Welcome to Shipping Signals. We strive to be your most valuable resource for insights at the intersection of global trade, logistics, freight, technology, and strategy.
Happy Reading! 💌
Strategy
Reliability is the only real marketing moat
In 2025, Haldiram is lining up for an IPO. A ₹1,000+ crore legacy brand built not on venture decks or D2C buzzwords, but on consistency so strong it became culture. While this seems like 50 years of supply chain clarity in a package….the real product? A supply chain that never missed a festival.
For most, Haldiram is known for bhujia and soan papdi, but for anyone who has looked under the hood, it’s not just a snack company. It’s a freight company in disguise. While modern brands built playbooks around influencers, Haldiram built one around inventory turns, regional warehouse placement, and shelf-level trust.
They focused on building systems that made them impossible to ignore.
What did they do so well? Quiet Ops. Loud Results.
They never outsourced trust
At Haldiram, production was never someone else’s problem. From ghee quality to frying technique, everything stayed in-house not because they didn’t trust outsiders, but because taste and timing were non-negotiable.
In logistics, that’s your TAT.
Your in-transit SLAs are someone’s Diwali delivery promise.
You can’t outsource reliability.
They scaled logistics before they scaled ads
Most companies think about “distribution” as a post-launch activity. Haldiram made it the first one. They built cold chains for laddoos. Identified festival demand zones years in advance. And ensured nothing runs out, not even in Satna, not even on Bhai Dooj.
If you’re a forwarder:
Your marketing is already happening in the form of shipments that arrive exactly when they were promised. The invoice comes later, the memory arrives first.
Every market they entered, ops came first
There was no PR campaign announcing new region launches.
Instead, they waited until the backend factories, transport partners, shelf space was tuned. Only then did Haldiram show up. And when they did, they never left.
Most forwarders announce new verticals before fixing the last-mile.
Haldiram’s lesson: Don’t enter until you can own.
It stayed family-run but never ad hoc
This wasn’t tradition for tradition’s sake. It was about continuity, accountability, and execution rhythm passed from one generation to the next. Even the taste of their gulab jamun had a governance model.
That’s not legacy it’s operational culture.
What Forwarders Can Take Away
This isn’t a “snack brand gone public” story. This is what happens when you treat operations as your brand, and your repeatability as your moat.
Show up before you show off
Does your website still say “revolutionising cross-border logistics” if your customs clearance team still replies after 48 hours? Land your process first.Make your backend client-facing
If your clients say, “I never have to remind them about anything,” you’ve already closed your next five deals without sending a long PPT of your services that no one will read.Routinise reputation
Everything from POD follow-ups to the way your trucks are stickered can become part of how people remember you. Your rituals create recall.Replenishment is a long game
Your best revenue doesn’t come from Day 1 onboarding. It comes from becoming part of your client’s operational reflex.
Want to Dive Deeper?
