Softlink Global’s journey from pioneering logistics software to shaping the intelligent era of freight technology.
In a world where technology companies rise and fade at the speed of innovation, endurance itself becomes a differentiator. Few companies in the logistics technology landscape embody this truth like Softlink Global: a name synonymous with transformation, resilience, and reinvention.
For over three decades, Softlink has served as the digital backbone of the logistics and freight forwarding industry, powering thousands of organisations across more than 50 countries. Its journey mirrors the evolution of global logistics itself, from typewriters and telexes to cloud platforms and artificial intelligence.
But the story of Softlink is not just one of technology. It is a story of vision, resilience, and generational continuity, where experience meets youthful energy to design the next era of logistics intelligence.
The genesis of a vision
When Amit Maheshwari founded Softlink Global in the late 1980s, logistics technology was in its infancy. Freight forwarders and customs brokers were struggling with paperwork, manual documentation, and disconnected processes. What began as a simple idea to digitise customs operations quickly evolved into a movement to modernise the entire freight ecosystem.
“I never saw it as just building software,” Amit recalls. “I saw it as building the nervous system of logistics, something that connects every function, every branch, every person.”
From DOS-based systems to Windows applications like Visual IMPEX and Visual Accounts, Softlink became a trusted name in the logistics community. Its software didn’t just automate; it empowered. It helped small and mid-sized logistics companies operate with the precision of global players, democratising technology long before SaaS became a buzzword.
When India transitioned to GST, when customs digitised, and when the world moved online, Softlink adapted, often leading the change rather than reacting to it.
Resilience through reinvention
The company’s ability to reinvent itself at critical turning points became its greatest strength. In 2012, Softlink made a bold leap from desktop to web with Logi-Sys, an integrated ERP platform covering freight, transport, customs, warehouse, and finance.
While many saw risk, Amit saw inevitability. “Every transformation looks risky until it becomes the standard,” he says. “We’ve always believed in betting on what the industry will need tomorrow.”
Over time, Logi-Sys evolved into a fully cloud-native, AI-enabled system. It wasn’t just software anymore; it became a platform for intelligence, collaboration, and automation.
Even during moments of global uncertainty, from the 2008 financial crisis to the 2020 pandemic, Softlink’s resilience was tested and proven. During the pandemic, while operations across industries froze, Softlink’s cloud infrastructure allowed thousands of freight forwarders to continue business without disruption.
“Our systems didn’t go down,” Amit recalls. “But even if they did, our disaster recovery servers would have been live in under an hour. That’s resilience by design, not accident.”
The Next Generation of Leadership
If resilience built the foundation, continuity is what ensures its future. The new chapter of Softlink is being shaped by Kunal Maheshwari, who represents a new generation of leadership: young, dynamic, and deeply attuned to the language of modern technology.
Having grown up around Softlink’s journey, Kunal carries an intuitive understanding of the company’s DNA: innovation with purpose. His approach is global, data-driven, and rooted in design thinking.
“The world doesn’t need more software,” Kunal says. “It needs intelligent systems that understand context, learn from data, and simplify decision-making. That’s what we’re building at Softlink.”
Under his leadership, the company has launched several transformative initiatives:
- BoxyAI, the intelligent assistant that acts as the brain of Logi-Sys, helping users work faster through natural-language interaction.
- LogiLENS, which converts unstructured documents into structured data, enabling automation in documentation and compliance.
- TradeCHAIN, a blockchain-powered data exchange platform ensuring secure, technology-agnostic integrations across the logistics ecosystem.
- LogiBRAIN, a business intelligence layer turning raw operational data into actionable insights.
These innovations collectively represent Softlink’s move from being a digital backbone to becoming an intelligent nervous system for logistics enterprises worldwide.
A culture where experience meets curiosity
At the heart of Softlink’s transformation lies a unique culture, where decades of experience coexist with youthful curiosity. Inside the company’s development centers, it’s common to find veterans who wrote code in the 90s collaborating with Gen-Z engineers trained in AI and data science.
This blend of old and new, discipline and disruption, fuels Softlink’s innovation engine.
Kunal describes it best:
“Our legacy is our strength, not our weight. The young team learns from what made us strong, while the seniors draw energy from the new generation’s creativity. That’s how you stay timeless.”
The company invests heavily in nurturing talent through programs like Softlink Academy, which runs initiatives such as LogiLEARN (industry-academic partnerships) and LogiSKILL (vocational training). These initiatives ensure that the next wave of logistics professionals doesn’t just learn the software; they understand the business it empowers.
It’s this cultural continuity that transforms Softlink from a company into an ecosystem.
Expanding Softlink Global’s vision of connection and collaboration, Kunal initiated LogiTALK, a platform that brings the human side of logistics to the forefront. Through thought-provoking conversations with industry leaders, it highlights the stories, challenges, and innovations that often remain behind the scenes. More than a podcast, LogiTALK reflects Softlink’s belief that meaningful dialogue strengthens the logistics community and that progress begins when experiences are shared.
Global vision, local strength
Softlink’s journey from Mumbai to the world has been remarkable. Today, its products power freight forwarders, customs brokers, and logistics service providers in more than 50 countries, spanning Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Europe, and the Americas.
While its reach is global, its focus remains deeply local, adapting to the nuances of each region’s compliance, taxation, and logistics frameworks.
This balance between scale and sensitivity has helped Softlink remain relevant in a fragmented global industry. The company’s regional hubs ensure support and customisation while maintaining a unified cloud architecture, a technical feat that few ERP platforms achieve.
The DNA of resilience
The word that best defines Softlink’s story is resilience. Not just the ability to survive, but to adapt, anticipate, and evolve.
Resilience was there when it moved from DOS to Windows.
It was there when it embraced the web.
It was there during economic slowdowns, regulatory shifts, and pandemics.
And it is there now, as it enters the era of AI and automation.
“Resilience is not about resistance,” Amit reflects. “It’s about responding faster than others. Every disruption has made us stronger.”
The company’s philosophy, ‘underpromise and overdeliver’, continues to guide every action, from engineering to customer support.
Building for the decade ahead
As logistics transforms from document-driven to data-driven to intelligence-driven, Softlink stands at the intersection of opportunity and responsibility.
Its future roadmap includes expanding AI capabilities across modules, deeper automation in customs and finance, and extending TradeCHAIN into a full ecosystem marketplace, where partners and customers can build, connect, and exchange securely.
The vision is bold but clear: to make intelligent logistics technology accessible to every freight forwarder and customs broker in the world.
Kunal summarises the mission in one sentence:
“Our goal is to simplify logistics so much that intelligence becomes invisible; it just works.”
Legacy as a living force
In today’s startup-obsessed world, legacy companies are often dismissed as old or slow. Softlink turns that notion on its head. Its legacy isn’t about the past; it’s about what continues to endure.
That endurance comes from values, not valuation. From purpose, not publicity.
Every milestone, from the first IMPEX line of code to today’s AI-powered Logi-Sys, reflects the same belief: technology should serve people, not the other way around.
Amit frames it beautifully:
“We’ve never chased hype. We build what the industry truly needs, even if it takes longer. Because in logistics, trust travels faster than technology.”
The spirit of continuity
The cover photo of this story tells it all: a confident Kunal surrounded by a young team of thinkers, developers, and innovators, the torchbearers of Softlink’s next chapter.
It’s not a picture of replacement; it’s a portrait of renewal.
It’s not about moving beyond legacy; it’s about drawing credibility from it.
Softlink’s story reminds us that the true hallmark of greatness is not speed or scale; it’s the ability to stay relevant, resilient, and rooted in purpose across generations.
