Internationally, warehousing industry is classified into three different types viz. Public warehousing, Private warehousing and Contract warehousing. In India, warehousing industry is mostly dominated by State Warehousing Corporations and public sector undertakings viz. CWC, the largest warehouse operator in India, operates across the country through 444 warehouses and provides storage capacity of 7.3 million tonnes for a wide range of products. Warehousing activities of CWC include foodgrain warehouses, custom bonded warehouses, container freight stations, inland clearance depots and aircargo complexes.
Ports act as the interface for seaborne trade movement.
Most of the major ports of the country provide warehousing facilities to users through its own warehouses and also by privately-owned warehouses located within or outside the port arena. Increased liberalisation of the economy has boosted private sector participation in ports. Looking at the future of the warehousing industry, it has been observed that technology is likely to play a major role through the increasing applications of Internet. Information technology is likely to play a key role in determining the competitiveness of the industry.