Mumbai, 17 December 2021

 

A National Conference on “Investment Opportunities in Highways, Transport and Logistics” has been held in Mumbai today, December 17, 2021, under the chairpersonship of Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Shri Nitin Gadkari. The conference highlighted investment opportunities in highways, transport and logistics sector, focusing on three central themes, namely the Bharatmala Pariyojana, Asset Monetization and Vehicle Scrapping Policy.

35 Multi Modal Logistics Parks at Strategic Locations to enable Seamless Freight Movement across Multiple Modes

The Union Minister informed investors and other stakeholders that the setting up of Multi Modal Logistics Parks (MMLPs) at strategic locations in the country will bring down India’s logistics costs and help boost the national economy. “This will reduce our imports, increase our exports and thus help us realize the Prime Minister’s vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat.”

The Government has decided to set up as many as 35 Multi Modal Logistics Parks, at carefully chosen locations, at a total capital cost of Rs. 50,000 crore. The MMLPs have been conceptualized to enable seamless intermodal freight movement and offer multiple functionalities such as freight aggregation and distribution. Storage and warehousing solutions and value-added services such as custom clearances and IT services will also be provided to users.

The parks will enable the shift from a point-to-point to a hub-and-spoke model in logistics sector, eventually helping us bring down logistics costs by at least half and enabling more efficient movement of new-generation vehicles.

The Model Concession Agreement for MMLPs has been finalized and all MMLPs will be developed as part of the Design, Build Finance, Operate and Transfer (DBFOT) model.

The Union Road Transport Secretary explained that the Parks are being set up, based on a very detailed Logistics Efficiency Plan which was drawn out when the government came in power. The aim is to make Indian logistics system comparable to the best in the world. The series of MMLPs will provide efficient trans-shipment and processing facilities; we have not left any loose ends, a comprehensive plan has been made to address all segments of the logistics sector, the Secretary assured the investor community.

Addressing the conference virtually, Industries Minister of Maharashtra Shri Subhash Desai said that Maharashtra will not leave a single stone unturned for implementation of Multi Modal Logistics Parks Scheme. “Maharashtra has taken up infrastructure projects worth lakhs of crores for enhancing connectivity through air, sea, road or whatever other mode we need. All projects are near completion. The flagship 700-km-long Samruddhi Expressway to connect state capital Mumbai with our second capital and industrial and commercial hub Nagpur is being built.  Within a few months, it will be open for public use.”

Chairperson, NHAI, Ms. Alka Upadhyay explained that NHAI has set up a fully owned Special Purpose Vehicle, National Highways and Logistics Management Limited (NHLML), to improve India’s logistics efficiency and to manage allied highway assets of NHAI. Logistics Parks are under construction in Assam and in Nagpur and Chennai, they will be functional shortly, she informed. It has been informed that the Pre-Project preparation for MMLP is in advanced stages with bids already invited for MMLPs in Nagpur and Chennai. Bids for MMLPs in Bangalore and Indore will be invited in the next 2 – 3 months. MoUs have been signed with JNPT, Chennai Port Trust and the governments of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Telangana have been signed for development of MMLPs.

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PIB Mumbai | 001/DJM/DL/MC/DR

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