Digital forwarders have been the darlings of investors since the start of the wave of tech-driven freight platforms in 2015. With the promise of greater visibility and transparent pricing, they have been vying with traditional logistics players in India’s fragmented freight sector. But the recent failure of Mumbai-based Freightwalla highlights the home truths of the digital freight revolution.
Behind the success of these start-ups is a deep-rooted culture of relationships in India’s freight industry, wherein loyalties often guide business decisions. Shippers and cargo interests still prefer traditional forwarders over the digital players, as the gap in expertise between them is wide. Moreover, many are still resistant to the idea of adapting to new solutions. Additionally, these digital forwarders often provide low-volume contracts since they cannot secure the higher markup of the more sought-after contracts with major carriers.
This has ultimately led to a dearth of customers as customers can easily cross-check prices and switch from one forwarder to another. In this context, digital forwarders must have access to service contracts bundled with preferential rates from the more active carriers in order to offer competitive quotes.
On top of this, carriers have now ventured into online shipping, providing their own innovative supply chain solutions. Consequently, it has become difficult for digital forwarders to differentiate their services and attract customers. Moreover, the behaviour of shippers has not changed much and many still prefer to meet in person before signing up.
In a market flooded with competing platforms, such as Shipwaves, FreightCrate, Cogoport and GoComet, Freightwalla was not alone in its plight. Many of these start-ups, such as 4Tigo, GoBolt, RAAHO, Trukky have been struggling as well. Despite the ambitious goals of Chennai based Wizfreight, which raised about $35 million from Tiger Global, it still has to prove itself in the highly competitive market.
It is possible that the adaptation of digital platforms may have been too ambitious for the Indian freight industry. For a start-up to succeed, it must possess exemplary technology and be able to consistently offer quality services at competitive rates. To this end, digital forwarders need to ensure that their services are attractive and in tune with the preferences of their clients. This will be key if they are to keep up with the industry’s evolution in the future.
