MatchLog is transforming global logistics with AI-driven container reuse - cutting costs, carbon emissions, and inefficiency in trade supply chains.
MatchLog
Founded in 2019 with a mission to eliminate inefficiency and carbon waste in global trade logistics, MatchLog is redefining how containers move. Under the leadership of Dhruv Taneja, Founder and Global CEO, the company has built an AI-driven platform that enables container reuse by digitally matching import and export movements, reducing empty runs, fuel consumption, and emissions at scale. In this conversation, Taneja discusses how MatchLog’s circular model is helping India and Southeast Asia transition toward sustainable logistics, the role of digitalisation in decarbonising trade, and why collaboration across shipping lines, ports, and transporters is key to building a greener global supply chain.
1. What is MatchLog’s founding vision, and how is it translating sustainability goals into measurable outcomes?
MatchLog was founded in 2019 to eliminate inefficiency in container logistics. Every day, thousands of containers in India return empty from inland locations to ports, wasting fuel, time, and capacity. This linear movement is both uneconomical and environmentally damaging. Our vision was to replace this waste with a circular, technology-driven system that makes every move count.
We built an AI-based platform that connects import and export movements so that containers can be reused instead of returning empty. This directly reduces the number of truck trips, fuel usage, and emissions, while improving asset utilisation for shipping lines and transporters. Our model already saves substantial freight costs and cuts emissions at scale. We are targeting savings of over USD 100 million in freight costs and 800,000 metric tonnes of CO₂ annually as we grow. For us, sustainability is embedded in our operating model. Every reuse transaction recorded on our platform translates into measurable carbon reduction and cost efficiency for the trade ecosystem.
2. How does the container reuse model work, and what impact has it had so far on reducing emissions and costs?
The reuse model is based on triangulation. When an import-laden container is unloaded at an inland factory or warehouse, we digitally match it with an export booking that requires a container nearby. Instead of returning to port empty, the same container is reused for the export leg.
Through this approach, a single container performs multiple productive cycles before returning to port, cutting down idle runs and delays. Our technology stack enables this through real-time matching, intelligent yard placement, and digital documentation.
Operationally, this has reduced container turnaround time from an industry average of 34 days to around 4 days. The efficiency gains are substantial: fewer trucks on roads, lower congestion, and reduced fuel consumption. These outcomes translate directly into both cost and emission savings. Based on current volumes, our reuse ecosystem is projected to help the industry save up to USD 100 million in freight costs and avoid 800,000 metric tonnes of CO₂ emissions annually. It is a proof point that smart technology can deliver economic and environmental value simultaneously.
3. How is MatchLog building partnerships across shipping lines, ports, and transport operators to scale this ecosystem?
Partnerships are the backbone of container reuse. We work closely with shipping lines, port operators, transporters, and exporters because collaboration is essential for network-level efficiency. Our platform integrates with shipping lines such as Maersk, Hapag-Lloyd, and Pacific International Lines (PIL), allowing them to optimize container utilisation across locations.
At the port and yard level, we operate integrated ‘Street Turn Yards’ in logistics hubs like Morbi, Vapi, and Pune, which facilitate smooth container handovers and digital surveys. On the transport side, more than 5,000 registered transporters with 100,000 trailers use our digital systems for allocation, tracking, and automated documentation.
These linkages create a shared infrastructure that benefits every participant. By aligning incentives, we are expanding the ecosystem sustainably. We are now replicating this partnership framework across new ports and countries, starting with Southeast Asia.
4. What are your near-term priorities for market expansion and which regions or trade routes are you focusing on?
Our immediate goal is to deepen coverage on India’s west coast including Mundra, Hazira, Nhava Sheva, and Pipavav, and to expand to eastern ports, beginning with Chennai. India’s strong trade growth and logistics modernisation give us a robust base to scale.
We are also expanding into Southeast Asia through collaborations with Haulio (Singapore) and DahNay Logistics (Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore). The region handles about 75 million TEUs annually, offering a major opportunity for reuse-driven efficiency. Singapore, where we recently opened our global office, is an ideal hub for regional expansion due to its high container throughput and advanced digital infrastructure.
Our near-term focus is to handle 2 million container trips annually and onboard 50,000 transporters. The priority is to strengthen our network density in India while building regional routes that connect South and Southeast Asia.
