Last month, the FDA suspended the food business license of this warehouse of Kiranakart Technologies Pvt Ltd after serious hygiene violations were allegedly found during the inspection

Following a raid at the Dharavi, Mumbai outlet of Kiranakart Technologies Pvt Ltd, the parent company of the popular grocery delivery platform Zepto, the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is now facing a new challenge — locating the hidden “dark stores” of quick commerce companies across the state.

Last month, the FDA suspended the food business license of this warehouse of Kiranakart Technologies Pvt Ltd after serious hygiene violations were allegedly found during the inspection.

Following this, the state government earlier this month, ordered strict inspections of all facilities operated by fast-delivery services like Zepto, Blinkit, and Instamart, amongst others. However, FDA officials are unable to track these warehouses, storage and packaging centres as they are operating with different names.

The FDA Pune region office, which includes Pune Solapur, Satara, Sangli and Kolhapur has over one lakh registered food business operators (FBO) and over 30,000 licensed FBOs. After the order, the FDA inspected over ten dark stores associated with this platform. Besides, a stop business notice was issued to a dark store in Baner-Balewadi associated with quick grocery delivery service Blinkit, said the officials.

Suresh Annapure, joint commissioner, FDA, Pune region, said, “We have been unable to get the details of the dark stores, warehouses and storage centres associated with these platforms. These dark stores are linked to the platform, are outsourced by these platforms and are registered under different names. Besides, we don’t know how many of them are operating sans licences.”

According to FDA officials, the head offices of these quick commerce companies are located in cities like Delhi, Mumbai among other cities. The FDA officials are unable to get the contact details of the head office and the concerned people. Due to this, food authorities are collecting information and even conducting random inspections across the Pune region, said the officials.

The dark stores are franchises given by these quick commerce companies. These companies are supposed to give the FDA the information about their franchise. However, it is not covered under the law.

Annapure said, “Once we get the contact details, we will send a letter to these companies to share details of their dark stores. This will help us to conduct the inspection across the region and make sure they follow the food safety and hygiene norms. The drive will help the public at large as the dark stores will focus on improving the food safety handling and storage practices.”

After the Zepto incident, the FDA has increased its focus on quick commerce services, which have become extremely popular in recent years for delivering groceries and food items in 10–15 minutes. The state government has asked the FDA to ensure that all such facilities follow proper hygiene and safety rules, said the officials.

Author Credits- Vicky Pathare
Hindustan Times

Japanese sportswear giant Asics will ramp up India manufacturing to 40% from 30% over the next few years to ensure steady supply, a top executive told Reuters, as the country’s regulations force global brands to pause imports of footwear.

The Indian government has mandated certain standards for various footwear segments, requiring both domestic and foreign manufacturers to obtain quality certifications.

Asics, which has also paused imports, said bringing in footwear from any country is not feasible without government certification.

“To address this critical situation, we are strategically developing local production capabilities,” Asics India Managing Director Rajat Khurana said.

For financial year 2024-25, Asics reached 30% local production, a government-mandated threshold that allows foreign brands to operate their own single-brand stores in India.

The firm, which operates roughly 125stores through franchise partners, plans to open its first brand-owned store this year and is scouting locations in and around Delhi and Mumbai, Khurana said. It aims to set up a couple more over the next few years.

Asics, which competes with global rivals including Nike, Adidas, and Skechers USA in India, also plans to open threenew franchise stores per month between now and the end of the year.

For 2024-25, Asics projected revenue growth of 35%-37% in India, following a 26% jump in the previous fiscal year that lifted its revenue to Rs.428 crores.

Known for its running shoes, Asics is benefiting from a growing fitness culture in India and rising interest in tennis and pickleball among affluent urban consumers.

The local sporting goods and apparel category is expected to double to $58 billion by 2030 from 2023 levels, according to a 2024 report by consultancy firm Deloitte.

News Credits- FASHION NETWORK

FedEx has introduced an AI-powered sorting robot at its air network location in Cologne, Germany, to assist staff with the sorting process and allow them to focus on more complex tasks.

The robot is the first of its kind in the European FedEx network and will be used to sort documents and smaller parcels up to 4kg, processing up to 1,000 pieces per hour and managing around 90 destinations simultaneously.

“AI-supported technologies like this help us manage shipments more effectively, enhance customer experience and boost our competitive edge as e-commerce continues to drive growth in the market,” said Boris Stoffer, managing director of network operations Germany at FedEx. “These technologies are also supporting our employees by reducing physical strain by taking over repetitive, high-volume tasks.”

The robotic arm is part of FedEx’s wider goal of developing a smart logistics network. In 2020, the company installed four robotic arms to automate small package sorting at its Memphis Hub in Tennessee. In 2022, it deployed sorting robots in its South China E-Commerce Shipment Sorting Center in Guangzhou and its Singapore Hub. The company also uses robotic product sortation and identification systems at 17 US sorting facilities, including New York, Las Vegas and Ohio.

“This robotic in-feeding system is proof of our commitment to innovation,” said Georgiana Constantin, manager of planning and engineering innovation and properties design at FedEx. “Delivering best-in-class service is our ambition, driven by a passion for innovation that puts our customers first.”

