Six or seven years ago, cold chain infrastructure for fresh produce in India was barely existent, says Swarup Bose, founder & CEO of Mumbai-based Celcius Logistics. "Only a small percentage of farmers, traders, wholesalers, or buyers used it, and even then, just for critical consignments. Perishable fruits like lychees and strawberries were often moved open-air because refrigerated trucks and cold storage were scarce and expensive. And for cold chain companies, fresh produce was too risky to be bothered with," he recalls.
That situation has started to shift, Bose explains, largely because consumers now expect better quality fruits and vegetables rather than settling for whatever is cheapest or closest. At the same time, broader conversations around sustainability, food safety, and India's challenges with the hunger index have brought more attention to the need for better post-harvest handling. "We're seeing a pretty good shift in fresh produce supply chains. It's still at a nascent stage, but things are getting better."
© Celsius Logistics
One noticeable change is how Farmer-Producer Organizations are linking directly with platforms like Zepto, Zomato Hyperpure, Amazon, and Reliance. This cuts out middlemen who used to take large cuts from farmers' earnings, leaving them with better prices that make cold chain use more practical. "No one is eating away at the price in between anymore. Farmers can afford proper handling now, and it benefits the entire chain right through to end-consumers."
Most refrigerated assets, including trucks, warehouses, and distribution points, currently come from third-party logistics providers, transporters, and storage firms rather than farmers or retailers themselves. Bose describes Celcius Logistics' four-year-old Vahan Vikas Yojana program, which aims to bring smaller players into the picture. "We encourage traders, drivers, agents, shopkeepers, and even people from low-income groups to invest in their own refrigerated vehicles. It's about expanding the network from the ground up."
"We are a tech-first logistics company, having built custom systems to address the sector's fragmentation: Our transport management tracks temperature, humidity, and location in real time; warehouse and inventory tools handle stock movement and expiration; hyperlocal systems cover last-mile delivery, even to consumers," Swarup explains. Fresh fruits and vegetables are their second-largest segment after dairy, with volumes doubling yearly. They run 800 dedicated vehicles under the VVY program plus 2,000 market vehicles, moving 3 lakh tons of goods monthly, F&V accounting for at least 25%, nearly all temperature-controlled.
© Celsius Logistics
He points to their 2.5-year partnership with Blinkit as a practical example. They set up packhouses and pre-coolers at farms in Muzaffarpur for lychees, Mahabaleshwar for strawberries, and Himachal sites. "This reduced strawberry wastage from a 27% industry average to 6%, while handling 8-9 tons daily during peak season, allowing Blinkit to triple direct purchases from farmers. Movements now include Maharashtra strawberries reaching even the far corners of Guwahati and Kolkata lychees air-freighted to homes in Gurgaon. Imported exotics like avocados, which once spoiled quickly after cold storage due to open distribution, now make it to over 600 cities, including tier 2 and 3 markets."
Bose estimates India's cold chain efficiency at roughly 5% today. "It took several years to reach this level, but the next jump to 10% could happen within three years. The biggest hurdles remain a lack of trained personnel and infrastructure, particularly for tier 3 and 4 cities where brands peg the next growth phase." He reflects, "Demand has always been there; the real gap was the supply chain. With technology offering full visibility and partnerships adding capacity, produce is starting to move reliably from farms to tables in India, cutting losses and benefiting farmers, retailers, and consumers along the way."
For more information:
Swarup Bose
Celcius Logistics
Email: [email protected]
www.celcius.in
