Shantanu Thakur addresses at ‘Gati se Pragati Conclave 2025’
NEW DELHI : PHDCCI organised the ‘Gati se Pragati Conclave 2025‘ at Le Meridien, here. Shri Shantanu Thakur, Minister of State for Ports, Shipping and Waterways, speaking at the Conclave, said that. improved connectivity to remote towns and villages would drive not only economic benefits but also social upliftment. He cited the Chenab Bridge in Jammu and Kashmir as an example of infrastructure fostering regional prosperity.
“Vocal for Local can only succeed with a robust logistics infrastructure,” Thakur added, highlighting the government’s PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan as a tool to cut supply chain bottlenecks and enable local producers to access global markets.
Bhibhu Prasad Tarai, Member of Parliament and Standing Committee on Industry, said seamless integration of water, air and road transport is critical to achieving India’s development goals by 2047. “Our Prime Minister has identified farmers, youth and women as key pillars of inclusive development, and this depends on proper connectivity,” he noted.
Praveen Kumar, Managing Director of Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India (DFCCIL), said over 96 per cent of the Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC) network has been commissioned. He described DFCs as the “spinal cord” of India’s transport system, adding that they will improve high-load capacity and reduce congestion on passenger routes. Kumar urged industry players to leverage DFCCIL’s infrastructure to build sustainable freight mobility solutions.
Pankaj Kumar, Joint Secretary for Logistics at the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), questioned the frequently cited figure of logistics costs amounting to 14 per cent of GDP. He said a DPIIT task force is conducting field research to provide a more accurate estimate, with a data-backed report expected soon.
Surendra Ahirwar, Joint Secretary, EDTC (Rates) at the Ministry of Railways, underlined the role of academic institutions such as Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya in training manpower for a modern logistics sector. He said ongoing dialogues on infrastructure and supply chain management are vital for national progress under the Gati Shakti plan.
Industry leaders called for deeper public-private collaboration, greater investment and technology integration to unlock the sector’s full potential. Rudra Shriram, Chair of PHDCCI’s Defence and HLS Committee and Director at DCM Containers, stressed the need for synchronised infrastructure development and data-driven planning to reduce costs. Manoj Kumar Jain, Co-Chair of PHDCCI’s Logistics Committee and MD of Deep Blue Express, emphasised inclusive hiring and upskilling as key to building a globally competitive logistics ecosystem.