Aspada Investment Company Invests in ThinkLink Supply Chain Services

Aspada Investment Company has made an investment of INR 10 crore ($1.6 million) in Gurgaon-based ThinkLink Supply Chain Services, a provider of turnkey project management, design, skill development, and staffing services in India’s logistics and supply chain sector. Aspada’s investment will be used to strengthen ThinkLink Learning, the company’s professional development, vocational skills, and staffing division, which works in India’s supply chain sector to enhance and create career paths for managerial, entry level, and blue collar professionals.

“We are delighted to have Aspada as an investor and partner given the firm’s experience of investing in businesses that are creating value through development of supply chain capacities in India,” said Saurabh Goyal, CEO of ThinkLink Supply Chain Services.

“Supply chains across a number of sectors in India are becoming more complex and sophisticated due to the scale of operations and the entry of larger and more organized players in the market. Increased sophistication can be seen across verticals such as automotive, pharmaceuticals, food and beverage, agriculture, retail, e-commerce and basic utilities, providing significant business opportunities for ThinkLink,” added Goyal.

“Professionalization of India’s supply chain needs to occur if firms are to keep pace with consumer-led demand across multiple sectors. There is a large opportunity for a highly experienced operator like ThinkLink to work with industry in developing the right infrastructure and processes, and to train, skill, and staff individuals while creating career paths that meet future needs of both industry and professionals,” said Thomas Hyland, Partner of Aspada Investment Advisors.

Fawzia Naqvi, Board Member of the Aspada Investment Company and Vice President of the Soros Economic Development Fund said, “Aspada’s investment will help ThinkLink to scale its mission of creating new and sustainable employment pathways for blue collar and entry level employees in a sector that is critical for sustaining India’s economic development.”

Aspada Investment Company is backed with significant commitments from the Soros Economic Development Fund (SEDF) and works to promote economic opportunity and development in India. Aspada Investment Company is advised by Aspada Investment Advisors, led by Kartik Srivatsa and Thomas Hyland.

In April 2013, Aspada Investment Company announced an investment in an end-to-end fresh vegetable supply chain company, Lawrencedale Agri Processing, which operates in the Nilgiris belt in South India to aggregate fresh produce at the farm gate and sell to retail consumers in major markets under the LEAF brand. In addition, Aspada Capital Advisors also advises the portfolio of the SONG Fund, an early stage venture capital firm funded by the Soros Economic Development Fund, Omidyar Network, and Google.

About ThinkLink Supply Chain Services

ThinkLink Supply Chain Services is a leading provider of turnkey project management, design, skill development, and staffing services in India’s logistics and supply chain sector.

Website: http://www.thinklink-scs.com

About Aspada Investment Company

Aspada Investment Company is an early stage investor across agricultural supply chains, affordable education, healthcare delivery, financial services, logistics and essential services in India. Aspada is backed with significant commitments from the Soros Economic Development Fund (SEDF) and works to promote economic opportunity and development in India.

Website: http://www.aspadainvestments.com

Primary Media Contact: Saurabh Goyal, saurabh.goyal@thinklink-scs.com, 91-9899845590

Secondary Media Contact: Thomas Hyland, thomas@aspadainvestments.com, 91-9845143530

ThinkLink is a supply chain service

ThinkLink is a supply chain service provider with key areas of focus being Transport, Material Handling and Storage, Automation and ThinkLink Learning. ThinkLink makes Supply Chains more optimal for its partners and drives Supply Chain innovation in India. They serve as a platform for transfer of world leading practices and are working to usher in next generation concepts, practices and technology. ThinkLink works with various stakeholders in achieving these goals including private and public sector firms, government at national and local level, professionals and academicians, farmers and growers, and a pool of world leading firms and experts.

Saurabh Goyal, the Founder and CEO of ThinkLink holds a Bachelor’s in Technology from the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi. He has a great understanding of evolving Logistics solutions, Concepts and Technology across industry verticals. He is instilled with the passion for building world class supply chain organizations in India and ThinkLink Learning is a manifestation of that goal.  Having worked with a number of globally renowned and leading Indian organizations like DHL, PepsiCo, Shoppers’ Stop, Dell and Nike to name a few, he has gathered immense experience in the fields of Supply Chain Network Evaluation, Distribution Operations and Aftermarket Services which has triggered ThinkLink’s growth. Further, ThinkLink possesses passionate Management Team with deep experience and commitment to excellence.

ThinkLink aims to be the partner of choice in India and progressively around the region, when businesses wish to design/reengineer their operations or develop new infrastructure which may include Warehouses, DCs, FTWZs, ICDs, Cold Chains, Food Parks and Processing Units etc. ThinkLink handles various esteemed Clientele which include DHL, Pepsi, Eko India Fianacial Service, Future group, Aditya Birla Group, Reliance, LG and many more.

At ThinkLink, the professionals are bound by the philosophy of engaging at every step with the client and thus focus on a two way knowledge transfer process towards implementing a best in class solution to make the change happen and hence display a joint ownership of change. Our willingness to partner our clients in achieving ground level execution through project ownership is our key strength.

The success of ThinkLink lies in the belief that value is created through Innovation and Optimization but is realized through Implementation.

