Balagopal Balachandran, National Head – Air Freight, FEI Cargo said, “As India scales logistics infrastructure under PM Gati Shakti and the National Logistics Policy, the real constraint is no longer asset creation, but asset utilisation. Highways, Dedicated Freight Corridors, ports, and logistics parks are expanding rapidly, yet operational performance continues to lag. Execution on the ground remains the primary bottleneck. Last-mile connectivity gaps, delays in land and utility readiness, fragmented approvals, weak Centre–State coordination, and skill deficits across operations and multimodal handling continue to constrain utilisation. Infrastructure often goes live before the supporting ecosystem is fully in place. Despite sustained investments, multimodal integration remains aspirational. Cargo continues to default to roads, with limited aggregation and underdeveloped multimodal hubs restricting the shift to rail and waterways.
The next phase of India’s logistics reform must move beyond building assets to making them work efficiently. Without a sharp focus on execution, coordination, and skills, the full promise of India’s logistics transformation will remain unrealised.”
