e-commerce
DHL-Sai Life Sciences go green with partnership to clean up pharma logistics
MUMBAI: In a move that combines speed with sustainability, DHL Express and Sai Life Sciences have teamed up to slash carbon emissions from international pharma deliveries. Announced on 22 April 2025, the partnership sees Sai Life Sciences adopt DHL’s GoGreen Plus service to cut greenhouse gas emissions by up to 90 per cent through the use of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).
Sai Life Sciences, a contract research, development and manufacturing organisation (CRDMO) listed on BSE and NSE, serves over 300 global pharmaceutical and biotech firms. With operations spread across the US, Europe, and Japan, the company depends on precise, time-bound deliveries — now to be powered more responsibly.
DHL Express SVP – south Asia, R.S. Subramanian stated, “Addressing Scope 3 emissions is critical to DHL for achieving the commitment to be carbon neutral by 2050. GoGreen Plus is a pioneering service that helps our customers address Scope 3 carbon emissions of their critical shipments to global destinations. The Life sciences and healthcare sector is a focus area for growth outlined in our Strategy 2030 and GoGreen Plus is very relevant to key players here who have a committed road map on carbon footprint reduction. We are incredibly proud to have Sai Life Sciences join us on our mission to reduce Scope 3 emissions with GoGreen Plus – the most technically viable option currently available.”
Sai Life Sciences CFO Sivaramakrishnan Chittor added, “Sustainability is a priority woven into every part of our business — including logistics. With a global supplier network and customer base across the US, Europe, and Japan, time-sensitive deliveries are essential to our operations. Our partnership with DHL reflects a shared commitment to reducing environmental impact while maintaining the reliability and precision that our customers depend on. It’s one more way we’re integrating sustainability into how we work — with intent and consistency — to make it better together.”
The GoGreen Plus service operates on an insetting model, reducing emissions within the logistics value chain, as opposed to offsetting. DHL’s SAF is sourced via partnerships with bp, Neste, Cosmo Oil Marketing, and World Energy, using feedstocks such as used cooking oil. In 2024, 3.5 per cent of the fuel used in DHL Group’s own fleet was SAF, despite supply constraints.
Sai Life Sciences will implement the GoGreen Plus programme across its key international shipping routes, aligning with its ESG roadmap. DHL has also committed to investing €2 billion over the next five years to expand pharma logistics infrastructure, including GDP-certified hubs and temperature-controlled solutions.
With ambitions to reduce absolute GHG emissions to 29 million metric tons by 2030 and hit net zero by 2050, DHL is pitching GoGreen Plus as the go-to product for clients eyeing low-carbon logistics.
e-commerce
Flipkart rolls out 105 per cent bonus for 20,000 employees
Strong FY25 performance drives payouts even as layoffs and shifts unfold.
MUMBAI: In a year where belts were tightened and rewards loosened, Flipkart seems to be playing both offence and defence trimming roles on one hand while handing out a generous 105 per cent bonus on the other. The Walmart owned e commerce major has rolled out a 105 per cent bonus payout for 2025, covering nearly 20,000 employees, signalling a year of steady operational momentum even as the company navigates restructuring pressures. The payout, communicated internally by chief human resources officer Seema Nair, is tied to performance across key metrics including growth, operational efficiency, financial outcomes and people indicators, a combination that suggests the company is inching closer to its long stated goal of sustainable profitability.
Employees at SD level and below are set to receive their bonuses in March, while payouts for senior leadership, including vice presidents and senior vice presidents, will follow after the close of the performance cycle. The elevated 105 per cent multiplier stands out in a sector where cautious payouts have increasingly become the norm, pointing to what appears to be a relatively strong internal scorecard for FY25.
Yet, the announcement arrives with a noticeable contrast. Earlier this year, Flipkart reduced its workforce by around 300 roles as part of its annual performance review process. While officially framed as performance driven, the juxtaposition of layoffs alongside above target bonuses reflects a more nuanced balancing act, one that prioritises cost discipline while continuing to reward and retain high performing talent.
This dual approach is becoming increasingly common across the technology and e commerce landscape, where companies are navigating an uneven hiring environment while under pressure to deliver profitability. Rewarding top contributors, even amid selective workforce reductions, allows firms to maintain morale and retain critical talent without losing sight of financial prudence.
At the same time, Flipkart is also undergoing leadership shifts that hint at a broader strategic recalibration. Nishant Verman has been appointed senior vice president for corporate development and partnerships, while group chief financial officer Sriram Venkataraman is set to step down. Ravi Iyer will take on expanded responsibilities within the finance function, marking a reshuffle at the top as the company gears up for its next phase.
These changes come amid reports that Flipkart is planning to shift its holding structure back to India, a move widely interpreted as groundwork for a potential public listing. While timelines remain fluid, the combination of stronger financial discipline, leadership restructuring and employee incentivisation suggests a company preparing itself for greater scrutiny and scale.
For employees, the 105 per cent payout offers a welcome boost in what has otherwise been a period of adjustment. For Flipkart, it is a signal that even as it cuts where necessary, it is willing to spend where it counts. In the high stakes game of growth versus profitability, the company appears to be hedging its bets carefully, rewarding performance while reshaping itself for what could be its most defining chapter yet.
