Tata Steel has successfully completed its first coal import shipment using an electronic bill of lading (eBL), marking a major milestone in digitising global trade. The fully paperless transaction involved the import of coal from Queensland, Australia to Dhamra Port in Odisha, with complete bank integration under a letter of credit.

This is Tata Steel’s first fully digitalised import transaction and reflects the company’s continued shift towards technology-driven, sustainable supply chains. The deal saw coordinated execution between Tata Steel India, TS Global Procurement, ICICI Bank, Standard Chartered Bank (Singapore), and ICE Digital Trade, the provider of the eBL platform.

Replacing the traditional paper-based bill of lading, the digital system eliminates reliance on couriers, accelerates documentation, reduces operational risks, and enhances environmental sustainability. This innovation also aligns with Tata Steel’s broader sustainability goals, including the use of emission-efficient vessels and the growing adoption of biofuels and LNG-powered ships for imports.

Peeyush Gupta, Vice President – TQM, GSP & Supply Chain, stated that adopting eBL has helped the company overcome traditional trade bottlenecks and established a new benchmark in global logistics. He added that this transition reinforces Tata Steel’s commitment to a supply chain that is efficient, secure, and environmentally responsible.

This is not Tata Steel’s first digital trade breakthrough. In April 2021, the company executed a blockchain-enabled, paperless steel export to a UAE customer, followed by another such export to a metals major in Bangladesh in November of the same year.