For Skyways Air Services, sky is not the limit
After its customs brokerage beginnings in 1984, Skyways Air Services Limited has built one of India’s most consistently scaled air freight platforms. “I learned early that logistics is not merely about moving cargo,” contends Sudershan Lal Sharma, chairman-emeritus, Skyways group. “It is about earning trust, shipment after shipment.” Client relationships have always been at the heart of his business. Sharma traces Skyways’ four-decade journey – from a modest customs brokerage founded in 1984 to a nationally scaled logistics platform – to an approach anchored in ethics, curiosity, and doing business ‘the right way’. It was this insistence on trust and reliability, repeated consistently over time, he says, that allowed early client engagements to mature into long-term partnerships.
Today, as Skyways operates across India and global markets spanning the Middle East, Europe, Southeast Asia and North America. “What stands out to me is not just growth but the enduring power of values revealed day after day,” Sharma affirms. An influential voice in the logistics and trade community, he says this philosophy has shaped Skyways into one of India’s most deeply entrenched logistics enterprises.
What began as a licensed customs house agent – now referred to as a customs broker – has evolved over four decades into a comprehensive, globally connected freight forwarding and logistics platform. “Logistics is an industry where complexity only increases with time,” says Yashpal Sharma, CMD, Skyways. “Our focus has been on building systems, partnerships and processes that allow us to scale without losing reliability or control.”
Measurable leadership
That approach has translated into measurable leadership. Skyways Air Services Limited has consistently been ranked India’s No. 1 air freight forwarder by air waybill generation by WorldACD since 2017. The ranking reflects not only the volume of cargo handled, but also the company’s ability to aggregate shipments, manage complexity and deliver predictability across global trade lanes, he explains.
Sharma Senior emphasises that Skyways’ growth across India and international markets has been shaped as much by relationship continuity as by operational expansion. As supply chains grow increasingly complex – and with rising demands for speed driven by quick-commerce deliveries – customers seek logistics partners capable of managing scale without compromising reliability or compliance. Skyways’ evolution into an integrated freight forwarding and logistics platform reflects this shift in customer expectations, earning the loyalty of long-standing clients.
Over time, Skyways has built an integrated logistics infrastructure supported by IT-enabled systems, customised cargo movement solutions, secure handling operations, warehousing and inventory management, documentation and regulatory compliance, and international connectivity through an extensive partner network.
“Skyways Air Services has supported our EXIM operations with professionalism and technical depth for more than 12 years,” says Anurag Sharma, DGM, EXIM, Vacmet India Limited. “Their focus on efficiency and compliance has helped us streamline logistics while maintaining cost control.”
A key pillar of the company’s operational strength lies in its long-standing relationships with international air cargo carriers. Skyways maintains performance-based agreements with leading global airlines, including Air India Cargo, Saudi Cargo, Turkish Airlines, Emirates Airlines, Qatar Airways and Lufthansa Cargo. These partnerships ensure dependable access to capacity, priority handling and competitive transit times, particularly during periods of peak demand or global capacity constraints. Over the years, such relationships have helped the company maintain service continuity even during market disruptions.
Beyond bilateral carrier agreements, Skyways is embedded in the global freight forwarding ecosystem through active participation in international logistics networks such as the World Cargo Alliance, Air & Ocean Partners, Combined Logistics Networks, Multi-Group Logistics Network, Global Freight Alliance and the Transport Worldwide International Group. Collectively, these networks connect the company to more than 26,000 logistics partners and exclusive agents worldwide.
Collaborative model
This collaborative model has enabled Skyways to extend its international reach without the burden of heavy fixed infrastructure, while ensuring service consistency across destinations, cargo types and shipment complexity, Sharma says. As competition intensified across the freight forwarding industry, Skyways has adopted a strategy centred on backward and forward integration across the logistics value chain. To support this approach, the company has incorporated and acquired multiple subsidiary entities in India and overseas, each with defined mandates to deliver specialised services or cater to niche logistics segments. “Working with Skyways Air Services for over three decades has given us the confidence of continuity and reliability,” remarks Ravi Kumar Vason, partner, Vasons & Vasons.
Operationally, Skyways is supported by a domestic network of 15 branch offices across India, enabling localised expertise and uniform service delivery across major trade corridors. Internationally, Skyways, along with its subsidiaries and associate entities, maintains operations across 10 countries: Thailand, Bangladesh, the UK, Cambodia, Vietnam, Hong Kong, the UAE, the US, Canada and Germany. This footprint allows the company to support Indian exporters and importers across both established and emerging markets.
