From coastlines to corridors, and from silent digital engines to bold trade diplomacy, India is reimagining logistics. The nation is preparing to shift from “Make in India” to “Ship from India” with confidence.
India is not just the factory of the world but also its logistics brain
As this feature has explored, India’s supply chains are evolving into a story of scale, speed, and resilience. Closing the series, Mayur Chhabra, Head, Supply Chain (White & Paints Business), JK Cement, shares how the nation can turn ambition into action and move from being a spoke in the wheel to becoming the hub of global trade.
Coastal power, Border potential
“India is uniquely positioned to become a global logistics powerhouse by leveraging its coastal states and border zones as strategic gateways,” Chhabra asserts. With 7,500 km of coastline and initiatives like Sagarmala driving port modernization, multimodal connectivity, and greener, digital logistics, the stage is set. On land, projects such as Integrated Check Posts and all-weather tunnels like Sela and Shinkhun La are strengthening both trade with Asia and strategic readiness. Together, these gateways are weaving a seamless, multimodal logistics ecosystem.
The silent digital revolution
Not every transformation is visible in steel and concrete. “One overlooked but high-impact shift that could dramatically elevate India’s trade readiness is the Bharat Trade Net (BTN),” Chhabra explains. Unlike flashy infrastructure, BTN’s promise lies in its quiet power: unifying trade documentation and financing. “If India wants to hit its $2 trillion export target by 2030, BTN could be the silent engine that powers the leap,” he emphasizes.
Resilience and cost: A false choice
India’s logistics journey is often framed as a tug-of-war between cost competitiveness and resilience. Chhabra sees it differently: “India can absolutely balance the twin goals, but it requires a shift from viewing them as opposing forces to seeing them as mutually reinforcing.” Flexibility in infrastructure, digitized transparency, and diversified supply chains are, in his view, the keys to synergy. “India’s challenge isn’t choosing between the two; it’s mastering the art of smart trade-offs. And it’s already well on its way.”
India 2030: The hub, not the spoke
Looking ahead, Chhabra invites us to imagine a new map of global trade. “Picture a world where India is no longer a spoke in the supply chain wheel, but the hub.” He outlines five steps that can seal this transformation: maritime might as the Indo-Pacific gateway, smart supply chains powered by AI, sustainable and inclusive logistics, geopolitical influence through trade diplomacy, and seamless border corridors. Neutral, trusted, and hyper-connected, he envisions India as “not just the factory of the world, but its logistics brain.”
Closing Note
India’s logistics future is more than the movement of goods; it is about building resilience, credibility, and confidence on the world stage. As Chhabra’s vision shows, the journey from “Make in India” to “Ship from India” is not just possible; it is inevitable.
