GSBN Forms Alliance with ODeX and IQAX to accelerate eBL adoption in India

Global Shipping Business Network (GSBN) announced its API integration with ODeX. This integration allows users to process IQAX eBL directly within the ODeX platform, simplifying and accelerating eBL adoption across global supply chains.

A key barrier to pervasive eBL adoption is multiple disparate platforms across the shipping industry, hampering the integration of digital bills of lading into existing workflows. GSBNs latest initiative lets users receive, transfer, and surrender IQAX eBLs seamlessly on ODeX, reducing manual steps, minimising errors, while improving operational speed and transparency. The collaboration has already marked a significant milestone in the journey toward paperless trade by supporting the first live Hapag-Lloyd shipment from India, Mundra to US, Chicago for Transmarinus Inc.

ODeX, with its strong market presence and trusted carrier partnerships, is at the forefront of India’s digital transformation in Export-Import (EXIM) trade. Last year, the platform successfully completed eight new integrations across ports, partners, and processes, streamlining operations for businesses nationwide. This latest collaboration between market leaders significantly ramps up the growing eBL adoption in India. By integrating GSBN’s secure data infrastructure and IQAX eBL onto ODeX’s platform, the partnership removes friction to adoption, accelerating the path to paperless trade. GSBN will leverage ODeX’s extensive customer network to further connect eBL with cargo release and document exchange flows, creating tangible value for customers integrating eBL into their operations.

Bertrand Chen, CEO of GSBN, said, “One of the biggest challenges to scaling eBL today is the major fragmentation across systems and platforms. GSBN’s mission is to provide the neutral trust layer to connect these environments. By integrating with ODeX and enabling IQAX eBL within existing workflows, we are reducing complexity for users and making eBL easier to adopt at scale across the complete trade ecosystem.”

George Guo, CEO of IQAX, said, “Seamless eBL data flows transform digital documents into a foundation for trade intelligence. This integration with GSBN and ODeX lowers the barrier to eBL adoption while enabling customers to connect trusted data across multiple trade rails, improving visibility, decision‑making, and value creation across global trade.”

Sanjay Singh Kushwah, Managing Director - India, Sri Lanka & Bangladesh of Hapag-Lloyd, said, “By moving Bills of Lading onto IQAX eBL over GSBN and making them accessible through ODeX in India, we reduce delays, costs, and avoidable disputes tied to couriered and stamped paper documents. This collaboration strengthens the integrity of our shipment documentation and advances how Hapag-Lloyd manages the shipment lifecycle in a more digital, resilient and trusted way. At the same time, it meaningfully reduces our environmental footprint by eliminating paper usage and courier-related emissions, supporting our broader sustainability ambitions. For our customers, it delivers a faster, more transparent and convenient experience, with real-time access to critical documents, fewer process uncertainties, and greater control over their shipments.”

Liji Nowal, CEO of OdeX, said, “Our customers want paperless efficiency without sacrificing ease‑of‑use. This collaboration with GSBN and IQAX brings eBL capabilities into the ODeX experience, enabling secure issuance, transfer, and surrender in one place. We are excited to help the market move faster, with better visibility and fewer manual steps.”

This milestone signals growing momentum as more partners join the GSBN ecosystem to make eBL adoption simple, secure, and interconnectable. By enabling eBL processing within familiar platforms, GSBN and its partners are removing friction, reducing operational complexity, and delivering significant efficiency gains. GSBN will continue to expand these integrations globally to support paperless trade.