Government is planning to locate logistics parks next to ring road and by-pass roads in an effort to reduce pollution and traffic and facilitate multi-modal transport (MTO) across the country, said Honourble Union Minister for Shipping and road transport, Shri Nitin Gadkari, Friday.
“Unless logistics cost is brought down from its peak of 18%, India’s export would not be competitive with China whose logistics cost is pegged at 8%. India’s exports have the potential to rise by 40%, if the logistics cost is brought down to 13-14%,” Gadkari said delivering his inaugural address at a conference on Multi-modal Logistics: Growth Lever for Indian Economy organised by Forum For Integrated National Security (FINS).
Forum for Integrated National Security or FINS is an apolitical think tank to raise, discuss & propagate issues which have direct or indirect impact on our national security.
Going beyond the domestic multi-modal hubs, Gadkari also pointed out that a committee of the transport minister of India, Iran and Afganistan has been formed to develop roads and railways in Iran to serve Afganistan.
Delivering his key note address, Tushar Jani, Chairman SCA Group called for development of rail hubs in Palanpur, Nashik and Nagpur that would boost multi-modal transport in the country. Setting the tone for the conference, FINS, President, Lt. General (Dr) DB Shekatkar (Retd) cautioned that 67 nations located on the coast are passing through conflict and there are seven choke points across the world that can bring shipping industry to a halt, four of which are within the proximity of India.
Hence he called for the need of securing the shipping lanes. “If our shipping lanes are not secured, we as a nation cannot remain secure and so would be our world trade,” Dr Shekatkar said.