Charting Air Cargo’s Role in India’s Path to a Viksit Bharat

Charting Air Cargo’s Role in India’s Path to a Viksit Bharat

India’s Vision 2047 presents a pivotal opportunity to reposition airfreight as a strategic pillar in the country’s economic transformation. With the goal of achieving developed economy status by the centenary of its independence, India must move beyond fragmented logistics planning and place airfreight at the forefront of its national infrastructure and trade policy agenda.

To realise the vision of a Viksit Bharat, three structural gaps must be urgently addressed: the misalignment between port and airfreight infrastructure; the lack of integrated rail–air corridors capable of supporting time-sensitive trade; and the absence of a coherent national cargo strategy. Each of these is essential to future-proofing India’s logistics landscape and enabling trade competitiveness by 2047.

Port-led growth and hinterland connectivity

Unmesh Wagh, Chairman of Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA), emphasises the importance of multimodal infrastructure in accelerating economic growth. “Our focus has shifted from ports as standalone assets to ports as multimodal logistics nodes. JNPA’s dry ports are now being aligned with inland air cargo stations, especially in Maharashtra and Gujarat,” he noted.

The Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC) plays a vital role in this transformation, reducing transit times and costs by 25 to 30 percent and extending JNPA’s cargo influence further inland. Similarly, Sushil Kumar Singh, Chairman of Deendayal Port Authority (DPA), highlights ongoing efforts to connect port logistics with regional airports in Kandla and Bhuj. “We see coastal cargo as the bridge between hinterland manufacturing and air export nodes. Our SEZ planning now includes cargo consolidation points with temperature-controlled storage,” he explained.

Air cargo’s structural role

India’s merchandise trade is projected to reach US$2 trillion by 2047, with airfreight playing a disproportionately large role in high-value sectors such as electronics, aerospace components, precision engineering, and pharmaceuticals. As Dr Sudhir Kohakade, Deputy Director General (Shipping), observes, “We need to rethink air cargo not as auxiliary to maritime and rail, but as a critical pillar that enables time-definite trade within regional value chains.”

Although the National Logistics Policy and the PM Gati Shakti programme are ambitious, they currently lack airfreight-specific key performance indicators. Dr Kohakade stresses the need for airfreight terminals to be integrated into logistics park planning, supported by customs automation, green corridors, and co-located DGFT export facilitation centres.

The Vande Bharat Vision

According to Dr Sudhanshu Mani, the architect of India’s Vande Bharat high-speed rail initiative, speed in logistics must be viewed holistically. “Speed is not just about faster trains or flights—it’s about reducing friction at every nodal point. If rail can deliver cargo from Kanpur to Delhi in four hours and air can get it to Frankfurt in ten, the real bottleneck is the twelve hours lost in customs, warehousing, and last-mile inefficiencies.” He advocates for real-time intermodal dashboards and the creation of a National Logistics Regulatory Authority.

Digitally connected Bharat

Turgut Erkeskin, President of FIATA, positions India’s logistics reforms within a global framework. He argues that India must convert its intent into regulatory predictability to inspire global confidence. A fragmented airfreight regulatory environment undermines trade facilitation. He encourages India’s active participation in international harmonisation efforts for digital freight documentation and carbon accounting in airfreight. “A Viksit Bharat must also be a Digitally Connected Bharat,” he noted.

The path ahead

As India targets a US$5 trillion economy by the end of this decade and developed nation status by 2047, airfreight must shift from being a transactional service to a strategic enabler. A National Air Cargo Master Plan is needed to support freighter incentives, cold chain investment, and drone corridors for the last mile. Equally crucial is the development of a seamless customs ecosystem, utilising blockchain and AI to reduce processing times by at least 40 percent across gateway airports.

The Unified Logistics Interface Platform (ULIP), while promising, must evolve beyond visibility to deliver enforceable service level guarantees. To meet the ambition of Vision 2047, airfreight must be embedded as a core element of India’s trade competitiveness, digital sovereignty, and logistics resilience.

Picture of Ajinkya Gurav

Ajinkya Gurav

With a passion for aviation, Ajinkya Gurav graduated from De Montford University with a Master’s degree in Air Transport Management. Over the past decade, he has written insightful analysis and captivating coverage around passenger and cargo operations. Gurav joined Air Cargo Week as its Regional Representative in 2024. Got news or comment to share? Contact ajinkya.gurav@aircargoweek.com

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