Jeena & Company at 125: Charting India’s Next Century of Air Cargo Leadership

A Century of Continuity: Jeena & Company marks 125 years as India’s oldest family-owned freight forwarder, evolving from colonial-era trade routes to global digital logistics across 60 countries.

· Digital Transformation Aligned with Policy: The firm’s shift to paperless documentation and AI-driven cargo management supports India’s National Logistics Policy and PM Gati Shakti goals to reduce logistics costs to 8–10% of GDP.

· Air Cargo Expansion at the Core: With strong pharma, automotive, and e-commerce operations, Jeena’s air freight capabilities align with India’s projected growth to 10 million tonnes in annual air cargo handling by 2030.

· Global Integration Strategy: Recent international expansion to Sydney and new partnerships in Europe and ASEAN signal a move towards direct global trade corridors, reducing dependence on transhipment hubs.

· Legacy Meets Leadership: Under fifth-generation leadership, Jeena is combining its heritage of trust and people-first values with innovation and sustainability to define India’s next era of air cargo competitiveness.

As India’s logistics and freight forwarding industry transforms into a digitally driven ecosystem, few names embody both legacy and reinvention as convincingly as Jeena & Company. This October, the family-owned enterprise—India’s oldest and among the world’s few fifth-generation logistics firms—celebrated 125 years of operations, a milestone that stands as a case study in resilience, adaptability, and foresight. But for industry observers, Jeena’s anniversary is not merely an occasion to honour the past; it signals how legacy institutions are preparing to shape the next century of India’s air cargo and trade integration story.

From colonial trade routes to digital freight corridors

Founded in 1900, Jeena & Company began as a trading and shipping agency during the late colonial period, when India’s export trade was dominated by cotton, tea, and jute. Over the decades, the company evolved alongside India’s economic and industrial trajectory—from supporting the post-independence export boom of the 1950s to navigating liberalisation in the 1990s and now, steering through the digital transformation era.

Today, Jeena’s network spans 60 countries across six continents, supported by 27 offices in India, serving sectors that include pharmaceuticals, life sciences, automotive, engineering, retail, and defence logistics. Its operations encompass air and sea freight, customs brokerage, warehousing, and project cargo. Jeena also ranks among India’s largest national customs brokers, having pioneered paperless documentation—a first in the country’s freight forwarding industry.

At a time when India’s air cargo sector is expected to reach 10 million tonnes in annual handling capacity by 2030, according to the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Jeena’s longevity

underscores how family-owned logistics enterprises have played a foundational role in shaping the nation’s freight corridors long before modern global integrators arrived.

The 125-Year legacy: People, policy, and purpose

Speaking at the company’s anniversary gala in Mumbai, Sam Katgara, Partner at Jeena & Company, emphasised the enduring principles that have guided the company’s growth. “As we celebrate 125 years of Jeena, we continue to honour our legacy of service excellence built on passion, integrity, and trust. Our strength lies in our people—over a quarter of our team has been with us for more than 15 years. Through challenges and new beginnings, our commitment remains the same: not to be the biggest, but to be the best.”

This focus on longevity and internal culture is increasingly relevant as India’s logistics sector undergoes rapid consolidation. While new entrants are driving digital disruption, established firms like Jeena are leveraging institutional experience to navigate compliance, global trade norms, and air cargo certification frameworks that are becoming more stringent under IATA’s One Record and CEIV Pharma standards.

A new generation, a new strategy

The entry of fifth-generation leaders—Ayesha, Nari, and Jeh Katgara—represents both continuity and reinvention. The trio’s stewardship is already visible in Jeena’s transformation roadmap, anchored around three key pillars: technology integration, sustainability, and human capital development.

Ayesha Katgara, who leads the company’s transformation office, described the milestone as both a tribute and a transition. “We take immense pride in our legacy of trust, goodwill, and partnerships. This milestone is not just a reflection of our past, but a commitment to the future. With technology, digital transformation, and our people at the core, we are determined to carry forward this heritage while shaping a future that is agile, innovative, and global.” said Ayesha.