Learn more about Haldiram’s journey to Foreign investors here
Something Fun
Freight Industry & Index Insights
Transpacific Trade: Stuff’s Moving, But Ships Aren’t
Remember when ocean carriers were desperate for volume? Yeah, May laughed in their face. US-bound bookings from Asia shot up over 50% week-on-week, and carriers who had conveniently removed capacity earlier are now scrambling to rebook empty promises. GRIs are kicking in June 1st, with West Coast rates floating in the $6,000–$6,500 range. If you're shipping cargo and didn’t book in May, congratulations, you’re already late. Shipping forecast says: Overbooked and overwhelmed
The Great Connecticut Rail Resurrection
Naugatuck, CT, is attempting what sounds like the plot of a gritty industrial reboot: turning a ghost-town rubber plant into a bustling rail freight park. Local officials and Genesee & Wyoming want to revive domestic rail to give trucks (and container congestion) a break. The twist? No containers—just old-school railcars and a dream. Small-town railcore revival in motion
Oil Prices Slid, and So Did Sanctions
As oil slipped under the $60 cap, Greek tankers gleefully resumed transporting Russian crude because nothing says “global diplomacy” like rerouting sanctions via international waters. Greek firms handled over a quarter of Russia’s seaborne crude in March and April. Apparently, cheap oil heals all policy wounds. Greek tankers back in their villain arc
Maruti Suzuki’s Rail Renaissance
India’s largest carmaker is shifting gears literally and logistically. In FY 2024-25, Maruti transported over 500,000 vehicles via Indian Railways (up from just 65,700 a decade ago). Bonus: it’s green. Fewer trucks, more trains, and a 1.8 lakh tonne CO₂ cut. Maruti gets on track literally
Lloyds Metals’ Slurry Success
In Maharashtra, Lloyds Metals launched the state’s first slurry pipeline. It slashes emissions by 55%, spans 87 km, and has a forest-sized side quest: they’re planting 300,000+ trees. It’s like Iron Man went green and started mining responsibly. Pipes, pellets, and planet-saving
Number of the Day
$30 Billion
The annual cost of global shipping delays, per the World Bank.
Turns out “stuck at customs” isn’t just an excuse, it’s a billion-dollar industry. Source
Deals & M&A
Apollo to the Moon (and Backed by Returns)
Apollo Global is on an M&A sugar rush, dropping $2B+ across four deals. DHL bought into delivery firm Evri (Apollo’s probably sipping champagne on that 30% return), while the rest went into homes and auto parts. Their thesis? Buy cheap, borrow well, smile later. Apollo’s buying spree hits Mach 3
STORD Eats Ware2Go
In a plot twist even Amazon would respect, UPS sold its logistics baby, Ware2Go to STORD! The move beefs up STORD’s network while UPS quietly offloads some non-core weight before peak season panic hits. STORD takes a bite out of UPS
Google Buys Wiz, Casts Protection Spell
Google just spent $32B on Israeli cloud security startup Wiz—its biggest deal ever. That’s a lot of money for something you can’t touch, but hey, better safe than sorry (or hacked). Wiz gets the wand from Google
Indian Shipbuilders Dock Deals in Oslo
At the Nor-Shipping conference in Oslo, Indian shipbuilders said “Namaste” with pens. Pacts were signed for vessel building, green tech collabs, and some serious maritime swagger. The Indian Ocean just got a little louder. Desi deals float into Norwegian waters
Private Refiners Pivot to the Pump
Reliance and Nayara are done playing export games. Thanks to cheap Russian crude and not-so-hot global margins, they’re taking their discounted fuel straight to Indian pumps, making life trickier for government-run refineries and easier for price-conscious drivers. Desi oil barons go local
Outside Interests
Imperial College Lands in Bengaluru: Science Meets Silicon
Imperial College London has launched its fourth international science hub in Bengaluru, aiming to strengthen research collaborations in AI, telecommunications, health tech, and clean energy. This initiative reflects India's growing prominence in global scientific research and innovation. London's science elite sets up shop in Bengaluru
OpenAI Academy Lands in India: AI for the Masses
OpenAI has launched its first international educational platform, OpenAI Academy India, in collaboration with the IndiaAI Mission. The initiative aims to scale AI skills training nationwide, targeting a diverse range of learners, including students, developers, educators, government officials, nonprofit leaders, and small business owners. The academy will provide both digital and in-person learning options, initially offered in English and Hindi, with more regional languages to be added later. OpenAI Academy goes desi
Bluesky: The Twitter That Packed Its Bags and Moved Out
With 34.6 million users and counting, Bluesky is the cool, decentralised cousin of Twitter who left the family group chat. It’s built on the AT Protocol, lets you port your identity across apps, and somehow managed to stay blockchain-free while still feeling Web3-ish. Jay Graber wants it to become the fabric of the “new” internet and no, it’s not Threads with a beard. Bluesky’s Web3 glow-up, minus the chain
Did you know?
Until next time!