When DHL Express announced last week the renewal of its partnership with the Mumbai Indians for a fifth consecutive year, it was more than a routine sponsorship extension. Beneath the surface of this feel-good cricket-and-commerce story lies a deeper narrative—one that offers insights into how international logistics providers are reshaping their brand relevance in one of the world’s most dynamic markets, and aligning closely with domestic connectivity goals that include, crucially, air cargo growth.
The renewed partnership keeps DHL Express as the principal sponsor for India’s most successful cricket franchise. But while the public face is fan engagement and climate-conscious campaigns, the underlying strategy speaks to DHL’s long game: expanding its reach and relevance in India’s air express and time-definite cargo segments, where competition with both international integrators and emerging domestic players is intensifying.
Beyond branding
India’s air cargo sector, valued at approximately US$2.3 billion in 2024, is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of over 10 percent through 2030, according to government and industry data. With the government’s Production Linked Incentive (PLI) schemes, rapid e-commerce expansion, and rollout of multi-modal logistics hubs under Gati Shakti, demand for precision logistics services is rising sharply.
DHL Express, long a dominant player in the premium segment, is clearly aligning its cultural visibility with this growth arc. Cricket, particularly the IPL, offers unparalleled reach in India — with over 500 million viewers across platforms — but its value to air cargo professionals is not just in visibility. It is in symbolic alignment with India’s evolving needs: agility, speed, and integration.
“Sports and logistics share a common thread — both work on the qualities of precision and agility,” Sandeep Juneja, Vice President, Sales and Marketing at DHL Express India, said. “Our continued relationship [with Mumbai Indians] is a testament to our shared pursuit of success.”
In that phrasing is an implicit recognition that air cargo in India is becoming less transactional and more brand-driven, where service reliability and time performance (rather than price alone) define market share. The Mumbai Indians’ values — excellence, teamwork, speed — become brand proxies for DHL’s logistics ethos.
The ‘team behind the team’
From a cargo operations standpoint, DHL Express is already an essential player in time-definite international movements into and out of India’s key air gateways: Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad, and Bengaluru. Its “team behind the team” tagline may be rooted in sport, but operationally, it mirrors DHL’s role in enabling just-in-time logistics for India’s SMEs, pharma, and tech manufacturers.
For example, DHL’s reliance on the air cargo segment is evident in its operational infrastructure in India. The company operates a dedicated freighter fleet and makes extensive use of belly-hold cargo space across commercial airlines — all coordinated through its central hubs in Leipzig and Hong Kong. India’s rising exports — with FY 2024–25 merchandise exports pegged at US$447 billion — represent a strategic opportunity, especially as micro-enterprises seek faster routes to global markets.
By linking its express brand with cricketing excellence, DHL is not merely chasing eyeballs. It is embedding itself in national consciousness as a trusted operator in a country that still faces significant logistics bottlenecks, including limited cold chain integration, fragmented warehousing, and volatile ground transport.
he partnership’s ‘Six for a Cause’ campaign — wherein DHL plants six trees for every six hit by a Mumbai Indians player — adds a layer of climate consciousness to the mix. Last season, 133 sixes resulted in nearly 800 trees being planted. While modest in carbon terms, such initiatives align with the growing pressure on logistics firms to decarbonise.
India’s draft Air Cargo Policy and the National Logistics Policy (NLP) both call for “greener cargo corridors,” and DHL, like its peers, is under regulatory and reputational pressure to reduce Scope 3 emissions. Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) investments, carbon-neutral warehousing, and route optimisation will all become material indicators in the years ahead. Campaigns like DHL’s, though PR-oriented, provide public linkage between cargo movement and climate responsibility — a necessary narrative as India pushes for net-zero aviation by 2070.
Strategic signal
The partnership also sends a signal to India’s fast-growing domestic express players — Delhivery, Ecom Express, and India Post’s revamped logistics division among them — that DHL is doubling down on local mindshare even as its physical infrastructure grows.
With India’s intra-regional air cargo expected to grow at 12–14 percent CAGR, especially from Tier 2 and 3 cities, cultural partnerships will play a role in influencing procurement decisions, particularly among MSMEs and digitally enabled retailers. DHL’s blend of speed, visibility, and brand assurance gives it an edge in markets where logistics reliability can directly impact revenue cycles.
