Growth market India: Cold-chain logistics on the rise

In the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) latest economic outlook, India ranks first among 30 major economies. Experts forecast real gross domestic product (GDP) growth of 6.4 percent for 2026 and 6.7 percent for next year. With his “Amrit Kaal” vision, Prime Minister Narendra Modi aims to achieve a nominal GDP of 30 trillion U.S. dollars by 2047. a. hartrodt India is prepared for this momentum: “We cover the entire logistics value chain, from the supply chain through warehousing to first- and last-mile delivery,” says Managing Director Ajay Kumar Bhatt.

European products are popular in India

He expects import and export volumes to rise, in part due to the EU-India Free Trade Agreement signed in late January 2026, which could take effect starting next year: “European products are in high demand here.” His examples range from French wine and Scottish whiskey to German cars. “Europe is an enormously important partner for us,” he emphasizes.

Temperature-controlled clusters in the ports 

In the world’s most populous country, a. hartrodt has successfully established itself in the B2B sector. According to Ajay Kumar Bhatt, temperature-controlled supply chains are on the rise: “India is the world's second-largest fresh fruit importer, driven by rising health awareness, higher incomes, and a growing consumer demand.” International cargo flows are handled by a. hartrodt India through ports such as Chennai and Nava Sheva (Mumbai), which have dedicated clusters for fresh and refrigerated goods. Some customers in India require end-to-end solutions for the entire cold chain. “We also organize domestic transport in refrigerated trucks as well as appropriate storage,” says Ajay Kumar Bhatt.

Since October 2021, the national “Gati Shakti” master plan has been driving the expansion of multimodal connectivity. “This will make logistics processes more efficient,” says Ajay Kumar Bhatt. In the South Asian country, a. hartrodt has 80 employees at 12 locations.