Govt taking steps to cut logistics hurdles for trade

The government is taking legislative as well as administrative measures for an integrated strategy to reduce logistics related hurdles for boosting domestic and global trade, Commerce Minister Suresh Prabhu said on Monday.

High cost of logistics impacts competitiveness and movement of goods, he said.

The Indian logistics industry is estimated at around USD 215 billion, which is growing at over 10 per cent annually.

"We have to increase our share in global trade and logistics plays a very important role in that," Prabhu said while launching a logo for India Logistics. The logo was designed by the National Institute of Design.

Prabhu said that the ministry is developing a national logistics portal as a single window marketplace to link all stakeholders, and preparing an integrated strategy to reduce the cost of exports, imports and domestic trade.

"We are taking help of best experts of the world for this. We are also moving to take the legislative as well as administrative step to improve our logistics related things," he added.

Prabhu said billions of dollars of investments are required to improve logistics sector.

The Department of Logistics, under the ministry, also inked a memorandum of understanding with Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT) to set up a centre for logistics here.

The MoU was signed by Joint Secretaries in the commerce ministry Anant Swarup and Keshav Chandra.

The cost of logistics for India is about 14 per cent of its GDP and it is far higher as compared to other countries.

The newly created logistics department, headed by Special Secretary Binoy Kumar is working on these initiatives.