Innovation & Incubation Cell at Stellar
Building India's first Customer Experience Centers for 3PL
Organization
Stellar Value Chain Solutions
Role
EVP & Group CIO
Duration
2016 - 2021 (5 years)
Executive Summary
Established Stellar's Innovation and Incubation Cell, driving transformational initiatives across solar power (8M+ sq ft warehouse coverage), electric mobility (19,000 pin codes), business intelligence platforms, and India's first Customer Experience Centers for 3PL logistics. Created competitive differentiation through sustainability, technology innovation, and customer-centric solutions across 60M+ sq ft warehouse network serving 150+ enterprise clients.
Quantitative Impact
Warehouse rooftops with solar panels installed
Pin codes served by electric vehicle fleet
Total managed warehouse space across India
Annual savings from solar power generation
Annual CO2 reduction from solar + EV initiatives
NPS improvement with BI platforms and experience centers
The Challenge
Situation
Stellar Value Chain Solutions was India's leading third-party logistics provider managing 60M+ sq ft of warehouse space, but faced increasing pressure from clients for sustainability, digital visibility, and differentiated services beyond traditional warehousing and distribution.
Key Problems
- Clients demanding carbon-neutral logistics and sustainability reporting
- Lack of real-time visibility and analytics for customers on inventory and shipments
- Undifferentiated 3PL services in highly competitive market
- Rising energy costs impacting operational margins
- Limited innovation culture in traditional logistics industry
- Customer expectation for last-mile visibility across 19,000+ pin codes
Stakes: Without innovation and differentiation, Stellar risked commoditization, client churn to digitally advanced competitors, and inability to command premium pricing. Sustainability mandates from global clients threatened existing contracts worth hundreds of crores.
The Solution
Created dedicated Innovation and Incubation Cell reporting directly to Group CEO, with mandate to pilot and scale transformational initiatives across sustainability, digital platforms, and customer experience. Built business cases, secured investment, and executed phased rollouts with measurable ROI tracking.
Solar Power Implementation
Deployed solar panels across 8M+ sq ft of warehouse rooftops, creating India's largest solar-powered 3PL network with significant cost savings and carbon reduction
Electric Mobility Network
Launched electric vehicle fleet for last-mile delivery across 19,000 pin codes, partnering with EV manufacturers and building charging infrastructure
Business Intelligence Platforms
Built customer-facing BI dashboards providing real-time visibility into inventory, shipments, and performance metrics with predictive analytics
Customer Experience Centers
Established India's first 3PL Customer Experience Centers - physical and virtual command centers giving clients immersive visibility into operations
Technology Partnerships
Forged strategic partnerships with technology vendors for warehouse automation, IoT sensors, and AI-driven optimization
Technologies Deployed
Solar Power Infrastructure
Renewable energy generation across warehouse network
Electric Vehicle Fleet & Charging Stations
Sustainable last-mile delivery operations
Custom BI Dashboards
Real-time customer visibility and analytics
Customer Experience Centers
Immersive client engagement and operational transparency
IoT Sensors & Warehouse Automation
Real-time tracking and operational efficiency
Additional Impact
Qualitative Impact
- Created India's first Customer Experience Centers for 3PL logistics industry
- Positioned Stellar as sustainability and innovation leader in logistics
- Established competitive moat through proprietary technology platforms
- Won multiple industry awards for sustainability and innovation
- Attracted premium clients seeking differentiated 3PL services
Business Impact
- ▸Enabled premium pricing model - 15-20% above market rates for value-added services
- ▸Reduced client churn by 40% through improved visibility and engagement
- ▸Created new revenue stream through technology platform licensing
- ▸Improved operational margins by 8-10% through energy cost savings
- ▸Won INR 500+ Crore contracts citing innovation capabilities
Lessons Learned
What Worked
- Strong executive sponsorship enabled risk-taking and investment in unproven initiatives
- Phased pilot approach allowed learning and course correction before scaling
- Customer Experience Centers created emotional connection beyond transactional relationships
- Sustainability initiatives became competitive differentiator and client mandates
Challenges
- Managing capital investment approval for solar and EV infrastructure
- Change management across traditional logistics workforce unfamiliar with technology
- Integrating multiple technology platforms with legacy warehouse systems
- Proving ROI on innovation initiatives to skeptical finance stakeholders
Key Takeaways
- ✓Innovation requires dedicated resources and cannot be 'side of desk' activity
- ✓Sustainability is business imperative, not CSR - drives both top and bottom line
- ✓Customer experience differentiation is as critical as operational efficiency
- ✓Technology platforms create scalable, high-margin revenue opportunities
Board-Level Value Demonstrated
strategic
Demonstrated ability to drive innovation culture and create competitive differentiation through technology and sustainability
operational
Proven expertise scaling transformational initiatives across large, complex operations (60M+ sq ft network)
financial
Delivered measurable ROI through cost reduction (30% energy savings) and revenue growth (premium pricing model)
sustainability
Led industry-leading ESG initiatives with quantifiable impact (15,000+ tons CO2 reduction annually)
customer
Created innovative customer engagement models (Experience Centers) driving loyalty and premium positioning
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