Lalit Seth, Director, Eastern Cargo Carriers said, “India is actively adapting its trade and logistics strategies to remain competitive amid shifting global dynamics through a combination of infrastructure modernisation, corridor diversification, and supportive government policies aimed at boosting exports and reducing logistics costs. Large-scale investments in ports, airports, highways, dedicated freight corridors, and logistics parks are improving efficiency and lowering transit times, while policy initiatives focused on ease of doing business and cost reduction are helping Indian exporters compete globally. In response to the imposition of punitive tariffs under Trump’s trade policies, India strategically diversified its export destinations, expanding engagement with alternative markets such as Australia and New Zealand. This shift has been reinforced by India’s Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreements (CEPAs) with countries including the UAE, Oman, Australia, and New Zealand, along with ongoing trade negotiations with the UK and the EU. These agreements are reshaping export markets by eliminating or significantly reducing tariffs on over 90 percent of tariff lines, thereby enhancing competitiveness in labour-intensive sectors such as textiles, gems and jewellery, pharmaceuticals, and engineering goods. At the same time, strengthening India’s logistics ecosystem has become critical to sustaining this momentum. This requires deeper multimodal integration across road, rail, air, and maritime networks, greater digital standardisation to enable seamless data exchange, and the development of diversified trade corridors to mitigate risks arising from rising trade barriers and fragmented global alliances. The addition of new airports and seaports, alongside modernised existing infrastructure, will further support resilient, efficient, and future-ready logistics networks capable of sustaining India’s expanding global trade footprint.”
