Commerce Ministry developing National Logistics Portal

A National Logistics Portal is being developed to ensure ease of trading in the international and domestic markets, as India eyes lowering logistics cost from14 per cent of GDP to less than 10 per cent by 2022, the Commerce Ministry said today.

The portal will link all the stakeholders of export-import, domestic trade and all trade activities on a single platform.

"The portal will be implemented in phases and will fulfil the commitment of the Government of India to enhance trade competitiveness, create jobs, boost India's performance in global rankings and pave the way for India to become a logistics hub," the ministry said in a statement.

In this year's budget speech,Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had announced that the Department of Commerce will create a portal which will be a single window online marketplace for trade. It will connect business, create opportunities and bring together various ministries, departments and the private sector.

Stakeholders like traders, manufacturers, logistics service providers, infrastructure providers, financial services, government departments and groups and associations will all be on one platform.

"India's logisticssector is highly defragmented and the aim is to reduce the logistics cost from the present 14 per cent of GDP to less than 10 per cent by 2022, the statement said.

The country's logistics sector is very complex with more than 20 government agencies, 40partnering government agencies (PGAs), 37 export promotion councils, 500 certifications, 10,000 commodities and USD 160 billion market size.

It also involves12 million employment base, 200 shipping agencies, 36logisticsservices, 50 IT ecosystems and banks and insurance agencies. Further,81 authorities and 500certificatesare required for EXIM.

As per the Economic Survey 2017-18, the Indian logistics sector provides livelihood to more than 22 million people and improving the sector will facilitate 10 per cent decrease in indirect logistics cost leading to the growth of 5 to 8 per cent in exports.

Further, the Survey estimates that the worth of Indian logistics market would be around USD 215 billion in next two years compared to about USD 160 billion currently.