CARGOCONNECT-APRIL2026 - Flipbook - Page 29
COVER STORY
INFRASTRUCTURE IMPERATIVE
consignment intelligence, where local movement restrictions such as no-entry timings
and weather conditions including fog and
rain must increasingly be integrated into
near-accurate arrival prediction frameworks.”
Highlighting the next evolution of
automation-led coordination across logistics
networks, he further notes, “While Generative
AI helps organisations interpret logistics data
more e昀昀ectively, Agentic AI enables supply
chain systems to act on that intelligence
independently through prede昀椀ned rules and
mapped alternatives, allowing delays to be
identi昀椀ed and resolved without waiting for
manual intervention.”
Patodi also emphasises the importance
of distributed ledger technologies in reducing documentation-cycle variability across
multi-stakeholder logistics environments,
explaining that “Blockchain-based execution
environments create immutable transaction
visibility across shippers, transporters, customs
authorities, and 昀椀nancial institutions, while
smart contracts can automatically trigger
invoicing linked to delivery confirmation
at warehouses, significantly reducing the
traditional 15–30-day delay associated with
documentation submission and billing cycles.”
ACCELERATING MODAL
DIVERSIFICATION THROUGH
INFRASTRUCTURE
READINESS
In the present context, India’s logistics sector
continues to move steadily toward multimodal maturity, supported by infrastructure
modernisation programmes, investments in
highways, industrial and freight corridors,
inland waterways, and aviation cargo. At the
same time, logistics cost as a percentage of
GDP (estimated historically in the low-to-mid
teens) continues to re昀氀ect the operational con-
Integrated digital systems
between customs and
transporters will expedite
clearances.
Logistics cost reduction to
single digits will align India
with advanced economies.
sequences of transit-time variability, approval
complexity, documentation fragmentation, and
uneven modal integration. As infrastructure
capacity expands, the strategic priority is
increasingly shifting toward enabling modal
diversi昀椀cation through predictability, digitisation, and interoperability.
Gupta righty observes, “A key national
objective remains the reduction of logistics costs
as a percentage of GDP to levels comparable
with global benchmarks. Achieving this goal will
require sustained investment in infrastructure,
continued improvements in domestic taxation frameworks and further simpli昀椀cation of
customs processes. Encouragingly, progress is
already visible across these areas.”
A de昀椀ning structural insight emerging
from industry leaders is that modal diversi昀椀cation is not constrained by intent, but instead
by reliability. As Yadav articulates clearly,
“Modal shift happens when reliability becomes
guaranteed, not promised. This principle
sits at the core of India’s transition toward a
balanced multimodal logistics architecture.”
From a heavy-haul cargo movement perspective, one of the most immediate enablers
of modal diversi昀椀cation lies in standardising
clearance frameworks. According to Sharad,
the introduction of a uni昀椀ed national clearance environment could signi昀椀cantly reduce
variability across large-cargo corridors. He
underscores the importance of “a single national
ODC portal integrated with state approvals,
pre-approved heavy-haul corridors, realtime bridge load databases, and digital route
simulation with auto-clearance for standard
loads,” noting that such reforms could reduce
permit timelines from 7–15 days to 48–72
hours while eliminating idle trailer costs and
improving planning accuracy across project
cargo networks. “In operational terms, this
would be the single biggest reducer of transit
variability,” he emphasises.
Regional airports
can significantly
accelerate MSME
growth, especially
as tier III and IV
cities increasingly
drive India’s new
online shopper base
and e-commerce
volumes. Strengthening these airports
with dedicated cargo
terminals, improved
freighter connectivity, and digitised
customs systems
can substantially
reduce logistics
time and costs for
MSMEs.
SANJIV EDWARD
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
– CARGO AND LOGISTICS,
GMR GROUP
CARGOCONNECT APRIL 2026 | 29
