What global forwarders want from India in 2026

As global trade adjusts to shifting geopolitics, higher input costs and renewed policy realignments, execution has become as critical as ambition. For India, that translates into building a logistics ecosystem capable of supporting time-sensitive and high-value cargo without friction. The focus has shifted from expansion to reliability, from capacity creation to consistency of outcomes.

This shift is reflected in global data. The DP World Global Trade Observatory, based on inputs from more than 3,500 supply chain executives, shows that while 94 per cent expect trade growth in 2026, more than half also anticipate elevated policy uncertainty. Trade volumes are rising, but confidence increasingly depends on how smoothly goods move across borders. Anish Kumar Jha, Managing Director – India, Sri Lanka, and Maldives at Kuehne+Nagel noted, "From a global forwarder’s standpoint, capacity commitments are driven by confidence in long-term policy stability rather than short-term incentives. Predictable rules allow forwarders to plan networks, deploy assets, and commit capacity well in advance."

That dynamic is particularly evident in India. The country’s export momentum remains strong, but regulatory clarity will determine how much of that growth it can convert into sustained competitiveness. Customs reform sits at the centre of this transition. The government’s Customs 2.0 programme, which aims for full automation by April 2026, has been widely welcomed for its emphasis on digitisation and risk-based clearance. Measures such as the expansion of the Single Window Interface for Facilitating Trade (SWIFT), along with Turant Customs and e-Sanchit, have reduced paperwork and shortened processing timelines.

However, implementation remains uneven. While larger gateways have seen measurable improvements, variability persists across ports and airports, affecting predictability for time-sensitive cargo. The DP World study reinforces this concern, identifying customs procedures as the single largest source of delay in global supply chains, cited by 60 per cent of respondents.

According to Hellmann Worldwide Logistics, the issue is no longer the absence of reform but the lack of uniformity in how regulations are applied. The company notes that inconsistent interpretation across agencies continues to introduce avoidable delays and costs, particularly for shipments operating on tight delivery windows. What forwarders are seeking, it says, is a more predictable, digitised customs environment aligned with international standards such as the WCO SAFE Framework and Authorised Economic Operator programmes.

Documentation remains another pressure point. Despite progress under ICEGATE and port community systems, paper-based processes continue to coexist with digital workflows. Forwarders are therefore pushing for wider adoption of electronic bills of lading, digital house airway bills and system-to-system data exchange to improve traceability and reduce manual intervention. The objective is not just speed but reliability across the entire supply chain.

Sustainability regulation has also emerged as a key area of focus. Unclear timelines around emissions reporting, green corridors and compliance standards complicate long-term investment decisions. Forwarders say what is needed is clearer regulation with phased implementation, allowing fleet upgrades, infrastructure investment and reporting systems to be planned with confidence.

This emphasis on predictability is echoed at the operational level. As Gregory Goba Ble, Head of UPS India and Director of MOVIN Express, puts it, “Global forwarders want speed they can trust. That means time-definite services, end-to-end visibility, and integrated networks that stay resilient under pressure.”

He adds, “UPS integrates forwarding, customs broking and time-definite transport within a single network, supported by digital systems that allow proactive exception management. Our technology centre in Chennai uses advanced tracking and AI-driven route optimisation to reduce transit times and manage disruptions before they escalate.”

Technology, data and sustainability are no longer differentiators. They are baseline expectations.
Gregory Goba Ble, UPS India

Infrastructure and multimodal capacity: where growth must catch up
As regulatory processes evolve, attention increasingly shifts to infrastructure. Capacity matters only when it is created where cargo actually moves, such as ports, airports and inland hubs, because investments made without matching ground-level movement often fail to reduce congestion or improve efficiency.

Port expansions at JNPT and Chennai have improved throughput and gate efficiency, supported by automation and private sector participation. Yet inland connectivity remains the weak link. While overall port capacity has expanded under Sagarmala, evacuation efficiency and cold-chain depth continue to lag, particularly outside major metropolitan clusters. 

The DP World Global Trade Observatory reflects this imbalance. Warehousing and logistics hubs now rank above ports as the most urgent infrastructure priorities, followed closely by road connectivity and border processing facilities. The bottleneck, in effect, has shifted inland.

Air cargo infrastructure is emerging as a critical pressure point. Industry feedback points to capacity constraints at major hubs such as Bengaluru and Hyderabad, limited freighter parking and uneven cargo terminal capabilities as volumes rise. Night operations under the UDAN Cargo programme have added capacity, but ground handling and apron infrastructure have not expanded at the same pace.

Cold-chain limitations remain structural. Outside key metros, temperature-controlled infrastructure is still insufficient to support large-scale movement of pharmaceuticals, biologics and perishables, constraining India’s ability to scale high-value exports.

Intermodal integration has improved but remains incomplete. Dedicated freight corridors have significantly reduced transit times on key routes, particularly between Delhi and Mumbai. However, multimodal logistics parks have yet to achieve critical mass. With only a few fully operational facilities, India still lacks the network density seen in leading Asian trade corridors.

Urban freight movement adds another layer of complexity. While electric delivery fleets are improving last-mile efficiency in major cities, congestion, delivery restrictions and inconsistent road quality in Tier 2 and Tier 3 markets continue to disrupt schedules and inflate costs.

Airport operations, digital integration and sustainability
If regulation and infrastructure form the foundation, operational execution determines outcomes.

Across global logistics networks, speed alone is no longer the benchmark. Reliability, transparency and consistency now define competitiveness. Airports are under increasing pressure to deliver predictable slot availability, standardised handling procedures and faster cargo processing.

Digitalisation lies at the heart of this transition. While the DP World report shows that 95 per cent of companies use AI in some form, full digital integration remains limited. Fragmented systems, inconsistent data standards and partial automation continue to undermine end-to-end visibility.These gaps are particularly evident in air cargo. Although e-AWB adoption has crossed 60 per cent at major airports, smaller gateways still rely heavily on manual processes. The absence of a fully integrated national cargo community system restricts real-time coordination between airlines, handlers, forwarders and customs authorities.

Sustainability has also become a commercial imperative. Shippers are increasingly factoring Scope 3 emissions into routing decisions, pushing logistics providers to adopt cleaner fuels, electric ground equipment and emissions tracking systems. While progress is visible, supporting infrastructure remains uneven.

As Goba Ble notes, execution consistency will ultimately define competitiveness. “India has made strong progress under the National Logistics Policy and Gati Shakti,” he says. “But by 2026, global forwarding networks will expect reliable day- and time-definite services, strong operational discipline, digital integration and the ability to manage exceptions before they affect cargo.”

He adds, “Technology, data and sustainability are no longer differentiators. They are baseline expectations.”

Forwarders increasingly look for seamless movement across road, rail, air, and sea, supported by modern cargo handling facilities and technology-enabled visibility.
Anish Kumar Jha, Kuehne+Nagel

The road to 2026
As 2026 approaches, global forwarders are no longer passive observers of India’s logistics evolution. Their expectations are actively shaping investment priorities, operating models and policy dialogue. Jha stated, “Global forwarders look for policy predictability and operational consistency, supported by well-integrated, digitally enabled infrastructure.”

The DP World Global Trade Observatory captures the moment clearly. Trade volumes are rising and confidence remains high, but friction, fragmentation and inconsistent execution continue to dilute potential gains.

India’s opportunity lies in closing these gaps. Predictable regulation, targeted infrastructure investment and operational discipline will determine whether the country emerges as a high-performance logistics hub or continues to lose efficiency to structural bottlenecks it already knows how to fix.