The Core Report #027 Navigating India's Cold Chain Industry with Sunil Nair
Jun 24, 2023
Sunil Nair, CEO of Snowman Logistics, leads India’s temperature-controlled logistics with deep cold-chain experience. He discusses rising frozen-product demand, how better cold reach changes consumption and pricing, the high cost of refrigerated transport, long multi-stage routes to remote regions, and growth opportunities in pharma, QSR and seafood. He also covers driver challenges, capex/opex pressures, and why infrastructure investment is needed.
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Remote Deliveries Need Long Cold Chains
- Some refrigerated shipments travel long multi-leg routes and take 12–15 days to reach remote destinations like Imphal.
- Maintaining -20°C throughout these multi-stage journeys is essential for product integrity.
Cold Transport Is Much Costlier
- Refrigerated transport costs roughly 70% more than non-refrigerated transport due to higher fuel and operational needs.
- Price sensitivity of low-value goods (e.g., vegetables) keeps them out of cold chain despite quality benefits.
Ice Cream And Seafood Lead Volumes
- By volume and value Snowman primarily handles ice cream, then seafood (shrimp for export), and QSR supplies.
- Ice cream dominates both revenue and tonnage for Snowman.