Digital transformation has become Jeena’s cornerstone strategy. The company’s move to fully paperless customs documentation aligns with India’s National Logistics Policy (NLP) and PM Gati Shakti framework—two major initiatives designed to cut logistics costs to 8–10% of GDP, from the current 13–14%. By embracing electronic data interchange (EDI), AI-driven cargo tracking, and customs pre-clearance tools, Jeena is aligning its processes with the government’s vision of end-to-end supply chain transparency.

The air cargo dimension: Expanding horizons

Air freight has always been central to Jeena’s logistics portfolio. The company handles temperature-controlled pharmaceutical shipments, time-sensitive spare parts for automotive clients, and express e-commerce parcels across global gateways such as Mumbai, Delhi, and Bengaluru. With India’s pharma exports exceeding USD 27 billion in FY2024 and life sciences logistics projected to grow by 9% annually through 2030, Jeena’s cold chain investments position it at the intersection of two growth frontiers—healthcare logistics and sustainable air cargo.

Prediman Koul, CEO of Jeena & Company, reflected on this transformation, noting: “We are not just celebrating 125 years in the industry; we are reaffirming our role in shaping

the next era of Indian logistics. Jeena’s mission is to blend legacy with innovation—delivering sustainable, technology-enabled freight solutions that are globally competitive yet locally relevant.”

The company’s expansion into Sydney in 2025 and its growing partnerships with European and ASEAN forwarders underline a strategic effort to integrate Indian exports more directly into global supply chains without over-reliance on intermediary hubs such as Dubai or Singapore. This shift mirrors India’s broader push to establish direct air cargo lanes with emerging markets under its Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) with the UK, UAE, and ASEAN.

Industry context: India’s logistics renaissance

Jeena’s 125th anniversary coincides with a historic transformation of India’s logistics and air cargo sector. The government’s National Air Cargo Policy envisions India as a top-three global logistics hub by 2030, supported by digital customs platforms, multimodal corridors, and a new wave of airport modernisation led by private-public partnerships.

According to IATA, India’s air freight volumes grew 10.4% year-on-year in 2024, outperforming the global average of 6.5%. Much of this growth has been driven by pharmaceuticals, electronics, and e-commerce—segments where Indian forwarders are increasingly competing with global majors.

As geopolitical trade tensions and US tariff regimes push manufacturers to diversify away from China, India’s integrators are emerging as preferred partners for trans-Asian logistics. Jeena’s longevity thus represents not just corporate resilience but national capability—illustrating how legacy logistics firms can evolve into digital enablers of India’s “Make in India” and “Act East” ambitions.

As Jay Katgara expressed his views by stating, “Every successful business relies on contributions from all levels and core values established at the beginning. As we prepare to lead Jeena into its next chapter, we feel both the weight of responsibility and the excitement of possibility.”

Outlook: From legacy to leadership

Jeena’s journey from colonial-era freight forwarding to 21st-century digital logistics mirrors the broader evolution of India’s trade ecosystem—from a commodity exporter to a high-value manufacturing and service economy. As the company steps into its next century, the challenge will be to maintain its heritage of trust while scaling technologically to meet new global standards for efficiency and sustainability.

In an era where logistics companies often measure success by valuation rather than values, Jeena’s endurance offers a counter-narrative: that continuity, credibility, and care for people can still form the backbone of competitive advantage.

As Nari Katgara aptly summarised, “At Jeena, we do not measure headcount; we measure heart count. Eleven percent of our workforce has been with us for over 15 years – they carry our history and values forward. We are proud to honour our legacy while shaping a future that is global, innovative, and people-driven. With fresh ideas and bold ambitions, we are committed to carrying this story forward for the next 150 years, and beyond.”

For India’s air cargo and logistics fraternity, Jeena’s 125-year milestone is more than a corporate celebration—it is a timely reminder that longevity in logistics is not about surviving the past but about shaping the future of global trade.

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