The logistic sector in India is male-dominated. However, like their counterparts in other professions, women in this industry are continuously seeing success and growth.
Sunita Joshi (50) started Logismith in Chandigarh in 2016 after separating from her husband. In a conversation with BusinessKhabar, she shared the difficulties faced during the establishment of the business and explained how she faced the challenges. Sunita says,
“After separating from my husband, I started a business primarily to ensure my daughter’s well-being and secure her future. When I and my husband were together, we started a logistics company that helped me a little bit. Thus I enjoyed using my knowledge and skills and entering the industry on my own. ”
Logismith is a third-party logistics service provider that supports last-mile operations for Amazon India and BlueDart.
how did it start?
In 1990, Sunita along with her ex-husband founded Mithali Associates, which supported the last-mile delivery of the Blue Dart.
Sunita says,
“My ex-husband’s acquaintances at BlueDart told him the need for logistic support for their last-mile delivery. They believed it was a lucrative business opportunity and we started Mithali Associates. The company has been involved with BlueDart for 29 years. Third party logistics services. “
Sunita’s daughter was in class 9 when she separated from her husband. However, with experience in the logistics field, it did not take him long to start working again.
Sunita faced some challenges in the early days. She says she was often told by people that she would not be able to survive alone in the logistics industry because she was a woman. However, she was firm.
His mother and close friends supported him and even offered monetary assistance in the form of starting capital.
Sunita launched her business operations with six boys in Chandigarh, Mohali and Panchkula. Over a period of four years, the company now operates in up to 30 upcountry and rural pin codes, including Manali, Rampur and Bilaspur, and the company employs over 120 delivery executives.
Logismith recently entered Patiala for its delivery operation. On average, the company delivers 2,000–3,000 packages a day.
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Industry
The logistic sector in India is projected to grow at a CAGR of 10.5 percent between 2019 and 2025. It has been awarded infrastructure status, leading to a boom in investment.
The eCommerce sector will be one of the biggest contributors to the growth of the logistics industry during the forecast period. While the eCommerce industry is seeing an increase in its sales during the festive season, the logistics sector is also growing during the season. Ecommerce companies have started expecting strong logistic support.
During the Great Online Shopping Festival in 2018, Amazon India was looking for a last-mile delivery operator that could help them service PIN codes in Himachal Pradesh. It was around this time that the legendary eCommerce company reached out to Logismith.
Sunita says that the partnership between Logismith and Amazon India helped her perform more in the world of logistics apart from expanding her business operations to other pin codes.
Sunita says,
“Amazon has created many opportunities that help its partners and associates develop technical and operational skills. They have given us a mobile based e-learning platform. It includes content and videos in regional languages that focus on formal customer contact etiquette, beauty, security and overall delivery for a rich customer experience. ”
“A large part of Amazon’s training to delivery partners ensures that they are dependent on new technology that is widely used in our facilities and during delivery,” she said.
She says that during the time of the COVID-19 pandemic, Logismith was helped in many ways by ensuring the safety of officials from the Amazon to provide an Allied Support Fund.
road ahead
Regarding her future plans, Sunita says that she is waiting for the Rohtang-Lahaul-Spiti valley tunnel to open, which will reduce the distance between Manali and Lahaul by about 45 km.
This, she says, will help Logismith expand its business to a few more pin codes and move its operations to new geographies for both Blue Dart and Amazon India.
