Temperature controlled transfer of even perishable products from manufacturers or farms to the end consumer requires technical and quality standards to ensure longer shelf life. Whether storage channelizes refrigerated transport of products or climate controlled warehouses, quality is of utmost import in cold chain management. Growth in retail sector, bio-pharma and food processing sectors have propelled the Indian cold chain segment even though lack of organized logistical support, fragmented distribution of cold chain Industry market and power supply are the main challenges that face the sector today.
The top five sectors dominating the Indian retail market are fresh and processed foods, fashion and fashion accessories, leisure-based products and consumer durables. Dairy products, fruits and vegetables, meat and poultry, fisheries, packaged foods and beverages comprise foods sector which covers the cold chain largesse. However, uneven capacity distribution along with capital intensive market with high operational costs dissuades the growth of organized cold chain logistics in India. Apart from foods sector, integrated cold chain is necessary for enhancing the qualitative shelf life of products such as photographic film, chemicals, vaccines, serums and pharmaceuticals drugs. The varied products dictate the use of advanced technology to preserve and protect the inherent product attributes thus including not only refrigeration but also air quality levels i.e. oxygen, humidity, CO2 etc and other environment factors making cold chain solutions a challenging sector to manage and operate.
Cold chain requires proper coordination between staff, equipment and material in order to avoid the following bottlenecks:
• Breakdown in cold chain due to lack of fuel, transportation, spare parts etc
• Lack of planning
• Inadequacies in maintenance
• Incorrect use of technology
• Lack of management in case of emergencies such as natural disasters, epidemics etc.


Inefficient cold chain affects local markets or farmers adversely since sometimes they do not have the infrastructure, capital or technical knowledge for preservation of their produce. Misaligned warehouses and transportation for temperature sensitive goods adds to their woes. Bringing farmers closer to fresh and safe agricultural produce is Gati Kausar, Gati’s subsidiary, that enables seamless accessibility of integrated logistical support over long distances and wider consumer base thus helping them reach out to countrywide buyers with minimum wastage.
In a nutshell, the cold chain solutions segment is a continually evolving sector that has the potential to grow if approached in an aligned manner eliminating occurrences of fragmented channels.