Guwahati: Union Commerce and Business Minister Piyush Goyal have asked the industry to collaborate with the government to reduce logistics costs from 12–14 percent to 7-8 percent, as is the case in industrialised nations.

Yesterday, the Government of India held the first-ever National Logistics Excellence Awards in New Delhi. There were 12 award categories.

The National Logistics Excellence Awards seek to recognise the numerous logistics service providers around the country that have demonstrated innovation, diversity, and efficiency.

The minister stressed that the increase in infrastructure expenditure from Rs. 2.5 lakh crore to Rs. 7.5 lakh crore, as well as Gati Shakti, will assist the logistics sector the most, with investments in roads, highways, ports, airports, and multi-modal terminals, among other things.

Goyal praised the logistics industry for its contribution during the Covid-19 epidemic. He stated that the robust and efficient supply chains created by logistics operators assisted India in overcoming the hurdles of the COVID-19 epidemic and supported the boom in trade observed over the previous two years.

The minister also requested that the sector include start-ups in order to become more transparent and efficient. Given the importance of MSMEs in the logistics sector, he believes a distinct category of awards should be formed in the future.

Recognizing the logistics industry's brilliance, Shri Anurag Jain, Secretary of the DPIIT, stated that GatiShakti and Atmanirbhar Bharat, supported by many of the country's MSME and Startups, make the logistics sector critical to India's economic objectives.

In addition to the Logistics Ease Across Different States (LEADS) report, which recognises the efforts of state governments, the Logistics Achievement Awards will continue to be an annual event in India that recognises excellence in logistics alongside the private sector.