Following our post on Pakistan, we continue our Local Heroes series. This blog post focuses on the supply chain in India, which is shaped by the long-standing partnership between SupplyX and Jeena & Company. With Jeena & Company, we are introducing one of the country’s last major independent logistics service providers. In this interview, Sam N. Katgara discusses the long-standing partnership with SupplyX. He talks about the challenges of the Indian market and explains why trust is crucial.
Jeena & Company, headquartered in Mumbai, looks back on an impressive history. The family-owned business has been in operation for 125 years and is now led by the fourth generation. The company has 27 locations in India and a global partner network. It offers comprehensive logistics solutions for exports and imports. This makes Jeena & Company exactly the right partner for SupplyX and our European customers.
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Mr. Katgara, how long has Jeena & Company’s partnership with the Otto Group/SupplyX been in place?
Sam N. Katgara: The Otto Group is one of our oldest partners. We are now in the 41st year of our collaboration. While we also maintain long-standing relationships with other partners in various countries – some dating back as far as 35 years – I would say that what we have with SupplyX is something special in terms of its quality and consistency.
What makes your company a local hero in India?
Sam N. Katgara: We are a highly reliable, well-established, and compliant freight forwarder and customs broker. Furthermore, we are now one of the last remaining independent companies of our size in India. Many of our local competitors have been acquired by multinational corporations or are no longer active in the market as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. These qualities make us what SupplyX calls a “Local Hero.”
What specific knowledge and experience do you bring to the partnership?
Sam N. Katgara: Our business with the Otto Group and India began in the mid-1980s and was initially of minor importance. Over time, we have significantly simplified the Otto Group’s procurement in India. We offer reliable service and ensure transparent, precise information. Our partners always knew exactly where their goods were and when they would reach their destination.
Precisely because India is not an easy market environment in a global context, this reliability has played a key role in strengthening SupplyX’s confidence in the Indian procurement market. On this basis, our collaboration has continued to evolve, making the Otto Group one of our most important customers and strategic partners today.
As a locally based freight forwarder with many years of market experience, we have a deep understanding of the Indian logistics landscape. We have specifically incorporated this knowledge into the development of our own systems, as no standard solution met the specific requirements of the Indian market. Our systems are individually tailored to local conditions. They take into account customs processes, port and airport structures, as well as collaboration with airlines, shipping lines, and transport companies. This enables us to provide our international partners with real-time information, thereby offering them the foundation for a reliable and transparent service to their own customers.
What specific benefits does the partnership with SupplyX offer your customers?
Sam N. Katgara: In any partnership, transparency is the key factor for trust. It is precisely this trust that we have built up over many years together with SupplyX with regard to service, rates, and margins. On this basis, we have succeeded in continuously growing our business and holding our own successfully despite intense competition. This trust is the essential contribution we make.
Even though it may sound unusual, there is still often a degree of reluctance toward Indian companies. We are actively working to change this perception and demonstrate that there are indeed reliable and trustworthy partners – just like us.
What are the typical challenges in India in the field of logistics and supply chain management?
Sam N. Katgara: There is practically no day when you can walk into the office and say, “Today will be a quiet workday in India.” There is always something going on; new challenges constantly arise. Somewhere there is a strike, a flood, a famine, or a heatwave. Since we operate nationwide, there is always a situation somewhere that needs to be resolved at short notice.
How do you deal with these challenges?
Sam N. Katgara: A key factor is our team, which is characterized by a high degree of commitment and flexibility. The willingness to go the extra mile is firmly anchored in our corporate culture. We continuously adapt to new circumstances, for example, by switching to other locations in the event of strikes or backlogs at individual airports. The same applies to ports, where we can fall back on several options.
If bottlenecks occur in the air freight sector, we shift shipments to sea freight, for example via Dubai or Singapore, and organize onward transport from there. Further challenges arise from delayed deliveries by suppliers. In such cases, we also work overnight, obtain necessary special permits, and ensure that the goods are still loaded on time. We no longer view these situations as exceptions – they have become part of our daily business.
How do you assess the development of the logistics market in India?
Sam N. Katgara: We are currently in a very favorable position. While many countries around the world are facing economic difficulties, geopolitical tensions, and sanctions, India continues to develop dynamically. India is one of the few markets that is strongly positioned in both exports and imports. As a result, demand for logistics services remains stable.
Regardless of whether import or export activities grow more strongly, there will be a continuous need for our services. Overall, the market thus offers very good long-term prospects.
Mr. Katgara, thank you very much for the insights.