Indian Minister of Commerce and Industry and Railways Piyush Goyal recently reviewed the draft National Logistics Policy and the proposed action plan for implementing it prepared by the Department of Logistics under his Ministry. The draft has been prepared in consultation with the Ministries of railways, road transport and highways, and shipping and civil aviation. Inputs from 46 partnering government agencies (PGAs) were analysed in detail for consideration in the policy, according to an official report.
At a recent review meeting, Goyal Directed representatives from all the four Ministries to work in coordination so that the 14 per cent logistics cost of India’s gross domestic product (GDP) may be brought down to 10 per cent by 2022. All efforts must be made for farm produce to reach markets with minimum wastage of time, he said.
He also said that a central scheme for cold chain across the country, especially for fruits, vegetables and perishables, may be made part of the action plan of the draft logistics policy so that it improves efficiency and reduces the loss in agri produce of farmers. India’s logistics sector is very complex with more than 20 government agencies, 40 PGAs, 37 export promotion councils, 500 certifications, 10,000 commodities and a 160-bn market size.
