Nitin Gadkari announces India’s logistics cost will fall below 10% by 2026 as Modi unveils ₹11,000-cr highway projects.
In a major infrastructure push, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari has announced that India’s logistics cost will fall to single digits by the end of 2026, a move he said would be a “game changer” for boosting the country’s export competitiveness.
Gadkari made the announcement in New Delhi on October 5, during a landmark event where Narendra Modi inaugurated two key National Highway projects worth nearly ₹11,000 crore. The projects are aimed at decongesting the National Capital Region (NCR) and improving freight and passenger movement.
“India’s logistics cost currently stands at 14–16% of GDP, compared with 8% in China and about 12% in Europe and the U.S.,” Gadkari said. “I assure the Prime Minister and the nation that by 2026, we will bring this cost down to single digits. This will give a significant boost to our exports and make India globally competitive.”
The Prime Minister dedicated to the nation the Alipur–Dichaon Kalan section of Urban Extension Road-II, along with new link roads to Bahadurgarh and Sonipat, developed at a cost of ₹5,580 crore. He also inaugurated the 10.1 km Delhi stretch of the Dwarka Expressway, built at a cost of ₹5,360 crore. This stretch offers seamless multi-modal connectivity to Yashobhoomi Convention Centre, the Delhi Metro’s Blue and Orange Lines, the upcoming Bijwasan railway station, and the Dwarka Cluster Bus Depot.
Officials said the new corridors will ease traffic congestion on Delhi’s Inner and Outer Ring Roads and critical choke points like Mukarba Chowk, Dhaula Kuan, and NH-09. They are also expected to improve access to industrial zones across NCR, cutting travel time and boosting logistics efficiency.
“With these projects, traffic congestion in Delhi-NCR will be reduced by almost 50%,” Gadkari added. “This will not only make commuting smoother but also enable faster movement of goods.”
The new infrastructure is part of the Centre’s larger plan to build a high-efficiency, integrated logistics network that lowers costs, enhances export competitiveness, and supports India’s ambition of emerging as a global manufacturing hub.
Source: Maritime gateway