“Thinklink Learning” for a Career in Supply Chain Management

Thinklink Learning offers supply chain hub centres all over the country for youngsters interested in forging a career in the field of supply chain and logistics management. If you are a person who is on the verge of beginning his career or in the nascent stages of his career then you may benefit from Thinklink Learning’s programs in supply chain management. Consider the following as an argument for this premise.

A Viable and Lasting Early Career Path Option

By completing the program offered by Thinklink Learning, you will get to begin a high profile career very early in your life. The reason being that these programs are designed for individuals who are about to complete their graduation or are in an early phase of their career.

The programs offered by Thinklink Learning are very flexible with different modules existing for working professionals and students. Furthermore, each module has two options. This means that if supply chain management interests you then you can follow your heart and keep your options open without compromising on your current career path.

A Growing Sector with great Demand

The supply chain management sector is one of the fastest growing sectors in the country right now. Moreover, owing to the relative young age of this sector, the demand for highly skilled and experienced professionals is high.

The supply chain and logistics management sector, essentially, caters to other major sectors of the Indian economy such as cold chain management, food services, e-commerce, and even retail. Effectively, when these sectors grow they take the supply chain management sector with them.

Moreover, with further development expected in the country, the demand for supply chain management professionals is expected to increase in the future as well. This makes Thinklink Learning program a golden goose for young professionals looking for the golden egg.

Potential for Great Personal Development

A career in supply chain management derived through Thinklink Learning is also very rewarding on a personal level. Once the program is completed successfully, you can expect many opportunities to work in various core industries, avail unlimited growth opportunities, deal with people from all over the world, and even manage large teams of professionals.

Global Certification Relevance

Thinklink Learning supply chain management programs are also very useful for individuals who love to travel the world. Thinklink Learning’s programs hold accreditation from the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport International.

This certification is valid in more than 100 countries all over the world which means that there will be myriad opportunities for a professional to switch his base of operations from India to abroad.

Superb Career Opportunities

While supply chain management is a sector that is inherently on the up, completing the training program fromThinklink Learning can give a professional edge over other competing candidates in the field.

Thinklink has a history of dealing with over 200 companies in the last seven years and still maintains working relationships with them. This, combined with their 100 percent job assistance commitment, increases job opportunities and improves the chances of you gaining a high profile job straight out of training.

Think Link Supply Chain Services Private Limited

ThinkLink is an enabler for more efficient Supply Chain, Logistics, Food, and Transport Infrastructure and related Systems, Processes, and Equipment. We are a platform for transfer of world leading practices and are working to usher in next generation concepts, practices and technology. ThinkLink works with various stakeholders in achieving these goals including private and public sector firms, government at national and local level, professionals and academicians, farmers and growers, and a pool of world leading firms and experts. At ThinkLink, we are all bound by the philosophy of engaging at every step with the client and thus focus on a two way knowledge transfer process towards implementing a best in class solution to make the change happen and hence display a joint ownership of change. Our willingness to partner our clients in achieving ground level execution through project ownership is our key strength.

Client

• DHL
• Pepsi
• Eko india Fianacial Service
• Future group
• Aditya Birla Group
• Ceva
• LG
• Reliance
• ACME

Aim / Vision / Mission
To be the partner of choice in India and progressively around the region, when businesses (manufacturing/retail/distribution/service) look to design/reengineer their operations, develop new infrastructure (Warehouses, DCs, FTWZs, ICDs, Cold Chains, Food Parks and Processing Units etc.), and put in place new Equipment, processes and Systems.

Warehouse / Production Capacity
India’s Logistics sector attracted investments worth Rs. 23,200 crore in first half of 2008, according to a study by Assocham. It outclassed some of the major sectors including aviation (Rs 20,890 cr), metals and mining (Rs 8500 cr) and consumer durables (Rs 6000 cr) among others.
Warehousing activities account for about 20 per cent of the total Indian Logistics industry and offers tremendous growth potential.
The Indian Warehousing sector is expected to grow at the rate of 35-40 percent annually to become
a $55 billion industry by 2010-11. By that time the country would have around 45 million sq ft warehousing space and more than a hundred logistics parks

Infrastructure
As the India growth story continues to gather pace, organizations are investing in new businesses and offering a range of new products and services. Organisation and Infrastructure building to support these plans require detailed project management.
Indian landscape and its participants are trying to make the journey that took several years for the mature economies in a much shorter span of time. The opportunity cost of delay or doing things at a leisurely pace is thus prohibitive – more than ever before. The onus of getting things right the first time and ensuring that all SLAs and service levels are met is also higher than ever before.
The biggest premium today is on skilled manpower and availability of top management bandwidth to focus on core aspects like business development and operations. There is a need for partners who can take up end to end ownership for turnkey projects as opposed to vendors who offer piecemeal solutions focused on a particular aspect of project management – Design, Civil Construction, IT Systems, Hiring, etc.
Most consulting organizations take on a strategy development role or at best a program management
role for harnessing the organization’s resources in setting up such time bound green field initiatives.
At ThinkLink we have identified this as a key business offering and are looking to support organizations as they enter the Indian market and roll out a new business, or set up a regional or national retail business, set up complex distribution and logistics channels.
We take on full ownership for delivery of corporate projects and are looking to build a new business vertical as an EPC provider for corporate projects.