Visualization of Environmental Impact and Sustainability

With the growing focus on managing the environmental impact of companies, more and more companies are integrating practices like renewable energy consumption or waste management to promote the overall development of the companies. However, despite this, Indian logistic companies still have more usage of non-renewable resources, are highly energy intensive, and have limited sustainable practices integration (Delhivery Limited, 2024; Agarwal Industrial Corporation Limited, 2024). The usage of indicators such as share of renewable energy consumption or waste management (NBCC India, 2021), helps in having a better knowledge of the environmental management and sustainability status of the Indian logistic companies.

Environmental Impact Indicator computation

The above graph shows the renewable energy share year-wise. Among the companies, Transport Corporation of India Limited stands out with a complete shift to renewable energy, achieving 100% dependency, and setting industry benchmarks. Aegis Logistics and TCI Express Limited show slight declines in renewable energy usage, with Aegis decreasing from 45.9% in 2023 to 41.4% in 2024, and TCI Express dropping from 15.1% to 13.5%. These reductions may reflect operational shifts or resource allocation changes that impact their renewable energy integration. Allcargo Logistics Limited began its transition towards sustainability in 2024, albeit modestly, with a 1.3% share in renewable energy usage. Blue Dart Express Limited also made a small entry into renewable energy, with a 0.07% share in 2024, suggesting initial steps towards environmental impact responsibility. Some companies are showing positive growth. Gateway Distriparks Limited increased its renewable energy share from 2.67% to 2.92%, and Mahindra Logistics made a significant leap, rising from 2.7% to 11.1% between 2023 and 2024. This growth highlights a growing commitment to renewable energy sources within these companies. On the other hand, a number of companies, including Agarwal Industrial Corporation Limited, Container Corporation of India Limited, Delhivery Limited, Reliance Industrial Infrastructure Limited, Sindhu Trade Links Limited, TVS Supply Chain Solutions Limited, and VRL Logistics Limited, report no renewable energy usage. This absence signals a substantial gap in sustainability practices across the sector, pointing to a reliance on traditional, non-renewable resources that contribute to higher carbon emissions and environmental impact. Thus, some companies in the Indian logistics sector are actively increasing their renewable energy usage, but a large portion remains reliant on conventional energy sources, suggesting that there is still considerable room for improvement in the sector’s overall approach to sustainability.

The water usage intensity data highlights varying trends in water consumption per employee across the Indian logistics sector. Aegis Logistics recorded a notable increase, with water usage rising from 26 kiloliters (Kl) per employee in 2023 to 32 Kl in 2024, suggesting either an operational expansion or increased water reliance within the organization. Blue Dart Express Limited also saw a minor rise, going from 2.03 Kl to 2.13 Kl, and Container Corporation of India Limited exhibited a more significant increase, with per-employee usage moving from 82 Kl to 92 Kl, indicating possible scaling or higher water demands. Delhivery Limited reported an increase in water intensity from 0.83 Kl to 1.09 Kl, while Mahindra Logistics Limited rose from 2.3 Kl to 2.8 Kl, reflecting gradual increases in water use per employee. Reliance Industrial Infrastructure Limited continues to show the highest water usage, with an increase from 138 Kl in 2023 to 148 Kl in 2024, pointing to a potentially water-intensive operational model. TCI Express Limited had a small increase from 8.7 Kl to 8.9 Kl, and Transport Corporation of India Limited saw a larger jump from 1.2 Kl to 3.9 Kl, potentially reflecting adjustments in resource allocation. TVS Supply Chain Solutions Limited also increased slightly from 1.43 Kl to 1.54 Kl. In contrast, several companies managed to reduce their water intensity, signalling efforts towards conservation. Agarwal Industrial Corporation decreased its usage from 5.8K Kl to 4.8K Kl, and Gateway Distriparks Limited saw a considerable reduction from 121 Kl to 82 Kl per employee. VRL Logistics Limited also reduced its consumption, from 20.1 Kl to 18.5 Kl. Meanwhile, Allcargo Logistics Limited and Sindhu Trade Links Limited reported no water consumption, indicating either negligible use or data availability constraints regarding water usage. Thus, most of the companies in the Indian logistics sector witnessed a rise in water usage depicting in less focus on environmental management practices in the logistics sector.

