India’s supply chains are being fundamentally reimagined, shifting from cost-driven efficiency to resilience-led design. Policy reforms, digital platforms, and intelligent technologies are now shaping networks that are more predictable, agile, and prepared for disruption.
Resilience is confidence built on data, not assumptions or instinct
Resilient by design: Forging India’s global supply chain nexus
Global supply chains are undergoing a fundamental shift, moving from the brittle “just-in-time” model to the more robust “just-in-case” approach. This transition has elevated logistics from a back-end function to a strategic lever of competitiveness. India is forging its blueprint through bold policy reforms like the National Logistics Policy and Gati Shakti, digital platforms such as ULIP and AI-driven visibility tools, and diversification strategies enabled by production-linked incentives and near-shoring. Together, these initiatives are reshaping networks into intelligent, predictive, and future-ready systems.
The focus has shifted beyond cost efficiency to embedding agility, interoperability, and sustainability into the very fabric of logistics. By integrating technology into warehouses, ports, corridors, and fulfilment networks, India is building a resilient ecosystem capable of absorbing shocks while sustaining growth.
As the country moves toward 2026, the ambition is clear: to transform fragmented supply chains into a unified, reliable, and scalable global hub. This journey is best understood through the voices of industry leaders, whose perspectives reveal both progress and persistent challenges.
Forging predictability in India’s supply chains
As India embeds resilience into its foundations, the conversation naturally begins with predictability. Ajit Jangle, Managing Director, FM Logistics, captures this shift from instinct to evidence. “ULIP has made supply chain conversations far more factual,” he explains. Managers now see real-time activity across ports, ICDs, and transport legs, spotting congestion or paperwork delays before they spiral. Predictability has improved, delay variations have narrowed, and decisions are taken with greater confidence because they rest on data rather than assumptions.
Managing volatility with intelligence
Volatility has always been part of operating in India: seasonal demand spikes, monsoon disruptions, and regional constraints. What is new is the ability to prepare better. AI and ML are helping companies decode patterns that were once managed largely through experience. By combining historical demand, weather trends, and movement data, systems flag pressure points early, allowing inventory to be repositioned and routes adjusted before disruption hits. “AI brings structure to a very complex operating environment,” Jangle notes, emphasising how technology makes volatility more manageable without eliminating it.
Building trust and exploring options
Yet technology alone is not enough. Alignment across India’s fragmented ecosystem remains a hurdle, with data ownership, standards, and trust still evolving. “A true control tower requires more than just platforms; it needs governance, security, and a mindset shift,” Jangle stresses. At the same time, digital platforms are empowering MSMEs to meet compliance and audit requirements, elevating them from low-cost suppliers to credible global partners. Generative AI adds another layer, enabling leaders to rapidly evaluate multiple redesign scenarios, from sourcing locations to transport routes, so trade-offs between cost, resilience, and risk are clearer. “Generative AI supports judgment by helping leaders explore options faster and ask better questions,” he reflects.
Resilience is agility, sustainability, and proximity working together in real time
Fulfillment in the age of Omnichannel
While Jangle highlights how data and AI are taming volatility, Pran Raj, Vice President – Supply Chain, Devyani International, brings the lens closer to the customer. His perspective shows how resilience begins at the point where customer demand meets operational agility. “Omnichannel and Q-commerce have made fulfilment far more complex but also far more critical,” he reflects. Predictive AI and real-time forecasting now allow teams to anticipate demand spikes influenced by promotions, weather, or even social media trends. Inventory is no longer static; safety stock thresholds adjust dynamically, ensuring that replenishment happens before shortages occur. “The ability to see demand volatility and act in real time is what prevents stockouts,” Raj emphasises.
Packaging and the sustainability challenge
Yet resilience is not only about speed; it is also about responsibility. Raj points to the hurdles in scaling sustainable packaging across India’s fragmented distribution landscape. High upfront costs, reverse logistics complexity, and asset losses remain barriers, particularly for SMEs. “Returnable transport packaging is a powerful idea, but without visibility and standardised systems, it risks becoming inefficient,” he explains. The challenge lies in building trust, infrastructure, and behavioural change across diverse stakeholders. For Raj, sustainability must be embedded into resilience, not treated as an afterthought.
Micro-fulfillment and hyperlocal resilience
Urban delivery volumes are surging, and Raj sees micro-fulfilment centres (MFCs) as a decisive response. By decentralising inventory into smaller, strategically located hubs, companies reduce dependency on single mega-warehouses and gain redundancy against disruption. Automation and AI-driven local assortments ensure that fast-moving SKUs are always close to the customer. “Decentralisation is resilience; it allows us to absorb shocks while still meeting urban demand,” Raj notes.
