• Dangerous goods logistics is evolving from a specialised compliance function into a strategic measure of national and organisational logistics maturity, as regulatory scrutiny and risk exposure intensify across global supply chains.
• The industry is shifting from checklist-based compliance toward embedded safety governance, combining internal capability building, shared accountability, and engineering precision for high-risk cargo.
• Digital documentation, real-time traceability, and harmonised standards are becoming essential to managing DG risk, with safety performance now directly influencing regulatory trust and global competitiveness.

Dangerous goods logistics is rapidly emerging as one of the most consequential pressure points in global trade policy. As chemical, energy, pharmaceutical and manufacturing supply chains expand in scale and complexity, the regulatory burden on logistics networks has intensified sharply. International bodies such as ICAO, IATA and the IMO along with domestic regulators are tightening frameworks governing declaration accuracy, packaging standards, multimodal handling and digital traceability.

The result is a structural shift as dangerous goods are no longer treated as a technical niche, but as a strategic test of a nation’s logistical maturity and its capacity to manage operational risk. This evolving landscape is compelling carriers, freight forwarders, handlers and shippers to move beyond procedural compliance toward a more systemic model of safety governance.

For an industry operating under heightened scrutiny, where lapses can trigger environmental hazards, public-safety crises or severe reputational losses, dangerous goods logistics is becoming a defining measure of resilience and organisational discipline.

Regulatory escalation and the end of procedural ambiguity

Haresh Lalwani, Managing Director of Sun Logistics, stressed that regulatory intensification has transformed the practical reality of DG operations. “Dangerous goods can no longer be treated as a specialised silo,” he said. “Every stakeholder now carries a clear regulatory responsibility, and the margin for procedural deviation is shrinking.”

Lalwani noted that expanded classifications, revised hazard groupings and stricter documentation requirements have increased compliance workloads across the logistics chain. According to him, companies must build internal competency rather than relying solely on external certification cycles, because global regulators now expect operational consistency rather than isolated expertise.

He argued that the industry is entering an era in which DG management will be scrutinised as part of broader trade-governance audits and supply chain risk assessments.

From checklists to culture: The rise of embedded safety systems

Fardeen Malbarwala, Director of Galaxy Freight, highlighted the risk of viewing dangerous goods as a form-driven activity rather than a structural discipline. “Compliance has evolved from a checklist to a culture,” he remarked. “When organisations treat DG as a transactional task, they expose themselves to preventable failures.”

Malbarwala noted that misdeclared or undeclared cargo remains one of the highest operational risks. He emphasised the need for more rigorous front-line training, audit-ready documentation and zero-tolerance acceptance protocols. With global regulators increasing penalties for non-compliance, he said that logistics companies now face reputational risks that far exceed traditional operational liabilities.

His perspective reflected a broader shift as successful DG handling increasingly relies on internal governance models that extend across commercial, operational and safety functions.

Digital documentation and the new architecture of traceability

Documentation errors remain one of the most common sources of DG incidents across modes.
Manish Chaturvedi, Country Director – India at PSA BDP, pointed to the limitations of manual workflows. “The biggest risk lies in documentation breakdown,” he explained. “A single misdeclared UN number or an incorrect packing group can cascade into major operational failures.”

Chaturvedi argued that the industry must accelerate adoption of digital declarations, automated validations and real-time traceability systems. As chemical and pharmaceutical cargo moves across multiple regulatory jurisdictions, he said, digital visibility will become the backbone of compliance assurance.

Chaturvedi further noted that, that “digital verification is also critical for strengthening trust between regulators, carriers and shippers, particularly as supply chains integrate more cross-border multimodal movements.”

Engineering precision for high-risk cargo

From the petrochemical sector, Arush Kishore, Head of Integrated Operations (Liquid & Gas) at Reliance Industries, emphasised the engineering-intensive nature of liquid and gas logistics.
“For high-risk cargo, compliance is only the beginning,” he said. “Operational safety depends on engineering precision.”

Kishore explained that tank integrity, valve systems, thermal management, route-risk mapping and continuous condition monitoring are essential to mitigate systemic risks over long distances. He noted that companies must invest in predictive maintenance, certified equipment and emergency-response capabilities, particularly as hazardous cargo flows increase in volume and geographic reach.

His remarks underscored the growing overlap between industrial risk management and logistics operations, particularly in energy and speciality chemical sectors.

Shared accountability

Bringing a global manufacturing perspective, Gopal Digaskar, Senior Logistics Leader – India & Sub-Continent at Dow Chemical, argued that DG logistics requires a multilayered accountability framework. “Risk ownership must be shared,” he said. “A single weak link in documentation, handling or declaration can compromise the entire chain.”

Digaskar emphasised the importance of joint audits, transparent incident reporting and shared safety protocols across supply chain partners. He noted that as chemical flows expand across Asia, Europe and the Middle East, harmonised operational standards will become increasingly essential.

For sectors managing sensitive or high-value cargo, he said, DG logistics will form a core component of enterprise risk management not an operational afterthought.

Toward a new governance model for DG

As Radharamanan Panicker concluded that, “the industry is approaching a turning point.” Dangerous goods logistics, he argued, is “shifting from compliance-driven operations to a governance-led discipline built on digital traceability, technical safeguards and a more integrated safety culture.”

The overarching theme was unambiguous as dangerous goods are redefining how global logistics evaluates safety, accountability and risk preparedness. As India and other emerging logistics hubs expand their role in global trade, DG capabilities will increasingly influence commercial credibility and regulatory trust.

In an era where global supply chains intersect with densely populated regions, environmental sensitivities and expanding chemical portfolios, the ability to institutionalise safety, not merely demonstrate compliance but it will determine the long-term resilience of logistics ecosystems.

Dangerous goods handling is no longer a regulatory requirement alone; it has become a strategic benchmark for global competitiveness.