(PTI)
Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Thursday said the US administration’s reciprocal tariff policy has created an opportunity before India to increase its exports across the world.
He also said the government was trying to reduce the logistics costs by strengthening the country’s infrastructure so that it can compete with countries like China in the export market.
Gadkari inspected the ongoing construction work of the Rs 1,200 crore Multimodal Logistics Park project in Pithampur industrial area, about 30 km from Indore.
Later addressing a programme, the Road Transport and Highways Minister said, “You know what kind of things are being said in the world today. Due to the kind of tariffs imposed by the US, we now have many opportunities and we can increase our exports to countries around the world in the coming time.” He underlined that logistics cost in India was in the range of 14 to 16 per cent, while in China it was eight per cent and in the US and European countries it was 12 per cent.
“Logistics cost in India is about eight per cent more than in China, due to which we are not able to become competitive on the export front,” Gadkari said.
Logistics parks, multimodal logistics parks and other facilities were being developed across the country to bring down the logistics costs, he added.
According to the minister, the construction work of the first phase of the multimodal logistics park spread over 255 acres in Pithampur is expected to be completed in one-and-a-half to two years.
This park will boost import-export in the Malwa-Nimar region of western Madhya Pradesh, reduce logistics costs and lead to economic progress.
The minister underlined that 40 per cent of the country’s organic production takes place in Madhya Pradesh with Malwa-Nimar region alone having 75 per cent share in the total organic production of the state.
Gadkari also laid the foundation for the work of “railway siding” in the Multimodal Logistics Park of Pithampur. Through this, the park will be connected to Saugor railway station located about seven kilometres away.
Through this railway line, the produce of the farmers of Malwa-Nimar region will be able to reach Jawaharlal Nehru Port in Mumbai as well as Kandla and Mundra ports in Gujarat in less cost and shorter time.
He said that after taking necessary permissions from the government, such arrangements will also be made so that containers can be thoroughly checked in the Multimodal Logistics Park in Pithampur and they can be directly transported to the ports through the railway line and loaded on ships.
“It is like Mumbai’s sea coming to Pithampur,” he said.
He also said that there were possibilities of transporting goods by building waterways on the Narmada river and other big rivers in Madhya Pradesh, which will boost the economic activity in the state.
