Rasna Chairman calls for greater cold chain investment; says Indian ports ill-equipped for perishables – CNBC TV18

Rasna Group Chairman and Managing Director Piruz Khambatta has said that Indian ports face bottlenecks in handling frozen and perishable products at a given price. Stating that investment is on the way, Khambatta called for more investment in cold chain infrastructure, adding that India’s “ports” are “not yet equipped for it.” He was speaking in response to a question on the extent of piling up of export shipments of perishables like fruits, vegetables, and rice at India’s western ports due to continuing tensions in West Asia.

He highlighted a common issue being faced by manufacturers and traders on inverted duty structure, as they were unable to use accumulated duties or credit. He was speaking on the sidelines of an MoU he signed with the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) in New Delhi to work jointly for trade expansion, digital solutions, skill development, training, micro-enterprise incubation, and advocacy. The partnership aims to expand Rasna’s beverage and allied businesses through CAIT’s network of thousands of trade associations across India.

Rasna and CAIT will jointly launch an Indian B2B digital portal where retailers across the country will be able to place orders online. Stating that the MoU will boost the Indian FMCG sector, accused a few companies of trying to enter the country and undermine the local ecosystem. Noting that a partnership with a traders’ body will allow Rasna to give its products at preferential treatment to Indian traders, he pointed to plans to create a system to support Make In India and protect livelihood of millions of small traders through formalization of trade.

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