IFCCI organise roundtable meeting with Dr. Surendra Ahirwar, Joint Secretary

NEW DELHI : Indo-French Chamber of Commerce & Industry (IFCCI) organized an interactive roundtable meeting with Dr. Surendra Ahirwar, Joint Secretary (Logistics & Trade), Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Govt. of India, on 22nd February 2024.

To strengthen Indo-French trade and investment relations, IFCCI Committees are focussing largely on creating meaningful advocacy dialogues with the Government of India. This meeting offered a platform to its members in the Logistics and Supply Chain industry to share their concerns and challenges faced with respect to their operations in India.
 
Ms. Payal S. Kanwar, Director General, IFCCI apprised Dr. Surendra Ahirwar about IFCCI, its activities and acknowledged the policy initiatives undertaken by the Govt. of India, namely the National Logistics Policy and the PM Gati Shakti Master Plan, that have improved the country’s logistics ecosystem.

Capt. Ram Iyer, Chairperson, IFCCI Logistics & Supply Chain Committee & Vice President, Seahorse Shipping Agencies, while setting the context for the Meeting, shared the purpose of this meeting and thanked Dr. Ahirwar for his presence.

Members shared their concerns and sought recommendations in the following areas:
– improvements in vessel window management at ports to avoid delays
– development of Multi Modal Parks
– regulatory support to facilitate smoother freight operations
– need for a sustainable transportation and to reduce carbon footprint in logistics and make rail freight competitive; increase LNG, CNG, and electric vehicle stations to promote cleaner energy
– streamlining import-export processes to reduce bureaucratic hurdles
– unifying import-export documentation and digitization being the need of the hour

Dr. Surendra Ahirwar specified the vision and the thrust areas of the National Logistics Policy and reiterated government’s commitment to enhance country’s trade competitiveness by addressing inefficiencies, embracing appropriate technologies, and ensuring efficient planning. He also talked about the importance of harmonization between all the modes of transportation for better connectivity and efficiency in this sector. He addressed the specific queries raised by the companies and assured them of the government’s efforts in addressing those challenges.