MUMBAI, India, July 4, 2024 -- The cold chain warehousing sector is experiencing significant growth, driven by increased demand for imported fresh fruits. This demand has been further fuelled by the rising preference for healthy lifestyles, higher incomes, and improved affordability. Importers have been driven to ensure the seamless running of their fresh fruit supply chain, wanting to take no chances especially after the disruption witnessed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Hence, companies are continuously investing in and expanding their cold storage infrastructure across key locations in India, ensuring efficient distribution and long-term sustainability. These strategic investments are essential in enhancing reach and meeting the evolving needs of consumers nationwide.

According to a report by IMARC, the Indian cold chain market amounted to INR 1,81,490 Crores in the year 2022 and is expected to increase to INR 3,79,870 Crores by 2028 (at CAGR of 12.3%). Favourable government measures including funds for cold chain and value addition projects and support for cold storage construction, have led to significant investments and the creation of modern, efficient supply chains.

IG International is a top fresh fruits' importer in India, supplying fresh, hygienically stored fruits to vendors in 27 cities across the nation. Since temperature control is crucial in ensuring the efficacy and stability of products throughout the supply chain, they sought a warehouse developer for securing a built-to-suit (BTS) facility that would enhance their cold chain capacity in a major Indian city in proximity to consumers. In the resulting partnership, IG International married their technical expertise in cold storage technologies with Horizon's proficiency in constructing Grade A compliant warehouses.

The result was a new cold chain facility is strategically located in Hosur, Tamil Nadu, along the NH 44 and well-connected to Bengaluru's international airport, the NH 48 and the NH 42. This connectivity makes fruit sourcing and logistics movement extremely efficient.

The cold chain unit measures ~88000 sq ft in area and has been created to house the main cold storage as well as the processing facility. This BTS unit features PEB construction with 12m clear height, cold rooms inside the building, concrete apron of 16.5 m around the unit for heavy traffic loads, insulated roof and walls to resist conductive heat, levelled PCC flooring, safety harness lines along the roof periphery and on the sides of ridge ventilator and rooftop solar for energy efficiency.

Furthermore, the materials used for construction are environment-friendly and embody less carbon. The roof is designed to cater to a solar panel load of up to 20 kg/sq m. Additionally, Horizon Industrial Parks obtained all requisite standard and statutory approvals for processing, storing, and packaging fruits, ensuring compliance with local, state, and national regulations.

"With this robust cold chain facility, IG International is better placed to respond to India's surging fresh fruit imports. This built-to-suit warehouse upholds our stringent standards of quality and safety across the supply chain with minimal lead times," said Tarun Arora, Director, IG International.

"Any cold chain facility needs to meet stringent storage specifications, vital for preserving product quality and ensuring the freshness of food items. With meticulous attention to detail, we are proud to have tailored this facility to match the expectations set by IG International, providing them with a solution that upholds the standards of quality they were looking for," said Urvish Rambhia, Director, Horizon Industrial Parks.

About Horizon Industrial Parks

Horizon Industrial Parks is a logistics platform in India owned by Blackstone Real Estate funds. Horizon Industrial Parks (together with affiliates) manages 24 industrial and logistics parks spread across more than 1,700 acres and with an area of 42 million square feet, which are in 10 key markets in India.

For more information, visit www.hiparks.com/.

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