News / DHL to invest €1bn as India 'becomes its global tech hub'

© Eamesbot |

DHL today joined other major logistics players in firmly committing to India, with an announcement of a €1bn spend in the country by 2030. 

However, some of the investments have previously been announced.

DHL told The Loadstar the more recently planned ones included a DHL Health Logistics hub for DHL Supply Chain, which was inaugurated this month and will be operational next year, and an “Electric Vehicle (EV) and Battery Logistics Center of Excellence, currently in the planning stage”.  

The other announced investments – India’s largest low-emission Blue Dart site in Bijwasan, the first automated sorting centre for DHL Express India in New Delhi, the fifth DHL IT Services Centre and first technology academy in Indore, and a central, low-emission ground transportation hub for Blue Dart in Haryana – are already operational. 

Nevertheless, the pledge shows a commitment to growth areas: the money is earmarked for live sciences and healthcare logistics; ecommerce; new energy; and digitalisation, all inherent parts of DHL’s strategy. 

Last month, the IMF revised its Indian GDP growth forecast for 2025 upwards, to 6.6%, the fastest-growing of the major economies, although it has faced some tariff turbulence. In fact, India’s GDP grew 7.8% YoY in Q2 25. 

“Global trade has faced some headwinds recently, but we remain confident about the dynamic Indian market,” said Tobias Meyer, CEO of DHL Group.

“The country’s diversification strategy and business-friendly framework conditions provide a solid basis for long-term investments. With our investment programme of around €1bn, we are expanding reliable and more sustainable logistics solutions for our customers in India.” 

DHL is not alone in pinpointing India as a good investment bet: last month, APM Terminals announced a series of initiatives in India, including a port expansion project at Pipavav, for some $2bn. DP World and Abu Dhabi Ports also revealed new projects, the latter also investing up to $2bn. 

Amazon, meanwhile, has announced some $233m of new investment for 2025, largely aimed at logistics infrastructure, such as expanding fulfilment centres, sortation hubs, and the delivery network – plus tech and employee welfare spending. 

Logistics companies are simply following the money – there are now five iPhone factories in India, with exports up 75% year on year in the past six months. In the pharma and medical devices sector, foreign direct investment in the 2024/5 financial year hit some $2.3bn. 

“India looks like it could be a very interesting market in the coming years,” said Stanilas Brun, head of Etihad Cargo. 

“Pharma remains a very strong product for India,” he said, adding that airport infrastructure was also developing fast, with new airports in Mumbai, Delhi, and Chennai. 

Analyst Marco Bloemen said : “Who could have guessed that India would be the largest market for air cargo into the US of smartphones? It’s much bigger than China used to be.” 

DHL is also making use of Indian labour as much as its logistics potential. The company said that India was becoming its ‘global tech hub’, with more than 1,300 logistics specialists, and its new IT Services Centre would train staff in automation and AI, as part of the group’s digitalisation strategy.