The above graph shows mostly the rise in waste generation per employee in the Indian logistics industry. Herein, Aegis Logistics saw a notable rise in waste generation, increasing from 0.019 metric tonnes per employee in 2023 to 0.033 metric tonnes in 2024, indicating a potential escalation in operational byproducts. Container Corporation of India Limited, which reported zero waste in 2023, registered 0.000678 metric tonnes in 2024, reflecting an emergence of waste generation. Delhivery Limited also showed an increase in waste, going from 0.0059 metric tonnes to 0.0125 metric tonnes, and Gateway Distriparks Limited reported its first recorded waste output of 0.028 metric tonnes per employee in 2024, highlighting an upward trend. Mahindra Logistics Limited produced a significant amount of waste, rising from 2.32 metric tonnes to 2.77 metric tonnes per employee, suggesting an intensification in their waste footprint. Similarly, Sindhu Trade Links Limited recorded an increase from zero to 0.35 metric tonnes, marking a substantial shift. TCI Express experienced a small rise, moving from 0.00137 to 0.00153 metric tonnes, while Transport Corporation of India Limited increased from 0.05 to 0.071 metric tonnes per employee. TVS Supply Chain Solutions Limited introduced a waste output of 0.0063 metric tonnes, and VRL Logistics moved from zero to 0.115 metric tonnes per employee in 2024, highlighting the sector’s expanding waste production. In contrast, Blue Dart Express Limited managed to reduce its waste generation from 0.00095 metric tonnes to zero, showing a successful reduction effort. Notably, Agarwal Industrial Corporation Limited, Allcargo Logistics Limited, and Reliance Industrial Infrastructure Limited maintained zero waste generation, indicating that they either have minimal waste output or robust waste management practices in place. Thus, majority of Indian logistic companies are seeing an upward trend in waste generation per employee. This shows less focus of the logistic companies on sustainability and need for waste management practices for addressing environmental impact.

The data on Scope 1 emissions per employee in the Indian logistics sector reveals a mix of reductions and increases among companies, reflecting varied progress in direct emissions control. Blue Dart Express Limited managed a reduction in its emissions, lowering from 7.7 metric tonnes per employee in 2023 to 6.9 metric tonnes in 2024, indicating a successful effort to curb its direct emissions. Container Corporation of India Limited also saw a decrease, reducing its Scope 1 emissions from 12.4 to 11.5 metric tonnes, while Gateway Distriparks Limited achieved a significant drop from 9.2 to 6.2 metric tonnes. VRL Logistics Limited also reduced its emissions, going from 13.7 metric tonnes to 12.5 metric tonnes per employee, suggesting effective measures to cut down on direct carbon output. On the other hand, some companies experienced an increase in Scope 1 emissions, signaling either expansion in operations or challenges in emission management. Delhivery Limited reported a rise from 0.48 to 1.01 metric tonnes per employee, reflecting a more than two-fold increase in emissions. Mahindra Logistics Limited similarly saw an increase from 0.014 to 0.091 metric tonnes, and TCI Express Limited rose from 0.094 to 0.131 metric tonnes per employee. Transport Corporation of India Limited exhibited a significant increase in Scope 1 emissions, going from 7.9 to 12.1 metric tonnes per employee, suggesting a growing reliance on emission-intensive resources. TVS Supply Chain Solutions also saw a slight increase, with emissions rising from 0.099 to 0.111 metric tonnes. Aegis Logistics Limited, Agarwal Industrial Corporation, Allcargo Logistics Limited, Reliance Industrial Infrastructure Limited, and Sindhu Trade Links Limited reported no Scope 1 emissions per employee, indicating that they either have minimal direct emissions or are potentially utilizing offset strategies or alternative energy sources to avoid direct carbon output. Thus, significant number of Indian logistic companies are seeing rise in Scope 1 emissions per employee, highlighting the need for more robust emission reduction strategies and technologies to support sustainable growth.

The data on Scope 2 emissions per employee across the Indian logistics sector indicates an upward trend for several companies. Allcargo Logistics Limited reported a significant increase in Scope 2 emissions, going from zero in 2023 to 8.5 metric tonnes per employee in 2024, marking a substantial rise in its indirect carbon footprint. Container Corporation of India Limited also saw an increase in emissions, from 14.10 to 14.48 metric tonnes per employee, indicating a steady dependency on energy-intensive processes. Delhivery Limited experienced a rise from 0.40 to 0.72 metric tonnes, while Mahindra Logistics Limited saw an increase from 0.50 to 1.53 metric tonnes per employee, pointing to a growing energy demand across operations. Reliance Industrial Infrastructure Limited recorded an increase in Scope 2 emissions, from 1.59 to 1.86 metric tonnes per employee. TCI Express Limited reported an increase from 0.70 to 0.97 metric tonnes, while Transport Corporation of India Limited and TVS Supply Chain Solutions Limited experienced smaller increases, with emissions rising from 0.220 to 0.260 metric tonnes and from 0.051 to 0.065 metric tonnes, respectively. VRL Logistics Limited also recorded a slight increase, moving from 0.3919 to 0.4001 metric tonnes per employee. On a positive note, Blue Dart Express Limited managed to reduce its Scope 2 emissions per employee, decreasing from 0.761 to 0.729 metric tonnes, indicating a step towards enhanced energy efficiency. Similarly, Gateway Distriparks Limited achieved a reduction from 2.08 to 1.47 metric tonnes per employee, showcasing its effort to curb energy-related emissions. Aegis Logistics Limited, Agarwal Industrial Corporation Limited, and Sindhu Trade Links Limited reported no Scope 2 emissions, suggesting they may have a lower dependency on external energy sources or have implemented cleaner energy solutions. Thus, the majority of Indian logistic companies are seeing increases in Scope 2 emissions, which underlines the necessity for broader energy-efficiency initiatives and renewable energy integration within the Indian logistics industry.

