CARGOCONNECT-JUNE2026 - Flipbook - Page 72
FEATURE Multimodal Agenda
SAMIR J SHAH
PRESIDENT, ACAAI
Clarity is needed on
intramodality transfers and
the rationalisation of liabilities for all stake holders.
Once practices and policy
show synergy, India’s performance on the Logistics
Performance Index will
improve significantly.
in infrastructure. PM Gati Shakti and the NLP have
drastically reduced container dwell times to 2.6 days,
outperforming industrialised nations like the US (7
days) and Germany (10 days).
India’s rank in the International Shipments category jumped to 22nd globally, driven by better coastal
manufacturing hubs and port-led development under
the Sagarmala Project. The Uni昀椀ed Logistics Interface
Platform (ULIP) and Logistics Data Bank (LDB) provide
real-time, cross-modal tracking for 100% of containerised
EXIM cargo. The goal is to reduce logistics costs, aligning
India with global benchmarks.
Shah explains, “While the publicised processes apply
nationwide, the practical application di昀昀ers slightly across
customs stations. Clarity is needed on intramodality
transfers and the rationalisation of liabilities for all
stakeholders. Once practices and policy show synergy,
India’s performance on the Logistics Performance Index
will improve signi昀椀cantly.”
However, relying on one transport mode creates a
72 | CARGOCONNECT JUNE 2026
“single point of failure.” Multimodal shifts signi昀椀cantly
enhance supply chain resilience by reducing dependency
on single, vulnerable routes. As disruptions become the
norm, these shifts act as a built-in contingency plan,
allowing companies to maintain continuity by shifting
freight to alternative modes during unforeseen events like
port congestion, labour shortages, or natural disasters.
“Multimodal gives you alternatives—multiple routes
to your destination instead of one. If road is disrupted,
bulk volumes shift to rail. If rail is tight during peak
season, you 昀氀ex back to road for urgent shipments. The
point isn’t that every shipment goes multimodal every
day. It’s that when something breaks, and it always
does—you have a Plan B,” Reddy stresses, and went on
to add, “From my FMCG experience, I have seen how
even a modest multimodal capability can dramatically
improve service consistency during disruptions. You
still get hit, but you recover faster, and your customers
notice the di昀昀erence.”
According to him, “When MMLPs come online
with integrated warehousing, intermodal facilities,
and critically streamlined digital compliance infrastructure; the calculus could change dramatically.” If excise
documentation can be processed digitally at MMLPs, with
automated veri昀椀cation replacing physical inspections,
then consolidation at scale becomes genuinely viable
for regulated goods. But that requires policy innovation
alongside infrastructure
investment.
Tanna asserts, The future of multi“Location of the freight modal logistics lies in
is critical in multimodal synchromodality, a fully
transportation as most dynamic system where
pick-up locations are not
close to rail terminals the optimal transport
or ports. Therefore, mode is selected in
connectivity could real time based on
get a bit complicated
infrastructure availability,
due to infrastructure
availability issues. Co- cost, disruptions, and
ordination can also get a service requirements.
bit complex as there are
more players involved in the multimodal transport chain.”
He elaborates that any disruption in one single mode of
transportation need not a昀昀ect the entire transport chain.
Multiple transport options ensure continuity instead
of stoppage due to port congestions, driver shortages,
strikes, etc.
Moreover, agility and adaptability are the core of
multimodal logistics as they enhance the supply chain’s
ability to react to sudden shocks by providing 昀氀exible,
alternative routing options. Advanced multimodal
systems leverage technologies like IoT, AI, and digital
tracking to improve real-time visibility and identify
bottlenecks before they impact performance. The
success of multimodal strategies often depends on the
quality of infrastructure like dedicated rail corridors,
e昀케cient port-to-rail transfer points etc. The trend is
increasingly moving toward “synchromodal” strategies
— a fully dynamic, real-time approach to selecting the
best mode combination, further elevating supply chain
responsiveness.
