India is an agricultural-based economy and is the largest producer of fruits and vegetables in the world. Fruits & vegetables, being perishable in nature require certain techniques of preservation for retaining the quality and extend the self-life of the production. The estimated annual production of fruits and vegetables in the country is about 130 million tonnes. The cold storage & cold chain facilities are the prime infrastructural component for such perishable commodities. 

Cold storage is a temperature – controlled supply chain network, with storage and distribution activities carried out in a manner such that the temperature of a product is maintained in a specified range, needed to keep it fresh and edible for a much longer period than in normal ambient conditions. A cold chain can be managed by a quality management system generally called as warehouse management. India’s warehousing requirement is expected to grow at an annual average rate of 9%. The Indian Government focus on incentivizing the manufacturing sector is the key to growth of warehousing. With the growth of the domestic manufacturing and retail segments, the demand for efficient warehouse management service has improved. Investment in warehouse can provide an opportunity of realizing returns in the range of 12%-20% per annum to investors willing to explore this sector. 

The current scenario reveals that there is a tremendous scope for the development of cold chain facilities. The Cold Chain industry is recognized as a sunrise sector in India and is expected to offer significant opportunities in the near future. Developing an integrated supply chain, including cold chain can save up to 300 billion annually and at the same time reduce the wastage of perishable horticulture produce.

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