The data on Scope 3 emissions per employee in the Indian logistics sector reveals that Allcargo Logistics Limited experienced a significant increase in Scope 3 emissions, rising from zero in 2023 to 167 metric tonnes per employee in 2024, marking a substantial addition to its overall emissions footprint. Mahindra Logistics Limited also saw a significant rise, with emissions increasing from 109 to 182 metric tonnes per employee, suggesting an expansion in indirect emission sources, likely from logistics operations or outsourced activities. Blue Dart Express Limited recorded an increase in Scope 3 emissions from 11.71 to 13.25 metric tonnes per employee, while Delhivery Limited saw a smaller rise, from 9.44 to 9.68 metric tonnes per employee, indicating a steady reliance on high-emission activities within their supply chains. Transport Corporation of India Limited saw an increase in emissions from 20.9 to 23.4 metric tonnes per employee, indicating a moderate rise in outsourced or third-party logistics emissions. TVS Supply Chain Solutions Limited reported an increase from zero to 9.8 metric tonnes per employee, which could indicate new supply chain operations or partnerships that involve higher indirect emissions. Similarly, VRL Logistics showed a slight increase, moving from 2.461 to 2.506 metric tonnes per employee.

On the other hand, Aegis Logistics Limited, Agarwal Industrial Corporation Limited, Container Corporation of India Limited, Gateway Distriparks Limited, Reliance Industrial Infrastructure Limited, Sindhu Trade Links Limited, and TCI Express Limited reported no Scope 3 emissions per employee, potentially reflecting minimal indirect emission sources or reliance on lower-emission logistics operations. Thus, overall companies in the Indian logistic sector have rising Scope 3 emissions per employee defining in need for more focus on sustainable supply chains.

Sustainability performance

Sustainability score

The table indicates that VRL Logistics Limited, despite contributing to the industry’s sustainability performance score, falls into the “poor” category of environmental sustainability. This suggests that while VRL Logistics has made some strides in incorporating sustainability practices, its overall environmental impact still remains insignificant, and its practices are far from meeting the necessary benchmarks for a more sustainable logistics operation.

In conclusion, the environmental sustainability analysis of Indian logistics companies shows a mixed landscape of progress and gaps. While companies like Transport Corporation of India and Mahindra Logistics make strides in renewable energy adoption, others, such as VRL Logistics, remain heavily dependent on non-renewable resources, illustrating the sector’s slow shift toward sustainable practices. Water usage intensity varies widely, with some companies making efforts to conserve while others exhibit rising consumption. Waste generation is increasing across most firms, highlighting an urgent need for enhanced waste management practices. Emission intensities—both Scope 1 and Scope 2—generally reflect a growing energy footprint, though a few companies show reductions through energy-efficient strategies. Scope 3 emissions reveal limited focus on sustainable supply chains. Overall, the industry’s low sustainability score emphasizes a need for broader commitment to environmental management and investment in sustainable practices across the sector, fostering a more balanced and responsible approach to logistics in India.

References

• Agarwal Industrial Corporation Limited. (2024). 30th Annual Report Paving the Way Forward FY 2023-2024. In Agarwal Industrial Corporation Limited. https://nsearchives.nseindia.com/corporate/AGARIND_20082024173129_AGM30NoticeAndAnnualReturn2024.pdf
• Delhivery Limited. (2024). Business Responsibility & Sustainability Report for Financial Year 2023‐24 (“FY24”) [Report]. https://nsearchives.nseindia.com/corporate/DELHIVERYLTD_08082024181254_BRSR_Intimation.pdf
• NBCC India. (2021). Business Responsibility Sustainability Reporting Policy [Report]. https://www.nbccindia.in/pdfData/policies/BRSR%20Policy_NBCC_12042023.pdf