<p>New Delhi: Union Road Transport and Highways Minister <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/search?q=gadkari">Nitin Gadkari</a> on Thursday called on Indian companies to enter into joint ventures with American firms to leverage cutting-edge technologies, highlighting the potential for deeper bilateral cooperation in infrastructure and industry.</p><p>Addressing the AMCHAM Annual Leadership Summit, Gadkari said the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways is also exploring collaboration with US consultancy firms for preparing Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) for road projects.</p><p>"India is the fastest growing major economy... the US companies develop lots of new technologies, so it is very important for Indian companies to have joint venture with US companies," he said.</p><p>The minister emphasised significant progress in reducing logistics costs, crediting the rapid expansion of expressways and economic corridors. </p><p>He cited a recent report prepared by IIT Chennai, IIT Kanpur, and IIM Bangalore, which found that India's logistics cost has declined from 16 per cent to 10 per cent, and has now reached single-digit levels. For comparison, logistics costs stand at 12 per cent in the US and European countries, and 8-10 per cent in China.</p>.Defence capabilities will determine future of countries: Union Minister Nitin Gadkari.<p>Gadkari expressed strong ambitions for the automobile sector, stating that India aims to become the world's number one auto industry within five years. </p><p>He said when he assumed charge as Transport Minister, the sector's size was Rs 14 lakh crore and it has since grown to Rs 22 lakh crore.</p><p>The automobile industry currently employs 4 lakh youths and contributes the highest GST revenue to the Centre and states. In terms of market size, the US leads with Rs 78 lakh crore, followed by China at Rs 47 lakh crore and India at Rs 22 lakh crore.</p><p>The minister also underlined the need to reduce dependence on fossil fuels, noting that India spends Rs 22 lakh crore annually on fuel imports, which poses both an economic burden and an environmental challenge. </p><p>He stressed the importance of adopting clean energy solutions. As part of green initiatives, the government has identified 10 highway stretches across the country for operating green hydrogen-powered trucks to curb vehicular pollution. These include routes such as Greater Noida-Delhi-Agra, Bhubaneswar-Puri-Konark, Ahmedabad-Vadodara-Surat, Sahibabad-Faridabad-Delhi, Jamshedpur-Kalinganagar, Thiruvananthapuram-Kochi, and Jamnagar-Ahmedabad, among others.</p>
<p>New Delhi: Union Road Transport and Highways Minister <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/search?q=gadkari">Nitin Gadkari</a> on Thursday called on Indian companies to enter into joint ventures with American firms to leverage cutting-edge technologies, highlighting the potential for deeper bilateral cooperation in infrastructure and industry.</p><p>Addressing the AMCHAM Annual Leadership Summit, Gadkari said the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways is also exploring collaboration with US consultancy firms for preparing Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) for road projects.</p><p>"India is the fastest growing major economy... the US companies develop lots of new technologies, so it is very important for Indian companies to have joint venture with US companies," he said.</p><p>The minister emphasised significant progress in reducing logistics costs, crediting the rapid expansion of expressways and economic corridors. </p><p>He cited a recent report prepared by IIT Chennai, IIT Kanpur, and IIM Bangalore, which found that India's logistics cost has declined from 16 per cent to 10 per cent, and has now reached single-digit levels. For comparison, logistics costs stand at 12 per cent in the US and European countries, and 8-10 per cent in China.</p>.Defence capabilities will determine future of countries: Union Minister Nitin Gadkari.<p>Gadkari expressed strong ambitions for the automobile sector, stating that India aims to become the world's number one auto industry within five years. </p><p>He said when he assumed charge as Transport Minister, the sector's size was Rs 14 lakh crore and it has since grown to Rs 22 lakh crore.</p><p>The automobile industry currently employs 4 lakh youths and contributes the highest GST revenue to the Centre and states. In terms of market size, the US leads with Rs 78 lakh crore, followed by China at Rs 47 lakh crore and India at Rs 22 lakh crore.</p><p>The minister also underlined the need to reduce dependence on fossil fuels, noting that India spends Rs 22 lakh crore annually on fuel imports, which poses both an economic burden and an environmental challenge. </p><p>He stressed the importance of adopting clean energy solutions. As part of green initiatives, the government has identified 10 highway stretches across the country for operating green hydrogen-powered trucks to curb vehicular pollution. These include routes such as Greater Noida-Delhi-Agra, Bhubaneswar-Puri-Konark, Ahmedabad-Vadodara-Surat, Sahibabad-Faridabad-Delhi, Jamshedpur-Kalinganagar, Thiruvananthapuram-Kochi, and Jamnagar-Ahmedabad, among others.</p>
