DHL Group, the world’s leading logistics company, announced plans for investments of around EUR 1 billion across all its business units in India by 2030. This significant commitment underscores the company’s confidence in India as a key growth market and reflects its Strategy 2030 – Accelerate sustainable growth.
The multi-year investment program spans key sectors including life sciences and healthcare, new energy, e-commerce, and digitalisation. Major infrastructure developments include:
- First DHL Health Logistics hub for DHL Supply Chain India in Bhiwandi
- India’s largest low-carbon-emission integrated operating facility for Blue Dart in Bijwasan
- First automatic sorting centre for DHL Express India in Delhi
- Fifth DHL IT Services Centre in Indore
- Electric Vehicle (EV) and Battery Logistics Centre of Excellence (COE) in Chennai and Mumbai
- Largest low greenhouse gas (GHG) emission integrated ground hub for Blue Dart in Haryana
“Global trade is facing headwinds, but we remain confident in India’s dynamic market. The country’s diversification strategy and business-friendly policies provide a solid foundation for long-term investments. With our investment program of around EUR 1 billion, we are expanding reliable and more sustainable logistics solutions for our customers in India,” said Tobias Meyer, CEO of DHL Group.
India’s role in Strategy 2030
Geographic tailwinds
According to DHL’s Global Connectedness Tracker (GCT), global trade remained resilient despite headwinds from tariffs. While negotiations with the U.S. continue, India’s combined merchandise and services exports grew 6.18% from April to August 2025.
DHL’s GCT also showed goods traversed the longest average distance on record during the first half of 2025. The average distance of goods trade in India is also expected to reach 6,190 kilometres in 2025 (2024: 6,090 kilometres), as reflected in the growth of India’s exports to 24 countries spread across Asia, the Middle East, Europe, Africa and the Americas. These countries include, but are not limited to: Brazil, Belgium, Canada, Egypt, Germany, Iraq, Kenya, Mexico, Nigeria, Oman, Russia, South Korea, Tanzania, Thailand, UAE, and Vietnam.
“India’s trade diversification strategy is starting to pay dividends as we see increased trade to a wider range of markets. With our presence in 220 countries and territories, DHL Group is well-positioned to support this momentum. As supply chains evolve to become more resilient, they also become more complex – from new supplier ecosystems to customs declarations. Our certified logistics experts and digital tools such as MyGTS help customers simplify these challenges to keep their businesses moving forward,” said R.S. Subramanian, SVP – South Asia and Managing Director, India, DHL Express.
Life sciences and healthcare
India has long established a leading position in the life sciences and healthcare (LSHC) sector, becoming a global hub for contract manufacturing, research and development, and clinical trials. It is also a global leader in generic pharmaceuticals, producing over 50% of the world’s vaccines.
“Our flagship DHL Health Logistics Excellence Centre in Mumbai adds to our existing network of more than 30 cold chain facilities in India. This is yet another commitment from DHL to position ourselves as the logistics provider of choice for LSHC customers. The 150,000 square feet facility in Bhiwandi will strengthen our solutions in this sector. Our DHL Healthcare Logistics Platform is an end-to-end solution for life sciences and healthcare companies. in addition to temperature-controlled warehouses, our Life Track system & control tower can help our customers track their shipments from delivery to storage and even direct to patient,” said Vikas Anand, Managing Director, India, DHL Supply Chain.
DHL’s solutions for the life science and healthcare sector in India include:
- Time-definite international delivery, World Medical Express
- Priority domestic and Air Express
- Multi-modal transport solutions such as air, ocean, road and rail freight
- Temperature-controlled warehousing solutions ranging from ambient to sub-zero
- Free trade warehouse zone and customs-bonded service
- Direct to patient and white glove services
- Active and passive packaging solutions
“The strong government support has opened up many opportunities for us, with the country’s Production-Linked Incentives (PLI) attracting nearly USD 4 billion in investments in 2024. Other policies such as the National Biopharma Mission and the National Medical Devices Policy will also encourage more growth in the sector, and we have invested in our capabilities to support India’s ambitions,” added Anand.
