NEW DELHI: Shri Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of Trade and Industry, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution & Textiles, said that logistics has taken centre stage in India's policy-making as it moves towards being a developed country and a leader in global trade. Additionally, he claimed that under the direction of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, express delivery of services had undergone a transformation thanks to creative ideas.

The Minister gave a speech at the ICRIER Announcement of the Report on Express Delivery Services in New Delhi, where he applauded the organisation for a report that aims to enhance the whole logistics system by working with business and the government. He claimed that ICRIER serves as a link between the executive branch and business. He continued by saying that the roadmap for the report's recommendations must be developed in collaboration with experts in the field.

The Minister remarked that despite difficulties such inventory buildup, high raw material costs, freight issues, and the COVID-19 pandemic's impact, the growth in overall exports over the previous two years is impressive. He claimed that the government is actively trying to shift people's perspectives away from the past and away from living in the past's hesitations. The overall exports from India are anticipated to be over US$ 765 billion in 2022–2023 as a result of these initiatives, he claimed.

According to the minister, the government is working to expand digital connectivity throughout the entire nation, with 4G and broadband internet being available practically everywhere. He noted that by enabling work from home, India was able to deliver services on time throughout the COVID period because to the smooth digital connectivity. He claimed that in order to ensure on-time delivery of goods, the logistics industry must replicate this speedy delivery of services through a vast digital network built over the previous 8 years.

Fast Delivery Services, according to him, has not yet realised the enormous potential that India possesses. The Minister stated that in order to reduce the cost of logistics, scale, efficiency, and technological building blocks must be used. Dedicated freight lanes, the Unified Logistics Interface Platform, and a large infrastructure development programme under PM GatiShakti, according to him, are all efforts the government is doing in this direction.

He emphasised that the message that India is prepared to conduct business with its transparent and rule-based ecosystem and its highly skilled and dedicated human resource was sent out when the Prime Minister remarked that India can be the trusted partner to the globe at the G20 Summit. According to the minister, our commerce will benefit from talent, transparency, and trust.

He claimed that the world is looking up to India with hope and trust that the nation can deliver because of the Prime Minister's big and ambitious vision for the country. He recognised the important role that young people play in the startup industry and urged them to dream big and endeavour to make India a developed nation.

The Minister said that during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Prime Minister's creative measures, such as shipping empty containers by air and liquid medical oxygen by railroads, significantly sped up delivery times and helped save many lives. He underlined the significance of speed in deciding India's success and urged for fresher concepts and methods of operation in the interest of the nation as a whole.