DHL Global Forwarding is capitalising on opportunities in the fashion & apparel logistics industry, which is estimated to be worth US$3.9 billion per annum in South Asia. India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka alone are estimated to account for well over US$2.4 billion in this fast-growing industry.
DHL's services cover the entire logistics value chain of the fashion industry - from material purchasing and sampling business, to quality control of production and direct delivery to the boutiques of international fashion companies.
According to Amadou Diallo, CEO (South Asia Pacific) at DHL Global Forwarding, South Asia is a key sourcing, manufacturing and distribution base for the global fashion industry, with the logistics sector worth more than US$3.9billion a year. In South Asia, finished apparel is the fastest growing segment, and is expected to continue to grow rapidly.
As manufacturing moves to lower cost countries, supply chains in the fashion industry have become extended and more complex, increasing trade and legal demands including import controls, quotas and tariffs.
Apparel & footwear is the largest air- and sea freight export commodity group from South Asia to Europe, accounting for more than 16% of total airfreight export volumes, and 13% of total sea freight export volumes.
India-Germany is the top airfreight export trade lane for South Asia, with apparel & footwear accounting for 33% of total airfreight exports in 2008. Vietnam-Germany is the top sea freight export trade lane for South Asia, with apparel & Footwear accounting for 28% of total sea freight exports in 2008.
The DHL Fashion & Apparel Centre for Excellence in India will comprise a core team of industry professionals who will undergo extensive training with DHL Fashion experts based in Europe and North America.
The centre will develop customised solutions at origin and enable customers to better manage the product flow further upstream in their supply chain. Significant resources will also be dedicated to introducing a range of IT tools to cater to the demands of the different segments of the fashion and apparel industry - tools to enhance visibility, reporting and exception management.
The centre will also oversee best practice implementation of processes that enable prompt and proactive management of supply chain issues that fashion and apparel customers and manufacturers have to deal with.
