DHL eCommerce will invest €70 million (US$75.1 million) to expand its air hubs in Delhi and Mumbai, supporting the growing e-commerce industry in India.

According to DHL, the 5,761m² Delhi hub and 4,274m² Mumbai hub will be equipped with automation to handle a daily volume of more than 500 tonnes. The upgrade will allow Blue Dart Express, a subsidiary of DHL, to process more shipments faster and deliver them to Indian consumers by air.

“The e-commerce industry is an extremely exciting one that offers tremendous opportunities for businesses and consumers alike,” said Juergen Gerdes, CEO of post, e-commerce and parcel at Deutsche Post DHL Group [third from right in photo]. “The global B2C cross border e-commerce market will multiply in size to US$1 trillion in 2020. The growth is driven by increasing consumption from expanding middle classes, greater mobile and internet penetration and improving logistics and infrastructure as consumers increasingly shop online and expect shorter delivery times. With our added focus on innovation such as the StreetScooter and In-Car Delivery, we are gearing up to ensure we stay ahead of the game and be able to anticipate and meet the needs of the overall industry, e-tailers and end customers.”

Charles Brewer, CEO of DHL eCommerce [second from left in photo], said that the completion of the upgrades will mark another milestone in the expansion of the DHL eCommerce logistics network.

“India is a really important market for us and is one of the fastest-growing, with B2C e-commerce expected to grow from €9.6 billion (US$10.3 billion) in 2016 to between €30-40 billion (US$32.2-42.9 billion) in 2020,” said Brewer. “This investment in India, as well as recent investments in the Americas and elsewhere in Asia Pacific this year, showcases our commitment to the e-commerce industry by delivering high quality, reliable logistics solutions to meet the rising demands of e-commerce consumers.”