The CII Cold Chain Task Force on Cold Chain Development is involved in the development of cold chain sector. The objective of the task force is to create awareness about global developments in the sector through the experiences of major players and policy makers and by highlighting how a paradigm shift can be achieved. The Task Force is working towards creating a holistic approach to address the sector by involving all the components of the supply chain. It is focusing on the following thrust areas this year:

The objective is developing the maps and preparing feasibility reports for implementation in collaboration with the respective state governments and creating a project to be implemented on the ground. The identified states and crops are pomegranates in Karnataka, mangoes in Andhra Pradesh, bananas in Tamil Nadu and potatoes in West Bengal.

To understand the number of licenses and permissions required from the states and the Centre to operate a cold chain business

Recognition for pre-eminent and outstanding contributions in the field of cold chain management including warehousing, logistics, and policy systems and to raise awareness with regard to sustainable success and competitiveness by sharing best practices through National Cold Chain Awards.

To understand the financial feasibility of running the business on alternate sources of fuel and come up with concrete recommendations for the state and Central governments to adopt.

CII, as part of its broad agenda to enable and promote cold chain infrastructure for commercially viable fruits, had identified banana and prepared a detailed feasibility report for setting up post harvest infrastructure in the state of Tamil Nadu, which is the largest producer, and submitted it to the state government. The objective is to create a brand name for Tamil Nadu bananas on the lines of Florida oranges and, through scientific ripening and preservation processes, realize higher value by reducing wastage and improving the quality of bananas. As a follow up to the first three editions of the Banana Festival held in Chennai, Coimbatore and Trichy, the fourth edition is planned in Chennai to take this initiative to the next level. These concerted eff orts have created a deeper awareness of the business potential of banana.