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PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry, today at its headquarters in New Delhi, organized a 9th PHD GLOBAL AVIATION & AIR CARGO SUMMIT, with the theme “Scaling New Horizons –Trends for Future Sustainable Growth.”

Mr. Rajiv Bansal, Secretary, of the Ministry of Civil Aviation deliberated on three critical factors that are converging to reshape the landscape of the Indian cargo sector - the commissioning of two dedicated trade corridors by railway, the substantial increase in average trucking speed, and reduced turnaround times at ports. Together with economic growth and the evolving complexities of our economy, these elements are projected to significantly reduce our logistics cost from 14% to the global benchmark of 8%, added Mr Bansal. He said that industry participation and active deliberations are vital, as collaborative efforts and a comprehensive strategy will pave the way for further growth and better alignment among stakeholders. He urged the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry to take advice from international consultants and devise a strategy and document for further growth of the Air cargo sector and better alignment across the stakeholders. As by laying down a well-structured plan of action, the chamber can play a pivotal role in steering the air cargo sector toward new heights.

Ms. Sumita Dawra, Special Secretary (Logistics), DPIIT, Ministry of Commerce in her address highlighted the crucial role played by the PM Gatishakti Mission National Master Plan in transforming the nation's infrastructure planning and advancing multi-modal capabilities and capacities.

She informed me that there have been 1450 data layers on the PM Gati Shakti Portal and this utilization of geospatial technology helps in ensuring steady connectivity and effectively addresses the persistent challenges of last-mile or first-mile logistics issues.

She added that with the precise planning facilitated by the GIS-enabled platform, the government has been successful in significantly reducing the number of trees being cut during infrastructure development. 

Mr. Saket Dalmia, President, PHDCCI in his welcome address said, considering that India is likely to make a strategic change and become a key player moving forward, the timing is right to talk about strategy and what the future holds for global aviation and air cargo. 

Mr. Vipin Vohra, Chair - PHDCCI Civil Aviation Committee, in the industry perspective highlighted the significance of the Air Freight Sector as the backbone of the global trade system. He emphasized that during the pandemic, this sector emerged as a silver lining, proving to be a substantial revenue generator for airlines worldwide.

As we look towards the future, it is crucial to discuss the issues as well, like the high transaction costs of logistics and freight forwarding in India, the need for rationalization of additional charges by the Terminal Operators, increased movement of cargo freighters in India, granting "Industry Status" for Freight Forwarders and Custom Brokers, formulation of a Warehousing and Logistics Policy, and ECGC Cover (Export Credit Guarantee Corporation of India Ltd.), among others.

The event also witnessed the Felicitation of various Industry Leaders from the Aviation and Cargo Sectors. The Vote of Thanks was delivered by Mr. Micheal Jain, Co-Chair of Aviation Committee PHDCCI Civil, and the session was moderated by Dr. Jatinder Singh, Assistant Secretary General, PHDCCI.

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