CARGOCONNECT-OCTOBER2024 - Flipbook - Page 8
FRONTLINE
NARENDRA MODI
Prime Minister of India
PIYUSH GOYAL
Union Minister for Commerce
and Industry, Consumer Affairs,
Food and Public Distribution
and Textiles
The planned expenditure for the Vadhavan Port
is set to exceed `76,000 crores, making it the
largest container port in India. Additionally, it will
rank among the most significant ports globally in
terms of depth. The port’s capacity will surpass the
combined container throughput of all existing
ports in the country. This underscores the port’s
potential to become a major hub for trade and
industrial development both in Maharashtra and
nationwide. The government plans to enhance
connectivity by integrating the Vadhavan Port with
rail and highway networks. This development is
expected to stimulate the growth of new
businesses, accelerate warehousing activities, and
leverage its strategic location near the Western
Dedicated Freight Corridor and the DelhiMumbai Expressway.
The India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor
(IMEC) is an important initiative that can add to India’s
maritime security and faster movement of goods between
Europe and Asia. IMEC was launched during India’s G20
presidency and aims to integrate India, Europe, and the
Middle East through the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Israel,
and the European Union. Lower logistics costs, faster
connectivity, and secure movement of goods are
dependent on better cooperation in this area. Initiatives
like the PLI scheme, the Centre’s efforts towards Ease of
Doing Business, and economic partnerships have boosted
India’s manufacturing growth story. A nation’s efforts to
promote agri-value chains can support the initiatives
between India and Mediterranean countries.
Secretary, Ministry of
Electronics and Information
Technology (MeitY)
Union Minister for Road
Transport and Highways
SARBANANDA
SONOWAL
Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA) will scale
up its container handling capacity to 10 million TEU by
April next year. Jawaharlal Nehru Port has become the
first 100% landlord port in the country and accordingly,
we are aiming for bigger and bigger ships at this
facility. The port has developed quality infrastructure
and is working to become an eco-friendly one. The
upcoming Vadhavan Port in Maharashtra’s Palghar is
attracting significant global interest and would create
12 lakh jobs once operational. So far, we have
completed 230 projects under the Sagarmala Project
and have 220 more in various stages of implementation. So this is how we are progressing.
Union Minister of Ports, Shipping
and Waterways and AYUSH
India is positioning itself to become a global air cargo
hub by improving connectivity, reducing turnaround
times, and investing in modern cargo terminals. Cargo
handled in India has increased from 2.47 million tonnes
in 2020-21 to an expected 3.36 million tonnes in
2023-24. The country had 74 airports in 2014, a number
that has now increased to over 157. Recognising the
potential of air cargo, we have embarked on developing
dedicated freight corridors, implementing digital
processes such as airway bills, and investing in
state-of-the-art cargo terminals. India’s geographical
location offers significant advantages for establishing
itself as a hub for aircraft production and export. We aim
RAM MOHAN NAIDU to develop a complete ecosystem where India can
design, manufacture, and export its own aircraft.
KINJARAPU
Union Minister of Civil Aviation
S KRISHNAN
NITIN GADKARI
We plan to build 74 new tunnels stretching
273 km at a cost of `100,000 crore over the next
few years. The government has already completed
35 tunnels spanning 49 kilometres at the cost of
`15,000 crore while 69 additional tunnels covering
134 kilometres are under construction and would
cost around `40,000 crore. We need to find out
exactly which is the best technology that is
cost-effective without compromising on quality.
Precast technology and push-back techniques can
address recurring issues like landslides. There is
also a need for a holistic evaluation of projects
from the initial Detailed Project Report (DPR) stage
to implementation. This approach would help
achieve perfection in execution, optimal use of
technology, and quality assurance while
minimising capital investment.
NITI Aayog recently released a report titled
“Electronics: Powering India’s Participation in Global Value
Chains”. So, what NITI Aayog says is that we have to
increase the production of electronic components in India.
We fully support that and what they are basically
advocating for, is that electronics in any case are a global
value chain, no one country dominates the entire supply of
course. In that report, we worked very closely with leading
retailers. So, this is the position as far as the electronics
sector is concerned, and in India’s case, today, we are at
about 18 to 20% of the valuation that we wanted to reach.
We have to target certain kinds of companies and make
sure that they manufacture in India. Currently, we are in
the process of launching the AI mission. We have to do the
procurement of GPUs, and it is in the process.
8 | CARGOCONNECT OCTOBER 2024
ASHWINI
VAISHNAW
The government will launch a new scheme to help
set up a sustainable electronics component ecosystem
in India. We are preparing a programme where the
component ecosystem can expand in India in the same
way as electronics and mobile manufacturing has
expanded. We are looking at a complete ecosystem and
not just the fab. We are looking at design, fab, ATMP
(assembly, testing, marking and packaging), creating
the talent pool and making sure the entire supply
ecosystem comes to India. More than 99% of all mobile
phones used in the country are being made in India. The
value of electronics manufacturing in India had
increased to US$105 billion as of 2022-23, up from
US$29 billion in 2013-14. This year, Apple will be
manufacturing its latest model in India.
Union Minister for Railways,
Communications, and IT
RAMPRAVEEN
SWAMINATHAN
Managing Director and CEO,
Mahindra Logistics
The logistics sector is at a pivotal juncture, with a
significant opportunity to reduce carbon emissions,
especially in last-mile operations. India’s target of
achieving 100% emissions-free last-mile logistics by
2030 represents a transformative shift for the industry
and the environment. Aligned with this vision, at
Mahindra Logistics, we are proud to be at the forefront
of this green transition, operating the largest electric
vehicle fleet in last-mile delivery. As part of our Green
Logistics ecosystem – Edel, we have deployed over
1,600 EVs across more than 20 cities along with 70+
charging infrastructures in the last-mile delivery
segment. Furthermore, as part of our commitment to
sustainability, we are investing `360 million in
additional EVs and charging infrastructure.
