The Union Minister of Commerce and Industry and Civil Aviation, Dr Suresh Prabhu, said recently that the new Integrated Logistics and Air Cargo Policy would be announced “very soon”, in which every minute detail pertaining to logistics and cargo would be addressed to the best of the satisfaction of all stakeholders.
Without specifying a timeframe for the announcement of the proposed policy, the Minister emphasised that with the Integrated Logistics and Air Cargo Policy in place, solutions to critical issues relating to agriculture and manufacturing output and their supplies, including exports, would be addressed, though the possibility of making improvements in the policy would still exist in future.
Inaugurating the 4th PHD Air Cargo Summit-2018 in Delhi, Dr Prabhu explained that a specific department of logistics has been created in the Department of Commerce, which is finalising the nitty-gritty of logistics dimensions and air cargo movement, with the necessary consultation process.
The government is of the view that the basic objective on which the logistics and air cargo policy is being put in place is based on the premise that it is the context that is important rather than the text, because both logistics and cargo are significant growth sectors. The policymakers are adhering to this objective, so that following the announcement of the policy, the projected growth in agriculture, manufacturing, etc. can be serviced by a growing air cargo sector with an affordable tariff structure, it was pointed out.
