India’s logistics sector is at a defining moment, with global corridors, digital platforms, and policy reforms reshaping its future.
Resilience comes from options that are also cost-effective in the long term
India’s supply chains are reshaping fast, with reforms, infrastructure, and partnerships powering resilience, seamless integration, and smarter global connectivity.
Regional strengths as gateways
For Sourav Somani, Supply Chain Head at Vectus Polymers, India’s geography itself is a strategic advantage. “Our 7,500+ km coastline and 13 major ports are natural assets that can be leveraged to become international logistics gateways,” he says. He stresses the importance of upgrading ports to handle ultra-large vessels, co-locating manufacturing hubs near ports, and digitising customs at border hubs to reduce delays. “The opening of multimodal corridors like the Chabahar Port–INSTC route is vital for unlocking cross-border potential,” Somani adds.
Corridors as catalysts
Kamlesh Kumar
Corridors like IMEC and INSTC will redefine India’s logistics narrative
Kamlesh Kumar, Vice President, Supply Chain at Jumbotail, sees new trade corridors as pivotal to India’s export ambitions. “As India works toward the USD 1.5 trillion export target by 2030, corridors like IMEC and INSTC will redefine our logistics narrative,” he notes. These routes, he explains, provide faster, cost-effective deliveries and diversify India’s trade channels, strengthening geopolitical resilience. “For sectors like pharmaceuticals and perishables, such connectivity is a game-changer,” Kumar emphasises.
The Barrier of Fragmentation
Both leaders converge on a critical challenge: fragmented infrastructure. “Ports, airports, rail, road, and customs still don’t function as one frictionless system,” says Somani, pointing to integration as the missing link. Kumar echoes this concern: “India’s logistics costs stand at around 14% of GDP, well above global benchmarks. Unless we build a multimodal, cost-efficient network, competitiveness will remain constrained.”
Cost, resilience, and digital transformation
Balancing cost and resilience is not a trade-off but a synergy. Resilience, they emphasise, comes from options that remain cost-effective, multimodal transport, ULIP, and regional safety stocks. A well-designed network can simultaneously reduce costs, strengthen resilience, and enhance India’s global competitiveness. Digital infrastructure adds further momentum, with ULIP and the National Logistics Portal promising speed and transparency. Yet, integration across the first, middle, and last mile remains a challenge. Digitisation, however, is seen as central to shifting India’s logistics from being merely cheaper to becoming smarter, through load matching and reduced turnaround times.
FTA advantage
Free trade agreements are viewed as strong enablers of India’s logistics growth. Somani points to the India–UK FTA as especially promising: “It will drive tariff-free access, strengthen logistics sectors, and spur investments in port upgrades and cold chains.” Kumar adds that pairing such agreements with digital integration will elevate India’s role in global supply chains. Both agree the narrative is shifting. “It is no longer about catching up but stepping up,” they emphasise, as India moves from Make in India to Ship from India with resilience and credibility at its core.
