New Delhi: The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) conducted an inter-ministerial meeting to assess the progress of the National Logistics Policy (NLP) 10 months after its launch. The meeting took place here on Saturday, where various Ministries presented their efforts to enhance logistics efficiency in the country.
During the meeting, Rajesh Kumar Singh, Secretary, DPIIT, praised the Ministries for their commendable efforts and emphasized the ongoing commitment to achieving NLP targets. As a result of these reforms and a dedicated focus on enhancing logistics efficiency, India’s position in the World Bank’s Logistics Performance Index (LPI) has notably improved, rising six places from 44th in 2018 to 38th out of 139 countries in 2023.
He emphasized the vital importance of ports in transforming India into a highly competitive export hub on the global stage. He proposed a wider implementation of initiatives like the Logistics Data Bank to derive valuable insights for enhancing logistics efficiency in key areas such as port processes, trunk infrastructure, first and last-mile multimodal connectivity, and smooth transportation of bulk and break-bulk commodities. “As we plan for new infrastructure, it becomes crucial for the relevant line Ministries to address the additional capacity needs at EXIM gateways,” he said.
To complement PM GatiShakti, the National Logistics Policy, was launched last on September 17, 2023, and significant progress has been made across key action areas (digital integration, services improvement, state engagement, skill development, logistics performance index, logistics cost reduction, EXIM logistics, etc.).
The meeting saw participation from 11 infrastructure and user Ministries including M/o Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH), M/o Port Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW), M/o Coal, D/o Food & Public Distribution, M/o Civil Aviation (MOCA), M/o Steel, D/o Commerce, D/o Fertilizer, D/o Revenue, M/o Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) and M/o Power and, National Industrial Corridor Development Corporation Limited (NICDC).