If you have ever walked through the streets of Mumbai, Delhi, or Bengaluru in the early hours, you have likely seen rickshaws and tempos stacked high with crates of bread, cartons of milk, and bags of rice swaying dangerously as they speed through traffic. Sometimes even frozen tubs of ice cream sit precariously in the heat, hoping to survive the journey. For decades, this has been the hidden face of India’s food industry, an unorganized supply chain that relied on speed and luck rather than structure and reliability.
Logistics may not be glamorous, but it is the silent backbone of the food and beverage (F&B) sector. Every café, cloud kitchen, restaurant, and packaged food brand depends on it but very few operators think about logistics until something goes wrong. That is why India is now witnessing a shift from rickshaw chaos to refrigerated clarity. Businesses are beginning to realize that how food moves can be just as important as how it is made.
Why Logistics Matters More Than Ever
The Indian F&B market is growing rapidly, powered by urban lifestyles, rising disposable incomes, and the boom of quick-service restaurants and cloud kitchens. But growth brings new challenges.
Cold goods (dairy, bakery items, frozen foods, and fresh produce) need temperature control every step of the way to maintain safety and quality.
Dry goods (packaging materials, grocery stock, and disposables) may not require refrigeration, but they do demand consistency and timely delivery to keep operations on track.
When either side of this chain breaks, the consequences ripple across the business. Spoiled stock leads to wastage, missing packaging halts production, and delayed deliveries erode customer trust. In a world where online reviews can make or break a brand, logistics is no longer an afterthought.
The Hidden Costs of a Broken System
India loses nearly 40 percent of its food to wastage every year, and poor logistics is one of the primary reasons. The hidden costs add up quickly:
High wastage: Perishables spoil during transport without proper cold-chain systems.
Operational uncertainty: Restaurants and cafés run out of essentials, forcing them to compromise or cancel orders.
Scaling barriers: A brand with one or two outlets can manage locally, but when expanding into multiple cities, unstructured logistics creates chaos.
On the surface, using the cheapest transport option seems smart. But when you factor in waste, delays, and lost growth opportunities, the real cost is much higher.
How the Industry Is Changing
The good news: Indian food logistics is evolving with several key shifts:
Cold-chain adoption
More brands are investing in refrigerated transport and temperature-monitored delivery systems.Integration of cold and dry logistics
Efficiency-focused brands now prefer unified services that handle both perishables and ambient goods.Specialized services for frozen goods
Handling ice cream and frozen meals needs purpose-built transportation. Services like Frozen Food Transportation are designed to meet that need reliably.Technology and transparency
Digital dashboards, route optimization, and real-time tracking are replacing guesswork. Operators can now monitor stock movement from their phones and gain insights into frequency, costs, and efficiency.Sustainability focus
Shared vehicles, optimized loads, and minimal waste contribute to a greener supply chain. Consumers increasingly value responsible logistics, and brands that adopt such methods stand out.
What F&B Brands Can Do to Improve Logistics
Whether you are a small bakery or a fast-growth chain, here are practical steps to bring clarity into your logistics:
Audit your supply chain → Measure wastage in perishables and how often you run out of dry goods.
Segment cold and dry items clearly → Understand which products need refrigeration and which require reliability.
Increase delivery frequency → Frequent, smaller deliveries often beat bulk runs in reducing waste and costs.
Invest in visibility → Even basic tracking tools or dashboards keep you informed and in control.
The Bigger Picture: Why the Shift Matters
Food is personal. Customers may never see your delivery pipeline, but they taste the result. A latte made with sour milk, a burger missing packaging, or a melting ice cream all create negative experiences that harm your brand.
As Indian F&B scales fast, logistics will separate the winners from the wanderers. Brands that adopt structured, technology-driven, and integrated logistics models will scale faster, reduce waste, and deliver consistently excellent experiences. Those using fragmented logistics will struggle in a competitive market.
The Road Ahead for Indian Food Logistics
The next phase of logistics in India’s F&B sector will be defined by:
Integration of cold and dry supply chains under singular logistic partners.
Technology-first models offering complete visibility to business owners.
Sustainability practices cutting waste and carbon emissions.
In this journey, logistics will become the critical enabler of freshness, efficiency, and growth not just a behind-the-scenes operation.
Closing Thoughts
The shift from rickshaw chaos to refrigerated clarity isn’t just about cleaner vans or smarter tracking, it’s about building customer trust, cutting down billions in wastage, and laying a strong foundation for scalable, sustainable growth in India’s F&B industry.
Whether you run a café, packaged food brand, or quick-service chain, your logistics decisions shape your brand’s reputation. When you invest in structured and transparent logistics, you give your food the chance to be enjoyed just as it should, fresh, reliable, and delightful.
Mansi Mahansaria
I’m Mansi Mahansaria, CEO and Founder of JustDeliveries, a B2B logistics company specializing in the food and beverage sector. With a background in Chemical Technology (ICT Mumbai), an MBA (FMS Delhi), and experience at IDFC Private Equity and Tata Group, I’ve built a plug-and-play logistics network helping F&B brands scale efficiently. I also share insights on entrepreneurship and logistics at industry and academic events.
