Shri Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution and Textiles said that logistics has taken center stage in India’s efforts to become a developed country and a leader in global trade. He also noted that under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, innovative ideas have revolutionised express service delivery.

The Minister spoke at the ICRIER Report Release event in New Delhi, where he commended the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER) for their report, which aims to enhance the logistics system by collaborating with both industry and government. He acknowledged that ICRIER serves as a conduit between the government and industry, and emphasized the importance of working with industry experts to establish a roadmap for effectively implementing the report’s recommendations.

He highlighted the impressive growth in India’s overall exports over the past two years, despite facing various obstacles such as inventory pileups, high raw material costs, freight issues, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. He emphasized that the government is proactively working towards shifting the mindset of looking at things through the lens of the past and hesitating to embrace change. As a result of these efforts, he anticipates that India’s total exports in the 2022-23 fiscal year will amount to approximately US$765 billion.

He expressed the government’s commitment to extending digital connectivity to every corner of India, with 4G and broadband internet coverage reaching nearly every part of the country. He emphasized that India’s seamless digital connectivity enabled the delivery of services on time during the COVID-19 pandemic by facilitating remote work. The Minister urged the logistics sector to replicate this express delivery of services through a vast digital network established over the past eight years to ensure timely delivery of goods.

Furthermore, he noted that Express Delivery Services have yet to fully realize India’s vast potential. He emphasized that the logistics industry must utilize scale, efficiency, and technology building blocks to reduce costs. The government is taking steps in this direction through initiatives such as the PM GatiShakti for smarter and faster planning and implementation of projects, the Unified Logistics Interface Platform, and dedicated freight corridors.

The Minister also highlighted that India’s commitment to a transparent and rule-based ecosystem and its highly skilled and dedicated workforce was emphasized when the Prime Minister declared India’s readiness to be a trusted partner at the G20 Summit. He stated that trust, transparency, and talent would be crucial in India’s trade endeavors.

He also  acknowledged the Prime Minister’s ambitious vision for India, which has garnered global attention and hope in the country’s ability to deliver. He praised the role played by the youth in the startup sector and encouraged them to aspire to make India a developed country.

Furthermore, the Minister commended the Prime Minister’s innovative ideas during the COVID-19 pandemic, such as the transportation of liquid medical oxygen by trains and empty containers by air transport, which significantly reduced delivery times and saved many lives. He emphasized the significance of speed in determining India’s success and called for the adoption of novel ideas and approaches to work in a spirit of togetherness for the country.