Exclusive Interview with Sudhir Unnikrishnan, SVP and MD, Blume Global India

Logistics infrastructure and digitization will help India get on a level playing field with China and other countries that have more developed processes. This is the first step to making India an attractive location for more business investment. Blume Global India aims to help shippers create efficient, cost-effective, and resilient supply chain processes. If each of its customers has an optimized supply chain, they not only experience value on the individual level, but their efficiencies help the entire supply chain function at a higher level. Analytics Insight has engaged in an exclusive interview with Sudhir Unnikrishnan, SVP and MD of Blume Global India.

With what mission and objectives, the company was set up in India?

Logistics infrastructure is a stated focus of the central government, and we are excited about this invigorated emphasis on an industry we know well. The latest Union Budget's inclusion of multimodal logistics and infrastructure will be a boon to the economy in a country where logistics costs account for 14 percent of GDP, a significantly higher percentage than the global average of 8 percent. But it's not just about reducing costs; logistics infrastructure and digitization will help India get on a level playing field with China and other countries that have more developed processes. This is the first step to making India an attractive location for more business investment.  I also want to draw attention to the Union Budget's inclusion of investment in four multi-modal logistics parks throughout India. This will continue to create the ability for increased logistics competition. By streamlining complex logistics infrastructure into four all-encompassing locations – one-stop shops, if you will – the central government is making it clear that logistics is a priority in 2022.

Now this supply chain boom will not happen overnight, and there are still numerous steps the states and the stakeholders need to take to prepare India to become a logistics powerhouse. But the will is certainly there. As experts in rail and intermodal freight transportation with technology that optimizes logistics operations across all modes, we are in a unique position to help India on this logistics journey. How are we going to do that? Our expertise is twofold: As the only technology provider of true end-to-end supply chain orchestration solutions, we enable our customers with visibility and execution agility from sourcing and manufacturing to final delivery. This supply chain digitization aspect is extremely important to create a fully optimized, lean supply chain. So that's the digital infrastructure piece, but the physical infrastructure is just as important. We assist shippers and other supply chain stakeholders by sharing our deep expertise in supply chain management, logistics, and freight shipping. While the governments are aligned on the importance of the supply chain to the Indian economy, it is up to shippers and other logistics users to help develop the Indian supply chain of the future. We are helping introduce sophisticated supply chain techniques to the industry, so supply chain participants are familiar with how to pool assets to create a more optimized and efficient network, for example. We see ourselves as true investors in India's supply chain and look forward to a long relationship with customers throughout India.

This is our goal in the Indian market: Help shippers create efficient, cost-effective, and resilient supply chain processes. If each of our customers has an optimized supply chain, they not only experience value on the individual level, but their efficiencies help the entire supply chain function at a higher level. Congestion ebbs and flows, but creating new opportunities for shippers with innovative visibility solutions will make it easier for them to predict and spot these changes in the market, allowing them to act accordingly before potential pain points become major issues. Put in another way, our tailored technology solutions give our customers the power to react to constant manufacturing and logistics changes with control-tower precision. In a world where receiving notifications that there is an issue in the shipment lifecycle is still an issue, our customers receive real-time exceptions and mitigation options to get shipments back on track immediately. Blume solutions are also invaluable supply and demand planning tools, but that's not all; we enable customers to track supply chain sustainability metrics during the manufacturing and freight transportation process. This is a crucial capability because it allows customers to take an active role in reducing their greenhouse gas emissions.

To see the systemic changes that need to occur in the global supply chain to prevent, or at least anticipate, the next seismic disruption, we need to foster collaboration among all parties in the supply chain. We are the only neutral supply chain provider that can accomplish that goal in India. During the COVID-19 crisis, the entire supply chain suffered; we're in India to make sure that manufacturers and other customers have the tools to prepare for the next disruption.

Kindly mention some of the major challenges the company has faced till now.

The Indian sector as a whole need to focus both on physical and digital infrastructure. It is encouraging that the governments are so committed to creating physical infrastructure, and as a leader in our industry, we are helping guide these efforts and make sure infrastructure is put in place where it is needed the most. Embracing supply chain digitization is a concurrent step in the process, done at an individual company level. Taken together, with our guidance, these actions will put the Indian logistics community on par with competitors like China.

What is your biggest USP that differentiates the company from competitors?

