Multimodal Logistics Parks to Increase India’s Logistics Competitiveness
7 August 2017
India's Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) and State Governments plan to develop a network of 35 multimodal logistics parks (MMLPs) across the country over the next ten years to support the Government's aim of bringing down logistics cost, and increasing the country's manufacturing competitiveness.
The MMLPs—a complement to planned economic corridors to be developed throughout India—will help India transition from a "point-to-point" model to a "hub-and-spoke" model. They aim to serve as centers for freight aggregation and distribution, multimodal transportation, storage and warehousing, and value added services, including Customs services with bonded storage yards.
The MMLPs will be strategically located throughout India and consider rail and road connectivity, as well as inland waterway connectivity to ports, to decongest the cities and reduce pollution in the country. Proposed locations include Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Assam, Mizoram, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, and Haryana. Feasibility studies for proposed MMLPs have been conducted in at least six locations, including Karnataka, which the Asian Development Bank presented at a logistics workshop in Bengalaru, India on 28 August 2017.
In July, MoRTH reviewed the progress of setting up the MMLPs, and invited feedback from stakeholders on the draft policy for development of MMLPs.
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