DHL eCommerce to invest Euro 70 mn to augment e-commerce

"Catering to the increasing shipment volumes by B2C e-commerce consumers in India, the air hubs, measuring 5,761 sqm and 4,274 sqm in Delhi and Mumbai respectively, will be equipped with automation to handle a daily volume of over 500 tonnes," the statement said.

The automation in both air hubs enables Blue Dart to process higher volumes of inbound and outbound shipments in a shorter span of time for distribution to consumers across India by air, it said.

With the Mumbai air hub located at an airside facility, it will further accelerate the speed of domestic cross-border air shipments, streamlining customs processes and boosting on-time performance, it added.

"The e-commerce industry is an extremely exciting one that offers tremendous opportunities for businesses and consumers alike. The global B2C cross border e-commerce market will multiply in size to USD 1 trillion in 2020 ," said Juergen Gerdes, CEO, Post - eCommerce - Parcel, Deutsche Post DHL Group.

The company said the growth is driven by increasing consumption from expanding middle classes, greater mobile and internet penetration and improving logistics and infrastructure as consumers increasingly shop online and expect shorter delivery times.

"The US and Asia Pacific are the two largest B2C e- commerce markets in the world, and the opening of these new facilities will be another milestone in the expansion of DHL eCommerce logistics network. India is a really important market for us and is one of the fastest-growing, with B2C e-commerce expected to grow from EUR 9.6 billion in 2016 to between EUR 30-40 billion in 2020 ," said Charles Brewer, CEO, DHL eCommerce.

"This investment in India, as well as recent investments in the Americas and elsewhere in Asia Pacific this year, showcases our commitment to the e-commerce industry by delivering high quality, reliable logistics solutions to meet the rising demands of e-commerce consumers.