Industry Leaders Back AP’s East Coast Logistics Vision
"The future belongs to logistics. Rural India must be a part of this transformation," Naidu said at a roundtable discussion with 14 industry leaders on Tuesday.
Visakhapatnam:Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has announced plans to transform the state into India's premier logistics hub on the East Coast.
"The future belongs to logistics. Rural India must be a part of this transformation," Naidu said at a roundtable discussion with 14 industry leaders on Tuesday.
The CM cited the state's advantages, noting, "On the East Coast, there is no real substitute. That is our advantage. We are clear about making this our top priority."
"While Gujarat and Maharashtra have already established strong service ecosystems on the West Coast, Andhra Pradesh is strategically positioned to lead the show on the East Coast," he stated.
One of the proposals includes allocating 200 to 300 acres for manufacturing terminal equipment such as quay cranes and gantry cranes, sectors that are currently dominated by Chinese manufacturers.
Industry leaders highlighted Visakhapatnam's potential as a gateway for East Asian and Bangladesh cargo. Currently, cargo from China and the Far East bypasses Vizag due to its slower rail connectivity to Delhi. It takes two days longer than the West Coast routes.
Another idea is aligning rail freight rates by resolving policy restrictions that currently prevent Bangladesh cargo’s transshipment through Vizag.
The Logistics Sector Skill Council has proposed establishing a logistics university to integrate vocational training with academic programmes.
Key infrastructure proposals are the integrated air-sea logistics hub with a 6-hour multimodal connectivity, the Marina Network for the development of marinas along the Andhra coastline to boost tourism and small-craft trade, green transportation regarding the Investment in LNG-powered and electric vehicles and air cargo revival with urgent restoration of air cargo facilities at the Vizag airport.
The Adani Ports is committed to investing in state-of-the-art port infrastructure, while Essar Group cited plans for re-investment in the state's port infrastructure.
