DHL Group has announced a massive investment commitment of around €1 billion in India by 2030 across its business units covering life sciences, healthcare, new energy, e-commerce, sustainability and digitalisation.

On the same day as the announcement, Libin Chacko Kurian sat down with Vikas Anand, Managing Director, India, DHL Supply Chain, in Mumbai to understand how this long-term plan translates for India’s contract logistics market.

For the first time in India, DHL Group will buy land and build large-scale, multi-client, future-ready campuses under its global RES (Real Estate Solutions) programme.

Instead of waiting for a large contract, DHL is investing proactively in scalable multi-client infrastructure in key cities, enabling faster onboarding and flexible growth.

DHL Supply Chain has doubled from 9 million sq ft to 20 million sq ft since 2021 and will continue adding a minimum of 2 million sq ft every year, including new sites in upcoming industrial regions like Dholera, Guwahati, and Coimbatore.

Vikas confirms a major shift: automation will be mandatory in all new contracts, even in India’s low-labour-cost environment — from robotic systems to frugal automation built with local partners.

Our Correspondent

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