5. How are you using data and digital tools to optimize container utilization and improve supply chain efficiency?
Data is the foundation of our operating model. Every container movement generates information. Our AI-driven platform processes these data points to identify the nearest matching opportunities between import and export bookings in real time. We use predictive algorithms to forecast container demand, optimize repositioning, and reduce idle mileage. Our Transport Management System provides end-to-end digital execution, creating transparency across the chain.
The outcome is reduced turnaround time, higher asset productivity, and lower operating costs. These insights also feed into our carbon credit reporting, allowing stakeholders to quantify their sustainability performance. As we advance, our focus is on deep integration with partner systems so that data can drive autonomous, low-waste logistics decisions at scale.
6. As MatchLog looks to expand its footprint globally, how do collaborations and strategic partnerships support your mission to build a more efficient and sustainable logistics ecosystem?
Sustainability in logistics requires industry-wide alignment across carriers, ports, and policymakers. Our collaborations with global players like Maersk, Hapag-Lloyd, and PIL help us integrate reuse practices into mainstream operations. Partnerships with Haulio and DahNay Logistics enable us to extend the same digital ecosystem into Southeast Asia. We also work with funding partners such as Blue Ashva Capital, Rainmatter Climate Technologies, and Capital A, who share our long-term vision for decarbonising trade logistics. These partnerships provide us with both strategic and operational leverage. Through collaboration, we can transform reuse from an efficiency project into an industry standard.
7. What are the key challenges sustainability-led startups face while balancing innovation, profitability, and scale?
The biggest challenge is aligning sustainability with economic incentives. Green models often demand upfront technology investment and ecosystem development before financial gains are visible. For logistics, the challenge is even sharper because multiple stakeholders share the same infrastructure and must see collective value. At MatchLog, we focused early on building a model where sustainability directly improves unit economics. By reducing empty trips, we lower costs and emissions simultaneously. Achieving this balance helps gain buy-in from partners.
Another challenge is scalability. This requires trust, interoperability, and continuous data exchange. We addressed this by building a digital platform that connects all participants seamlessly. Ultimately, sustainability-led startups must demonstrate that doing good for the planet also makes strong business sense, backed by measurable results.
8. How do you see collaboration between large logistics players and green startups accelerating decarbonization in trade?
Large logistics players bring scale, infrastructure, and global trade access. Startups bring innovation, speed, and digital agility. When the two work together, decarbonisation becomes achievable at scale. For instance, shipping lines adopting container reuse through MatchLog can cut thousands of empty trips annually without operational disruption. Such partnerships help turn pilots into industry norms. They also encourage data sharing, which is essential for tracking emissions and identifying high-impact interventions. Collaboration across the value chain ensures that efficiency gains are not limited to one segment but cascade through the network.
9. What policy reforms or incentives from governments could strengthen the growth of sustainable logistics startups?
Policy can play a key role in mainstreaming reuse and circular logistics. Governments can incentivise container sharing through carbon credit frameworks, faster approvals for digital documentation, and priority access to multimodal hubs for verified green operations. Infrastructure policy should encourage creation of shared ‘Street Turn Yards’ near industrial clusters to reduce repositioning costs. Access to low-cost financing for sustainability-linked logistics projects will also help startups scale faster. Equally important is data integration as this can significantly reduce turnaround time and duplication. A regulatory environment that rewards emission reduction with tangible benefits will accelerate both adoption and innovation in sustainable logistics.
10. How do you view the role of digital platforms like MatchLog in enabling circular economy practices across global trade?
Digital platforms are the enablers of circularity in logistics. They make it possible to match supply and demand dynamically, track asset usage, and measure environmental impact in real time. Without digital visibility, reuse models would remain localised and manual. At MatchLog, every container movement is digitally recorded and optimised. This transparency allows stakeholders to see the operational and carbon savings achieved through reuse. Digitalisation also builds trust and provides verifiable proof of impact, which can be used for carbon reporting and ESG disclosures. In the long term, platforms like ours will form the backbone of a circular trade ecosystem where resources are continuously reused, waste is minimised, and efficiency becomes the new default.
11. Looking ahead, what is your long-term vision for MatchLog as a driver of change in green logistics?
Our long-term vision is to make container reuse a global standard for trade logistics. We want every container movement to be purposeful, data-driven, and sustainable. As we expand across India and Southeast Asia, our focus is on scaling technology that can deliver measurable economic and environmental outcomes at every node of the supply chain.
In the next phase, we aim to deepen integration with partners, expand carbon credit monetisation, and strengthen digital infrastructure to support autonomous reuse networks. Ultimately, our success will be defined by the collective impact we create. The goal is to build a future where sustainability is an operational advantage.
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