India's Cold Chain Builders

Logistics, the end-to-end process of planning, implementing, and controlling the flow of goods, services, and information, is at the core of every industry you look up, irrespective of currency, demography, and location. Simply put, without the guiding force of logistics, supply chains will collapse, chaos will ensue, industries will be stranded, and market shelves will be bare of products.

- PAROMITA GUPTA

It is integral for the management and supply of perishable goods. However, certain commodities are extremely temperature sensitive, and that’s where cold chain supply comes into play. CC refers to the temperature-controlled supply chain that is specifically designed to maintain and preserve the quality of temperature-sensitive products such as fruits and vegetables, meat and fish, dairy products, and healthcare products. The supply chain encapsulates the transportation, storage, and handling of such goods in a temperature-controlled environment.

THE NEED FOR COLD CHAINS IN INDIA With eight states located on the Tropic of Cancer, India lies on a latitude where the Sun is directly overhead. Between 1901 and 2018, the country’s average temperature rose by 0.7 degree Celsius and is expected to keep on rising. India Meteorological Department reported that in April 2023, the average maximum temperature hit 34.19 ºC. India is the world’s largest producer of milk, second largest for fruits and vegetables and contributes a good number in the production of marine, meat and poultry products. Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) reported that a rough 40 per cent of food produced in India is wasted annually due to fragmented food and inefficient supply chain system, and about 29% of vaccines go waste due to damages and temperature variations during transit.

THE TEMPERATURE LEVELS- The standard temperature for a cold chain ranges between minus 30 degree Celsius and 15 degree Celsius, depending on the products. It is typically categorized into five: Deep freeze (-25 to -30 Celsius), Frozen (-10 to -20 Celsius), Chill (2 to 4 Celsius), Pharmaceutical (2 to 8 Celsius), and Banana (12 to 14 Celsius).