As global supply chains contend with mounting regulatory complexity, accelerating digitalisation and tightening environmental standards, one factor has emerged as a decisive enabler of competitiveness: the availability of a skilled, compliance-ready workforce. In India’s export–import (EXIM) and logistics sector — responsible for moving over 450 million tonnes of freight annually and contributing 14–18 percent of GDP — the talent gap is not merely a human resources issue but a structural constraint on trade growth. The challenge is compounded by a persistent gender imbalance: fewer than 12 percent of the formal logistics workforce are women, with representation even lower in technical and operational management roles.
A new tripartite collaboration signed on 11 August 2025 in Pune aims to address both the skills deficit and the gender disparity, positioning human capital as a core element of India’s logistics policy agenda. The initiative brings together Softlink Academy, the training arm of global freight technology provider Softlink Global; EXIM Management Services, an established freight forwarding and customs compliance consultancy; and SNDT Women’s College, part of the 109-year-old SNDT Women’s University. The alliance will integrate industry-certified EXIM training into higher education, combining academic foundations with real-time exposure to operational systems.
Integrating skills development with trade facilitation
The partnership is designed to embed practical, system-driven training within the curriculum. Students will gain hands-on experience using Logi-Sys, Softlink Global’s cloud-based ERP platform deployed by over 10,000 organisations in more than 50 countries for freight forwarding, customs brokerage, warehousing, transport, finance and compliance operations. Training modules will cover shipment lifecycle management, customs documentation, regulatory frameworks, financial operations and digital cargo workflows — capabilities increasingly indispensable for air cargo professionals navigating cross-border trade.
Amit Maheshwari, founder and CEO of Softlink Global, framed the initiative as a strategic convergence of knowledge, training and technology: “Knowledge is the foundation of progress, but when combined with practical experience and digital tools, it becomes a powerful force for transformation. Through Softlink Academy, we are committed to nurturing talent that can shape the future of EXIM — not just by understanding trade, but by leading it.”
From a policy perspective, such industry–academia linkages have implications for India’s commitments under the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA). Skilled personnel can accelerate clearance times, reduce cargo dwell periods and ensure alignment with frameworks such as the WCO SAFE Framework of Standards. This directly supports the National Logistics Policy (NLP) target of reducing India’s logistics cost to 8 percent of GDP from current estimates of 13–14 percent.
Air cargo’s operational imperatives
For the air cargo sector — which handles goods worth over US$6 trillion globally each year — the quality of the workforce directly affects the resilience and reliability of trade lanes. Compliance documentation, e-air waybill (e-AWB) adoption and data accuracy are critical to maintaining service standards in sectors such as pharmaceuticals, perishables and high-value electronics.
For Anand Paranjape, owner of EXIM Management Services, the value lies in aligning industry best practice with modern systems: “Where practical wisdom meets digital precision, we are shaping future-ready EXIM professionals equipped to lead with insight and innovation.”
Embedding operational training in ERP-based workflows can shorten the onboarding-to-productivity cycle for new hires, reducing ramp-up times for freight forwarders, ground handlers and airline cargo teams. This is particularly relevant as Asia-Pacific’s air cargo demand recorded a 5.8 percent year-on-year increase in early 2025 (WorldACD), with India’s international volumes outperforming the regional average. Sustaining that growth will depend as much on operational competence as on physical infrastructure.
Addressing gender disparity in the logistics workforce
Globally, women represent around 39 percent of the total workforce (ILO data), but their participation in transport and logistics lags far behind, often falling below 15 percent in operational roles. In India, cultural perceptions, limited access to targeted training and a lack of structured career pathways have all contributed to this under-representation.
SNDT Women’s University positioned the initiative within a broader social and economic development framework: “An enlightened woman is a source of infinite strength. We are empowering with practical skills, digital tools and industry-ready knowledge.”
By focusing on women’s technical training in compliance-heavy EXIM functions, the programme supports UN Sustainable Development Goal 5 on gender equality while advancing diversity in an industry facing acute labour shortages. Studies from the International Transport Forum show that gender-diverse teams improve decision-making and problem-solving, particularly in complex operational environments such as air cargo hubs.
Policy and sustainability dimensions
The initiative also dovetails with the sustainability priorities of the air transport industry. Digitalisation of freight processes, including the transition to e-AWBs, is a central plank of IATA’s Net Zero by 2050 roadmap. Skilled personnel trained in integrated ERP systems can support carbon reduction indirectly by optimising route planning, reducing paper-based transactions and enhancing supply chain visibility — measures that cut waste and inefficiency.
On the regulatory side, familiarity with both domestic policies and international agreements — such as the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) extension to aviation — will be increasingly important for professionals tasked with ensuring compliance while maintaining service efficiency.
Local impact and capacity building
The collaboration’s immediate impact will be most visible in Pune, where students will access curriculum-integrated training, but its long-term implications extend across India’s logistics network. By creating a pipeline of graduates ready to step into mid-skill and supervisory roles, the initiative supports the Make in India and Gati Shakti frameworks, both of which rely on efficient export logistics to attract investment and expand market access.
The model also holds potential for replication in other cargo-intensive cities such as Mumbai, Delhi and Chennai, where air cargo throughput continues to grow. According to Airports Authority of India figures, India’s airfreight volumes have grown at a compound annual growth rate of around 6 percent over the past decade, with international cargo forming nearly two-thirds of the total.
Policy takeaways for air cargo professionals
For stakeholders in air transport, trade policy and sustainability, the collaboration offers three key takeaways:
Human capital is critical infrastructure — Investment in training and workforce diversity can yield measurable gains in clearance times, documentation accuracy and compliance.
Integration of digital systems into education is essential — As freight processes become increasingly automated, early exposure to operational platforms ensures workforce readiness and reduces onboarding costs.
Gender inclusion is both a social and economic imperative — Expanding women’s participation helps close the talent gap while enhancing organisational performance and innovation.
A scalable model for Logistics 4.0
The Softlink–EXIM Management–SNDT Women’s College alliance is more than a training programme; it is a policy-aligned intervention designed to expand workforce capacity, accelerate digital adoption and improve diversity in a sector central to India’s trade competitiveness.
For air cargo policy professionals, the model illustrates how human capital strategy can be integrated into broader trade facilitation and sustainability agendas. As the logistics sector moves towards Logistics 4.0 — characterised by automation, real-time data exchange and integrated multimodal operations — the availability of a digitally fluent, compliance-ready and diverse workforce may well prove as decisive as investments in airports, warehouses and freighter fleets.