New Energy
“Our focus on New Energy aligns with India’s ambition for clean energy and electrification. We are focused on eight key segments: wind, solar, EV and batteries, battery energy storage systems, EV charging, grid, alternative fuel and hydrogen. India wants to elevate EV sales to 30% of private cars, 70% of commercial vehicles, 40% of buses, and 80% of two- and three-wheelers by 2030, translating to approximately 80 million EVs on Indian roads, along with a focus on complete EV production through the ‘Make In India’ initiative. That is why we are setting up the EV and Battery Logistics Center of Excellence (COE) by Q4 2025, and will expand its service offerings in 2026,” said Edwin Pinto, Managing Director, India, DHL Global Forwarding.
Phase 1 of the COE will focus on inbound battery logistics into a Free Trade Warehouse Zone (FTWZ) in Chennai, and subsequently Mumbai in 2026. Phase 2 of the COE will focus on warehousing solutions for the battery aftermarket segment, and in-plant operations for gigafactories or Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs).
“But it is not just EVs and batteries we are looking at. India has also set an ambitious target of 500 GW of non-fossil fuel-based installed capacity by 2030, currently ranking 4th globally in terms of total renewable energy installed capacity. We are seeing increasing investments in renewable energy, particularly solar, and this is another area where we are seeing opportunities for us,” added Pinto.
E-commerce
“India is firmly on the path to becoming the world’s third-largest economy, with the logistics and e-commerce sectors poised to play a pivotal role in driving this growth. This investment reflects the Group’s deep commitment to India’s long-term potential and forms an essential part of our multi-year roadmap to accelerate expansion and digital transformation.
At Blue Dart, the investment will be channelled towards upgrading our infrastructure, network, and capacity, as well as expanding our last-mile reach and delivery centres nationwide. A key focus will be on automation and advanced technologies that enhance operational efficiency and support rapidly rising e-commerce volumes,” said Balfour Manuel, Managing Director, Blue Dart.
DHL’s solutions for e-commerce players include time-definite international and domestic deliveries, customs clearance, DHL Fulfilment Network, and returns management.
“With the e-commerce market projected to reach USD 345 billion by 2030, particularly driven by Tier II and III demand, this investment comes at a defining moment in the industry’s growth trajectory. It reinforces our position in powering India’s growth story, supported by robust ground networks and unmatched speed to deliver, enabled by dedicated air express capacity in the sky through our aviation network. We are uniquely equipped to ensure faster, more reliable deliveries and connect every corner of the nation with efficiency and reliability,” added Manuel.
Green logistics of choice in India
Strategy 2030 also sees a new pillar for DHL Group: Green Logistics of Choice. The company’s sustainability goals are to reduce absolute CO2 emissions to 29 million metric tons by 2030 and to net zero by 2050.
In India, the Group’s sustainability journey is focused on the electrification of its fleet with more than 700 electric vehicles. Blue Dart also recently launched India’s largest low-GHG-emission integrated operating facility in Bijwasan, Delhi. The site features 600 kWp of rooftop solar capacity, which plays a pivotal role in reducing carbon emissions and enabling cleaner, more sustainable energy usage across operations.
Customers are also embarking on the sustainability journey, with more than 9,000 Indian customers already signed up on the GoGreen Plus program. GoGreen Plus integrates sustainability into air, sea, and road freight and warehousing.
The program directly reduces emissions within the supply chain using renewable fuels such as HVO 100 and bio-LNG, battery-electric vehicles, and sustainable aviation fuel, thereby offering customers the option to ship in a more sustainable manner.
In 2024, GoGreen Plus reduced 1,598,000 tons of CO₂e, with more than 300,000 customers using the solution globally through the book-and-claim model. The book-and-claim model enables DHL to directly replace fossil fuels with sustainable fuels within the logistic company’s network and allocate environmental benefits to paying customers, even when their shipments are not physically transported with the assets using these fuels.
Digitalisation – foundation of Strategy 2030
The Group has also made investments to continue building India as a hub for digital innovation and technology talent. Earlier this year, it opened its fifth DHL IT Services (ITS) centre and the first dedicated technology training academy centre in Indore. This adds to its strong presence in Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, and Mumbai.
The first dedicated training academy will see DHL employees equipped with skills in digital technologies, automation, artificial intelligence and leadership. With more than 1,300 digital and logistics experts, India is now one of the fastest-growing technology hubs within the DHL Group.
