Interview of the week - Total Movements - India

Satish was born in 1977 and started his career when he was only 19 years old. He had a humble beginning and started as a transport supervisor for a haulier. In his career which now stands for over 2 decades, Satish has established himself as one of the most versatile and well known leaders in the Project Forwarding industry.
Today, at age of 43, Satish already has some laurels to his name. For his contribution to the trade, he has been awarded the Young Logistics Professional of the year by the Prestigious EXIM Committee of India.
Satish has been involved in some of the most prestigious Projects in India and Overseas. He is closely associated with all Global Manufacturing and EPC Companies.
He has travelled to more than 40 countries for work and has vast exposure to the global Project forwarding practices.
Prior to joining Total Movements, Satish held Senior Management Positions for multinational project forwarding companies and led the business for these organizations in India and overseas.

Tell us about Total Movements. Who owns the company?

Total Movements Pvt. Ltd. is a Global Project Logistics Forwarder, an associate of M/S. Freight Wings Pvt. Ltd. which is a 40 year old group & one of the largest asset owner / heavy lift companies in India. We have done several businesses for Power / Refinery / Petrochemical & Infrastructure projects and possess a strong track record.

We have our own fleet of equipment such as barges, SPMT’s hydraulic axles, puller and installation & erection equipment such as strand jacks, jacking systems that have carried packages weighing up to 6000 MT.

Having a strong in-house engineering team, makes us a preferred choice for reputed EPC companies & clients.

Total Movements takes QHSES very seriously & has all the relevant certifications in place. Total Movements is a registered Multimodal Transportation Operator and is a highly ethical and compliant company as we possess the Trace Certification as well.

Our certifications include:

• ISO 9001
• OHSAS 18001 
• MTO Licence ( Multi-modal Transport Operator)
• Dun and Bradstreet registered supplier. #861199353
• TRACE Certification - Anti-Bribery Compliance Solutions  

 
Mr. Janesh Kumar Gulati, Mr. Satish Kumar Singh, M/S. Freight Wings Pvt Ltd and Mr. Shreyas Vyas are the shareholders of the company.

Where are your offices located?

Total Movements has its own set-up at the following locations:

• Mumbai,India
• Delhi, India
• Kolkata,India ( Serves all locations in Nepal & Bhutan)
• Chennai,India
• Hyderabad, India
• Jakarta,Indonesia
• Chittagong,Bangladesh

In addition to the above, Total Movements is fully geared up to handle cargo for any port / inland locations in India through its strong network partners.

What is Total Movements specialty and service range?

Total Movements is an out and out Project Logistics Service Provider. Our specialty lies in handling complex break bulk cargo and special equipment on an end to end basis. We provide full range of services as follows:

• Turnkey Project Logistics 
• Freight Forwarding 
• Sea Transportation - Break Bulk & Containers
• Inland Transportation of general cargo and ODC
• Import / Export Customs Clearance, Documentation & Consultancy
• Port Services & Agency
• Jacking, Lifting, Site Erection and Handling Services
• Barging and Multi-modal transportation
• Warehousing and Management
• Air Transport with regular and charter flights
• Buying, Selling and Leasing of Containers
• Feasibility study for logistics 
• Coastal Ocean freight

Tell us about projects that you have handled recently.

Total Movements has had a privilege of handling project cargo movements for various sectors and different geographies recently. A few of the projects are as follows :

1. Back to back delivery of huge breakbulk parcels of Project Cargo from Kolkata / Haldia / Kolaghat jetty / Chennai ports in India to Thermal Power Project site at Rampal in Bangladesh. About 600,000 freight tons cargo has already been exported.
2. Delivery of 6 nos. Gofiner Reactors ,each of about 200 MT from Ex Supplier works India to Exxon Mobil Refinery, Antwerp, about 5000 FRT of project cargo.
3. Multimodal Transportation of 405MT Ammonia Converter Pressure shell (single piece) for ADNOC.
4. Custom Clearance & Transportation of Press Machine and its accessories for an Automotive Plant in South India.
5. Door to door coastal movement of ODC’s of critical parts of Coal Handling Systems for KICTPPL site.

In addition, there are many other projects we have executed recently. We regularly update our recent projects on our LinkedIn page. 

How do you see the future evolving in our industry?

