Speaking at a session on Opportunity in Infrastructure, Logistics Technology and Equipment in New Delhi this November, the Federal Minister for Road Transport & Highways, Shipping, Water Resources, Nitin Gadkari, said that the federal government is committed to providing transport and logistics infrastructure in the country.
Gadkari noted that the logistics cost in India was higher than China’s. “We are trying to bring this cost down which will make Indian goods more competitive in the international market,” Gadkari said, adding that the government was prioritizing coastal transport and inland waterways which are priced comparatively lower than road or rail tariffs.
The Press Information Bureau quoted Gadkari who recounted:
- Construction work for Logistics Parks in Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Vijayawada, Surat and Guwahati has begun.
- Construction of National Highways has gathered considerable momentum. Three years ago the country had just 59,652 miles of highways, but this has now grown to nearly 105,633 miles, and will soon reach a length of 124,274 miles.
- 44 Economic Corridors and 24 Multi Modal Logistics Parks have been planned under the Government’s flagship program Bharatmala. These will facilitate faster movement of farm produce to food processing centers and to markets. 14 Coastal Economic Zones to help fishermen and the fishing industry have been planned under the Sagarmala program. Two mega food processing parks for processing, grading and packaging of fish will also be developed.
- 111 waterways are being developed as National Waterways. The rivers Ganga, Brahmaputra, and Barak are already under development. Water transport will reduce logistics costs.
- The efficiency of the 12 major ports has been growing rapidly, and they have been making profits consistently over the last three years. Dry ports are being developed at Jalna, Vidarbha and Nashik to begin with. The availability of ports will give a boost to movement of goods.
Last updated: December 26th, 2025
