India’s B2B logistics landscape faces a significant visibility challenge. We hear about the latest dashboards, GPS tracking, and carrier integrations, all designed to provide real-time insights. Yet, despite these technological advancements, supply chain managers across the country still find themselves resorting to phone calls and WhatsApp messages, asking the most fundamental question: “Where is the shipment? What is the order detail? Can you share the Invoice number?” And more…
A large share of India’s transporters manage operations manually—relying on paper logs and phone calls rather than digital systems. (Redseer). These small fleet owners are essential to logistics execution but are rarely part of the formal digital ecosystem.
This exclusion comes at a cost. India’s logistics expenses currently stand at 16 per cent of its GDP, nearly double that of developed economies, driven in part by inefficiencies like coordination gaps, visibility black holes, and manual interventions (Filuet). These delays and uncertainties not only impact efficiency but also translate to real financial losses and frustrated stakeholders.
This disconnect highlights a crucial point: while digital data visibility exists within a select circle, the true obstacle in supply chain is the lack of tech accessibility by the on-ground force.
The illusion of digital transparency
We have built systems, yes. But these systems often fail to connect with the very people who move the goods: the drivers, the local transporters, and the ground-level teams. Many companies rely on a mix of tech-enabled 3PLs and smaller, regional carriers. These smaller carriers are crucial for their agility and local knowledge, but they often operate outside the realm of APIs and automated feeds.
This creates a “black hole” in the supply chain for the operations manager. But for the transporter—who might own just a few trucks and manage operations manually—it’s business as usual. This isn’t resistance to technology—it’s a reminder that most systems weren’t built with them in mind.
Digital freight platforms today account for less than 2 per cent of India’s massive freight market (ET), which means most transporters are left out of the tools built to improve logistics. And when systems don’t trust the ground, the ground stops trusting the system.
When systems don’t trust the ground, the ground doesn’t trust the system
Excluding the frontline from digital processes leaves systems blind at critical points: pickup, loading, and delivery. Imagine a small transporter in rural Bihar struggling to update the shipment status due to poor network connectivity. This simple delay can trigger a cascade: missed delivery slots, delayed payments, excessive coordination, and flawed data in the very dashboards designed to solve these problems.
What we’re witnessing is a trust deficit. Brands don’t always trust smaller carriers to provide accurate updates, and carriers don’t feel their inputs are acknowledged or acted upon. This is why the phone calls persist.
Visibility starts with inclusion
True visibility isn’t about adding more layers of analytics at the top. It’s about enabling better input from the bottom. It means:
- Building mobile-first tools that are easy to use on the go, designed for the realities of life on the road.
- Providing secure, scoped access that gives transporters visibility into their own shipments without compromising broader data.
- Designing intuitive workflows that feel familiar—more like WhatsApp, less like enterprise software.
- Closing the feedback loop, where every status update is acknowledged and triggers the next step in the supply chain.
Digital visibility starts with participation. And participation requires trust.
Trust in action
When we design for trust, everyone wins. It’s knowing that when a driver marks a delivery as complete, it instantly updates the system and triggers automated invoicing. That update can then alert the warehouse to prep the next shipment or notify the end customer, reducing WISMO (Where Is My Order?) queries.
In fact, our own data suggest that logistics players who integrate inclusive tech—like mobile POD uploads or driver-side apps—have reported 15–20 per cent faster delivery turnarounds and up to 30 per cent reduction in WISMO calls.
The road ahead
If Indian logistics sector is to truly scale and compete on a global level, we must move beyond designing systems solely for large enterprises. We must bring local carriers, regional networks, and small fleet owners into the digital fold—not as an afterthought but as essential partners. Companies must start investing in mobile-first platforms designed for frontline workers. And we must reimagine logistics visibility not as a top-down dashboard but as a bottom-up collaboration.
Imagine a future where data flows seamlessly, where goods move efficiently, and where every stakeholder—from warehouse to highway—is a trusted contributor in the logistics ecosystem. Until the system trusts them and they trust the system back, we will keep chasing visibility. And we will never quite reach it.
Let’s build bridges of trust. And together, unlock the true potential of India’s logistics.
First published at