Over the next few years, we expect to see a broad overhaul of global supply chain infrastructure. Before Covid-19, companies’ infrastructure was heavily dependent on China. This is a trend which will change rapidly post Covid-19 with more and more companies wanting to mitigate their risks by rationalizing their supply chains. We see India as a clear beneficiary of this trend with a lot of companies moving their manufacturing to India, in addition to other South East Asian countries.

India is already a major manufacturing hub after China & Korea for Heavy Engineering cargo. Further, the shift to renewables is accelerating in a big way with a major focus on Solar and Wind. Progressively, we will see bigger volumes in this sector.
 
Apart from the above business opportunities, digitization / blockchain will play a key role in the execution / operations of project logistics with a need for increased data security and transparency in addition to the requirement of working remotely.

If you could give one advice for people wanting to perform a project cargo operation in your country, what would it be?

Most Indian ports have good facilities to handle multi-purpose vessels such as containerized vessels, breakbulk and RORO vessels. However, most major Indian ports are located near busy population centers. This complicates movement of ODC and Heavy Lift cargoes by road. Such movements are also challenging due to the expanding infrastructure works such as that of Metro and new civil projects. Hence, it is very important to have the right partners who keep themselves updated of the latest obstacles etc. en-route.
 
While customs rules / processes have been simplified a lot in India over the period of time, it is still a bit complicated when it comes to taking benefits of the various schemes put in place by the Indian Government and it is important that the documents are prepared keeping in mind the Indian Customs requirements.

We at Total Movements have a dedicated team of supervisors / engineers who keep themselves abreast of the latest route options / solutions to enable smooth cargo movement. Moreover, our customs experts advise our customers / partners on documentation to ensure smooth clearance.

What is the port’s infrastructure in Mumbai? Any free zones? 

Mumbai, as a historically important harbor and trade city, is home to two of India's major ports as follows:

1. Mumbai Old Port in South Mumbai which primarily houses the bulk / breakbulk and cruise terminal.
2. Nhava Sheva Port, located some 100 km from Mumbai port, which has multiple terminals operated by the different companies and which handles approximately 60% of India's total container volume. Hence, it is India's largest container handling port and ranks 24th among all ports worldwide.

Yes, there are free zones near Nhava Sheva port. Total Movements is already working for a few customers helping them with services at the Free Zone.

Is special transport a competitive sector in India? How do you ensure that you will stand out?

India is an emerging market and with the government's focus to boost infrastructure, the growth of the project cargo sector is evident. It has been growing in a big way over the past 15 years and we expect it to keep growing at a fairly high rate over the next 10-15 years as well. Indeed, special transport is an extremely competitive sector in India. As this is a competitive / growing industry, there are players who go very aggressive and take undue risks in terms of operational execution, thereby jeopardizing safe delivery outcomes.
 
Total Movements stands out by offering Factory to Foundation kind of solutions for all kinds of cargo. There are very few companies in India who have the in-residence capabilities to offer such solutions in terms of equipment, experience & expertise. Moreover, we are a highly compliant organization and we follow all the rules, processes, procedures laid down by the authorities and by our safety protocols.

Are there any particularities in project cargo forwarding in your country? Such as customs restraints or other?

India has different schemes under which capital goods and project cargo are exported / imported. The customs broker must be abreast of the procedures to be followed in order to fulfill related obligations from time to time. 
 
Transportation of special cargoes also requires permission from the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways. As mentioned earlier, due to continuous upgrade of the local infrastructure, the planning of the movement of special cargo has to be meticulous.
 
Total Movements with its team of experts can help you address all the above issues.

What made you join the industry?

I started my career as an apprentice at a transport company in the year 1998. The sheer challenge and variety in this industry made it really appealing to take this up as my passion and pursue it. After that there has been no looking back.

This year I have completed 22 years in the trade and have travelled to over 40 countries for work and to meet EPC companies and customers.

What do you like the most about your business?

Each project is unique and has its own challenges. Everyday is a new day in that sense. I feel excited working in the global environment. Interacting with clients, partners and THLG Members overseas makes our business truly multicultural.

Working with professionals across the globe with the goal to move cargo to full satisfaction of our customers is my passion.

Who should be approached in Total Movements for inquiries?

Please feel free to reach us at satish.singh@totalmove.in and at shreyas.vyas@totalmove.in for any requirements that you have. We will be pleased to assist you.