NSDC planning to come up with vocational training initiatives to bridge the skill gap in the logistics sector?

The Indian logistics sector is estimated to have grown at a healthy 15% in the last five years. India’s logistics spend in the GDP is 13% (versus 7-8% in developed countries) and the annual logistics cost is valued at 6,750 billion (US$ 135 billion). A comparison with other countries shows inefficiencies are high in the Indian logistics sector. These are due to a lack of proper infrastructure as well as that of skilled manpower in the country. Realising the importance of the logistics sector, which is growing at a fast pace, NSDC commissioned a report to assess the human resource requirement in the sector over the next 10 years. The report suggests that the logistics sector, which also includes transportation, warehousing and packaging, will require 28.4 million skilled people by 2022.

To bridge the skill gaps in the sector, NSDC has tied up with various training providers who are working at the grass root level for this. Handling Equipment, Warehouse Operations, Cranes/ Heavy Equipment, Container Stuffing/De-Stuffing, Port Operations/CFS, Packaging, Trucking Operations and Express Delivery Services (Couriers). LSSC is expected to develop a national level curriculum for these trades, create a labour market information system (LMIS) and and facilitate the establishment of skill centres to meet industry demand. Till date, 34 job roles have been standardised through industry defined National Occupational Standards and more are under way.

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