Strengthen research, preparedness for bilateral negotiations: MoCA to Indian air cargo
Piyush Srivastava, Senior Economic Advisor, Ministry of Civil Aviation, urged the Indian air cargo industry and associations to be better prepared for bilateral negotiations during the Air Cargo Forum India (ACFI) Annual Conclave 2025 in New Delhi today (July 11, 2025).
“Many don’t realise that bilateral agreements can be make-or-break deals in the times to come,” he cautioned.
He stressed that India often finds itself on the back foot during these negotiations.
“When sitting across the table with another country, they come very well prepared,” he noted.
Highlighting the disparity in approach, he added, “They know exactly what they want. We, on the other hand, often only respond to their asks—we are not always fully equipped with a clear counter-ask or an understanding of how much we should concede.”
Srivastava called for stronger institutional capacity within the industry to deal with such high-stakes negotiations.
“Strengthen your research units. Let’s not fall short in our preparedness, especially in this critical area that could potentially undo all the good work we are doing on investment and infrastructure,” he said.
Sharing an update on cargo processing performance, Dheeraj Ratogi, Chief Commissioner, Delhi Customs, said there has been measurable progress in clearance times.
“On average, cargo used to get cleared in about 72 hours,” he said. “But last year’s study by Customs showed an average clearance time of 45 hours, which came down to 39 hours this year at the all-India level.”
Zooming in on Delhi’s performance, he added, “In Delhi Customs air cargo, the average was around 41–45 hours last year, and it has improved to 35 hours this year. Out of this, about 52% of the cargo gets cleared on the same day.”
On the global front, Glyn Hughes, Director General, The International Air Cargo Association (TIACA), drew attention to the broader socioeconomic impact of logistics.
“Since the early 90s, 1.2 billion people have been raised out of extreme poverty globally, thanks to the success of the global economy, fueled by the great men and women in the logistics industry,” he said.
Underscoring the stakes involved, Hughes warned, “We cannot afford to risk the winding back of the success of the global economy.”
In a significant step towards greater collaboration, ACFI and TIACA signed an MoU to work together on association and industry levels for the joint development of air cargo regionally, with shared commitments on sustainability, training, and resources.
Sanjiv Edward, President, Air Cargo Forum India (ACFI), added a forward-looking perspective to the conversation, emphasising India’s pivotal role in the global landscape.
“India is at the forefront of the global transformation and disruption,” he said.
Framing the challenge ahead, he posed, “How will India not just adapt to the global shifts but lead the way? That's a question we want to answer at the end of the ACFI annual conclave.”
Edward also highlighted Delhi’s emerging position as a transhipment hub.
“Delhi has become a transhipment hub, with more than 10% of the cargo being transhipped, whereas the rest of the country is less than 5%,” he pointed out.
He concluded with optimism about the future.
“We are working closely with the government for transhipment to become easier, and that will also transform the tonnage that we handle. Also contribute to adding to the 10 million tonnes ambition. And the day is not far when we will be looking at simplified transhipment as well.”
