Government launches major logistics overhaul in 8 cities
The initial phase will cover eight cities in eight different states, with plans for a nationwide expansion.;
Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal, launched a series of transformative logistics initiatives on September 20. The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) will spearhead the new measures across eight cities, aiming to build a future-ready and globally competitive logistics ecosystem.
At the core of the announcement is the rollout of integrated state and city logistics plans, a collaborative effort with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) under the Strengthening Multimodal and Integrated Logistics Ecosystem (SMILE) programme.
Speaking at the launch, Minister Goyal said, "This exercise will help assess existing logistics infrastructure, identify gaps, and provide a roadmap for improving efficiency and reducing costs."
"This marks just the beginning, with the objective of replicating such plans nationwide to ensure smoother movement of goods, enhanced competitiveness, and stronger supply chain resilience," Goyal added.
The new city-centric plans are designed to complement the sweeping national reforms already underway, including the National Logistics Policy (NLP) and the PM GatiShakti National Master Plan.
These high-level policies have provided a robust framework for enhancing India's logistics efficiency, and the city-level approach is expected to drive implementation at the grassroots.
DPIIT's programmatic approach follows directives from the Fourth Chief Secretaries’ Conference held in December 2024, which called for greater state-level participation. Many states have already formulated their own logistics policies in alignment with the national vision.
The collaboration with the ADB under the SMILE programme will provide crucial technical and financial support, ensuring these city-level plans are comprehensive and aligned with global best practices.