The Air Cargo Forum India (ACFI) last week formally launched its Andhra Pradesh Chapter in Visakhapatnam, in the august presence of the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Mr Nara Chandrababu Naidu. The event was also graced by Mr B. C. Janardhan Reddy, Minister for Infrastructure & Investment, and Mr T. G. Bharat, Minister for Industries & Commerce, Government of Andhra Pradesh.
The launch witnessed an overwhelming response, bringing together over 350 delegates, including senior leaders from the air cargo, logistics, trade and industry bodies. The formation of the Andhra Pradesh Chapter marks a significant milestone in strengthening the state’s position as a growing hub for air cargo and logistics in India.
As part of the proceedings, the ACFI Board actively participated in the CEO Roundtable, where critical industry issues such as the Open Sky Policy and Double Dipping were raised. On behalf of ACFI, Mr Sanjiv Edward, President of ACFI, and Mr Satish Lakkaraju, Chairman – Outreach Pillar & Partnerships, ACFI made strong representations on these matters. The discussions were well received by the Chief Minister, reflecting the government’s commitment to supporting the industry.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr Sanjiv Edward said: “The launch of the Andhra Pradesh Chapter is a major step towards enhancing the State’s role in India’s air cargo growth story. With ACFI’s vision of acting as a catalyst for air cargo growth and the government’s focus on developing integrated logistics hubs, we are confident that Andhra Pradesh will emerge as a leader in logistics on the Eastern side.”
Added Mr Satish Lakkaraju: “Our discussions with the Hon’ble Chief Minister on critical issues like the Open Sky Policy and Double Dipping reflect ACFI’s commitment to addressing industry challenges and enabling sustainable growth. The support shown today is highly encouraging.”
The Andhra Pradesh Chapter of ACFI will serve as a collaborative platform to promote air cargo growth, strengthen multimodal logistics connectivity and support trade facilitation in the region, it emphasised in a release.