Technology has become an increasingly central driver of Skyways’ operational efficiency and competitive advantage, says Sharma. The company has invested extensively in automating key processes such as quotation generation, booking, shipment tracking, route optimisation and financial reconciliation. These initiatives reduce manual intervention, minimise errors, lower operating costs and enhance customer experience through real-time visibility and faster turnaround times. “Its consistent delivery performance and ability to adapt solutions to our evolving business needs have made Skyways a dependable long-term partner,” Vason says.
A major contributor to this digital transformation is the company’s technology subsidiary, sGate Tech Solutions, which develops proprietary logistics software platforms. Skyways also leverages advanced analytics tools, such as Microsoft Power BI and Tableau to convert complex operational data into actionable insights through interactive dashboards, supporting data-driven decision-making for both internal teams and customers. CRISIL and CARE Ratings have assigned an ‘A’ rating with a Stable outlook to the Skyways group.
The company’s IT infrastructure includes robust credit-control mechanisms with real-time exception reporting, direct airline integrations – with Qatar Airways and Turkish Airlines – and ongoing integration with other major airlines through third-party service providers. Advanced technologies such as optical character recognition, robotic process automation and machine learning are deployed to automate data capture and processing, improving accuracy and workflow efficiency.
Internally, operational effectiveness is supported by a digital employee platform known as Theo, a self-service portal used by all employees to facilitate communication, training and knowledge sharing. Quality, compliance and reliability remain central to the company’s operating philosophy.
Skyways is accredited under the ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management System standards by United Accrediting Services Limited, with certification valid through January 2027. This reflects adherence to globally recognised quality benchmarks and a sustained commitment to continuous improvement, Sharma explains.
The company serves a diverse client base across sectors, including textiles and apparel, consumer durables, electronics, lifestyle and fashion, FMCG, industrial products, automotive, healthcare and retail. In addition to large enterprises, Skyways works closely with smaller freight forwarders, sub-agents and logistics firms by acting as a freight consolidator. By aggregating smaller shipment volumes, Skyways achieves scale efficiencies that enable competitive freight rates – empowering local artisans and MSMEs to reach global markets through digital and logistics enablement, boosting exports and livelihoods.
Long-standing client relationships – some extending over a decade – provide Skyways with deep insights into sector-specific logistics requirements. This understanding enables the company to design customised freight solutions aligned with client objectives, while also supporting new business acquisition within the same industry verticals.
According to a Dun & Bradstreet report, India’s logistics market was valued at $107.16 billion in 2022-23 and is projected to reach $159.54 billion by 2027-28, growing at an 8-9 per cent CAGR. Skyways’ growth strategy aligns with this expansion and focuses on improving cost efficiency through process optimisation, workforce productivity and technology-led automation. Proprietary platforms such as SLS 100X, SLS HIKE, Cargo Dash (ocean freight management) and sKart Edge (Express Commerce Logistics) are used to streamline customer inquiries, maintain comprehensive shipment databases and reduce reliance on manual processes.
Infrastructure development is another priority. The company operates three warehouses with a combined area of 30,000 sq ft, designed for regulatory compliance, cargo safety and operational efficiency, including a GDP-approved facility dedicated to pharmaceutical handling. Cargo handling emphasises damage prevention, documentation accuracy and timely customs clearance, including X-ray screening and regulatory coordination for courier shipments.
Looking ahead, Skyways plans to deepen relationships with existing customers by delivering tailored, industry-specific supply chain solutions while expanding into new sectors. Planned service enhancements include domestic air cargo, road cargo, urban last-mile distribution and temperature-controlled logistics. Internationally, the company is targeting high-growth emerging markets with rising trade volumes and infrastructure challenges, supported by strategic partnerships with local logistics providers, customs brokers and regulatory agencies.
Skyways is preparing to go public after receiving final observations from SEBI for its proposed initial public offering. The IPO comprises a combination of a fresh issue of up to 32.92 million equity shares and an offer for sale of up to 13.33 million equity shares by promoters and other selling shareholders, with equity shares of face value Rs10 each. The dates and price band will be decided in consultation with the book-running lead managers (BRLMs), the company says.
An amount of Rs216.79 crore from the fresh issue will be utilised primarily to settle outstanding dues. For 2023-24, Skyways Air Services reported revenue from operations of Rs1,289.11 crore, while profit after tax stood at Rs34.49 crore. Holani Consultants, Shannon Advisors and Dolat Finserv are acting as the book-running lead managers to the issue, while Bigshare Services has been appointed as registrar. The company’s equity shares are proposed to be listed on both the BSE and NSE.