NEW DELHI:  Union Minister Piyush Goyal urged the commerce sector to cooperate with the government on Thursday to reduce the cost of logistics from 12–14% to 7-8%, as it is in developed nations.

The Indian government held the first-ever National Logistics Excellence Awards in New Delhi. The awards were presented in 12 categories by Piyush Goyal and Som Parkash Sharma, the minister of state for commerce and industry.

The National Logistics Excellence Awards are intended to honour the numerous logistics service providers in the nation that have demonstrated innovation, diversity, and effectiveness.

The Ministry of Commerce and Industries completed a year-long process of locating, classifying, and choosing suitable submissions for its first edition, which had 169 entries and 12 categories for awards. To make the final decisions, a National Jury of 9 senior dignitaries and an Expert Screening Committee comprising 18 various experts were assembled.

The minister stressed that the increase in infrastructure spending from Rs 2.5 lakh crore to Rs 7.5 lakh crore under Gati Shakti will primarily benefit the logistics industry through investments in ports, airports, multi-modal terminals, and other infrastructure. The minister added, GatiShakti will support in effective planning and implementation, ensuring that there are no last-mile connectivity-related issues. He further disclosed that the government is seriously considering promoting the production of containers and shipbuilding.

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