Ready for take-off

There is a definite upbeat feeling in the Indian cargo and logistics industry. With the Government focussing on the need of more cargo terminals and improved infrastructure, Indian logistics industry has much reason to hope for better days ahead.

For the first time, the aviation ministry has received an invitation from a state government to visit and resolve its problems of civil aviation. The Madhya Pradesh state government has identified the need of exclusive cargo terminals at Indore and Bhopal to make the transportation of perishable products easier. With these initiatives, one can expect that other states will also follow suit to improve their own infrastructure, and understand the need and advantage of increasing cargo capacity.

The Government has also asked Central Warehousing Corporation (CWC) to set up Air Freight Stations (AFS) in 10 busy cargo traffic cities to decongest the existing air cargo terminals. In fact, understanding the fact that this is a capital intensive project, it has offered the CWC to remodel the existing Container Freight Stations (CFS) to AFS on pilot basis.

On the other hand, besides improving connectivity, setting up new cargo terminals, opening up trade is as important as a task. The recent visit of China’s President Xi Jinping to India has signalled opeing the flood-gates to many business opportunities to the nation.

With the current resurgence in e-commerce industry and hopes of GST implementation by next financial year, the industry is getting ready for a revolution in the country. And on these lines, we need more investment to shore up the state of our ever-nascent logistics and cargo industry to a respectable one which befits a country of billion and more.