Govt aims to cut logistics cost to 9% by 2026, says Gadkari

Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari on Wednesday said the government is working to bring down the country’s logistics cost to a single digit — around 9 per cent — by December 2026.

Speaking after inaugurating India’s first commercial electric truck battery swapping and charging station at the Delhi International Cargo Terminal (DICT) in Panchi Gujran village, Sonepat, Gadkari said this milestone initiative marks a new chapter in India’s green transport revolution.

Union Heavy Industries and Steel Minister HD Kumaraswamy, Haryana BJP chief Mohan Lal Badoli, MLAs Nikhil Madaan and Devender Kadyan, Mayor Rajiv Jain, Narender Murukumbi, Managing Director of Energy and Motion Group, and Dhruv Kotak, Managing Director of JM Bakshi Group, were also present.

Calling the initiative “historic”, Gadkari said, “About Rs 25 lakh crore of India’s money is spent annually on fuel imports, which directly increases logistics costs.” He said India’s logistics cost currently stands at 16 per cent, compared to 8 per cent in China and 12 per cent in European countries and the USA.

“As compared to China, our logistics cost is double. Reducing it is one of the most important challenges for the Indian economy, trade and business,” he said.

The minister said the government is focusing on alternative fuels such as biofuels to cut costs and reduce dependence on imported energy. “If we save this money by using alternative energy resources, it can be used for the nation’s development. This will help us move swiftly towards a developed India,” he said.

Highlighting recent policy steps, he said the government has allowed ethanol production from maize, which has doubled maize prices from Rs 1,200 to Rs 2,800 per quintal.

Gadkari urged industry and citizens to adopt biofuels, solar energy and green technology to make India a “Green Growth Economy”.

Kumaraswamy said the government is committed to achieving the goal of making India a developed nation by 2047, adding, “The future belongs to biofuels, not diesel and petrol.”