Our solutions are preparing our customers for the future and giving them the power of change. With Blume, customers can plan, optimize and automate transportation management and execution across all modes of transport, routes, and carriers. With the ability to dynamically change the transportation plan and associated execution, customers can take advantage of opportunities and address issues impacting delivery dates, cargo quality, and cost. Also, they can enhance existing transportation management systems by providing an extensive network of adopted carriers, ensuring transportation capacity is always available. We provide the only platform to combine a powerful globally connected network of partners with insights generated by decades of data and expertise across the end-to-end supply chain.

What are the most important trends that you see emerging across the globe?

Given the disruptions from the pandemic, companies around the world are going back to the drawing board on their processes and how they can best predict and combat any issues that may come in the future. While supply chain digitization was important before the pandemic, now companies around the globe have realized that a resilient digitized supply chain is a must-have.

How do you plan to revolutionize the Indian market and what are your plans to tap the market?

At Blume Global, we develop and support supply chain technology on the cusp of innovation by cultivating knowledge and valuing the diverse opinions of dedicated employees on a global scale. India, as many know, has long been desired for its research and development, IT, and technology. Companies commonly have offices in places like Bangalore dedicated to R&D and IT functions forming the "offshore" office fueling US functions, however, Blume India is much more than the R&D arm of Blume Global. We've worked tirelessly to gather a cross-section of the company in our Bangalore office to ensure India operations can further fulfill the Blume mission.  Our industry is without international boundaries, so our success is dependent on intelligent, savvy supply chain technology experts in every office—our headquarters in the Bay Area of California, here in Bangalore, and everywhere in between. There is no room for offshore thinking at a global logistics technology company. Inclusive thinking should be at the heart of any innovative, forward-looking company. Creating an integral office in India also speaks to a company's commitment to diversity. Do they value diversity in perspectives and new ways of looking at supply chain problems?

What are your growth plans for the next 12 months?

Blume Global India has a startup approach to our operations, even though our Bangalore office is more than two years old now. When we opened the office, it was much more than a new company setting up shop: it represented the entry of a supply chain leader with more than 25 years of industry experience. We have a deep history in the global supply chain, and that is reflected in everything from the data sets that fuel our machine learning algorithms to how we work with customers on a one-to-one level to tailor our solutions to fit their business needs. We are here to educate and consult as much as we are here to provide solutions.

Starting as Rez-1 in 1994, a company that provided asset management, billing, domestic reload, and other services to the U.S. railroad industry, we have grown into a global supply chain technology provider. The long history of intermodal supply chain data and service is the foundation of Blume's offerings and expertise today.

How is your company helping customers deliver relevant business outcomes through the adoption of the company's technology innovations?

Freight transportation by truck is by far the largest part of India's supply chain, and as trucking technology experts, we can help cultivate efficiencies in the Indian supply chain starting with that most vital of modes. As the market experiences the benefits of CarrierGo and the value of connecting with other value partners on our global network, we will also look to Indian manufacturers and other supply chain users to help them establish resilient and agile value chains. Our existing solutions have been created for the task at hand. Imbedding resiliency in the supply chain has to be a worldwide effort involving all stakeholders.

We are not interested in bringing solutions to supply chain and freight transportation customers that do not need them. Our strategy in India is to understand the pain points shippers are confronting and show them all the ways digitization – be it in the form of real-time transportation visibility or our transportation management software solution – can help them develop robust, resilient supply chains.

Our strategy also involves speaking directly to the many carriers and drivers that are the lifeblood of the Indian supply chain. We know that smaller carriers will continue to play a significant role in providing cost-effective capacity, especially when capacity is highly constrained. That's why we've brought Blume Global CarrierGo to the market as a very cost-effective way for trucking companies to digitize their operations, enabling them to electronically transact with their customers and potentially generate more business. carrier is highly valuable to both the carrier and the carrier's customers by enabling automation, tracking, iPad, and highly accurate electronic invoices. More information is available at https://www.carriergo.com.

Please share some major achievements of Blume Global under your leadership

The pandemic created a unique set of challenges for Blume India, but we as a team persevered. We were fortunate to retain exceptional talent and build a strong group of professionals over the last two years. When working from home became a reality, we managed to keep everyone motivated during that period and produce. We were also keen on both the wants and needs of our workforce and their family, while also ensuring their health and safety.

While our primary headquarters are in Silicon Valley, our office in Bangalore is more than just a satellite space for R&D teams; we've intentionally tried to hire a cross-section of our company in India, putting our teams on equal footing. That's the only way to create a truly global supply chain technology company.

What is your Leadership Mantra?

Throughout the years, my leadership mantra has always been, "Maintain a never-say-die attitude and effective delegation, but always know the pulse of the people."