Author Credits- HAZEL KING
Parcel and postal technology INTERNATIONAL

Bottom wear-focused brand The Pant Project has entered multi-brand retail through a strategic partnership with Shoppers Stop. Marking its first presence in the multi-brand outlet format, the collaboration was announced by a company official on LinkedIn as part of the brand’s broader offline growth strategy.

The Pant Project’s collection is now available at five Shoppers Stop locations across Mumbai, Pune, and Bengaluru, The Pant Project’s CEO Dhruv Toshniwal announced in a post on Linkedin. These include R City Mall in Ghatkopar, Viviana Mall in Thane, Linking Road in Bandra, Elpro Mall in Pune, and Bannerghatta Road in Bengaluru.

The brand’s full product range, previously available on its own website and exclusive stores, will also be stocked at Shoppers Stop, with pricing aligned across all channels. Launch offers and free alteration services will be available to customers in-store.

“Early feedback we have gotten on the floor has been that most brands focus 70-80% on top wear, so its refreshing to have a brand that focuses so deeply on bottom wear,” wrote Toshniwal. “It’s a clear white space in the market. Our brand promise stays the same. The most comfortable pants in your wardrobe. We started with five outlets with Shoppers, we’ll build on this partnership, and before you know it, we will hopefully be coming soon across India. Excited to be expanding our physical and digital retail footprint to be closer to you.”

With nine standalone outlets and a presence on leading e-commerce platforms, the brand’s entry into multi-brand retail reflects its strategy to increase accessibility and scale its presence nationally. The Pant Project launched in 2020 and is based in Mumbai.

Author Credits- Isabelle Crossley
FASHION NETWORK

Amazon Now, which is the company’s official entry into the ultra-fast delivery segment, will now compete with rivals Blinkit, Zepto, and Swiggy Instamart which already dominate the market.

New Delhi: In a major development, e-commerce giant Amazon has launched its Amazon Now service in three pin codes of Bengaluru. Amazon Now, which is the company’s official entry into the ultra-fast delivery segment, will now compete with rivals Blinkit, Zepto, and Swiggy Instamart which already dominate the market.

According to a Moneycontrol report, the launch follows a pilot that began in December 2024 and indicates the company’s intention to regain market share, as Indian consumers increasingly move from traditional 1–2 day deliveries to rapid 10–30 minute deliveries for daily essentials and groceries.

The American e-commerce giant is likely to expand the service to other places in Bengaluru in coming weeks before scaling it to other cities. It is important to note that Amazon NOW’s entry comes at a time when quick commerce platforms are not only witnessing quick adoption but are also starting to capture the share of legacy e-commerce players like Flipkart and Amazon itself.

According to a recent report by Flipkart and Bain & Company, over two-thirds of online grocery orders and about 10 percent of overall e-retail spending in 2024 occurred on quick commerce platforms.

To recall, Eternal (formerly Zomato) founder Deepinder Goyal earlier had said that the quick commerce firms were burning over Rs 5,000 crore each quarter—with Zepto alone accounting for more than half of that.

Industry leaders have already been bracing for a more competitive phase.

“Our view is that competition is going to intensify further from here in the near term…We will aggressively look to grow our market share, especially in the face of heightened competition, and will not let any short-term profitability goals come in the way of that,” Eternal CFO Akshant Goyal said in a letter to shareholders following its Q4FY25 results.

Author Credits- Victor Dasgupta
India.com

Shein has licensed its brand for domestic use to Reliance which “is responsible for manufacturing, supply chain, sales and operations in the Indian market alone,” Shein said in a statement.

Chinese brand Shein, in collaboration with Reliance Retail, is planning to expand its Indian supplier network and start international sales of Shein-branded and made in India within six to 12 months, according to a Reuters report.

Shein has been in talks with Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Retail prior to the U.S. imposing tariffs on Chinese imports. The goal is to increase the number of Indian suppliers from the current 150 to 1,000 within a year, the report revealed citing sources.

In a statement to Reuters, Shein said its partnership with Reliance was limited to the licensing of its brand to Reliance Retail for Indian domestic consumption only. Reliance did not respond to queries.

Shein sells low-priced apparel such as $5 dresses and $10 jeans shipped directly from 7,000 suppliers in China to customers in around 150 countries. Its biggest market is the U.S. where it is adjusting to tariffs on low-value e-commerce packages from China which could previously be imported duty free.

The retailer launched in India in 2018 but its app was banned in 2020 as part of government action against China-linked firms amid border tension with its northeastern neighbour.

It returned in February under a licensing deal with the Reliance Industries unit which launched SheinIndia.in selling Shein-branded clothes produced in local factories. In contrast, Shein‘s other websites mainly list goods from China.

Reliance, controlled by Asia’s richest person, Mukesh Ambani, has contracted 150 garment manufacturers and is in discussion with 400 more, said the two people, declining to be identified due to confidentiality concerns.

The goal is 1,000 Indian factories making Shein-branded clothes within a year for both the Indian market and to service some of Shein‘s global websites, the people said.

Shein initially wants to list India-made clothes on its U.S. and British websites, one of the people said. Discussions have been ongoing for months and the launch time of six to 12 months could change depending on supplier numbers, the person said.

The scale of supplier expansion and export time frame is being reported for the first time.

In December, Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal told parliament that the Shein-Reliance partnership aimed to create a network of Indian suppliers of Shein-branded clothes for sale “domestically and globally”.

Author Credits- Anirudha Yerunkar
India.com