metric tons. CWC at present has Warehousing Development and Regulatory Authority (WDRA) compliant 360 General Warehouses spread pan India.