Gujarat has once again topped the Logistics Ease Across Different States (LEADS) 2021 index, brought out by the Commerce & Industry Ministry, with Haryana, Punjab, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra occupying the second, third, fourth and fifth positions, respectively.
The perception-based LEADS index ranks States and UTs on the efficiency of their logistics ecosystem.
The inputs given by the LEADS Report 2021 can lead the way to bring down logistics cost by 5 per cent over the next 5 years, Commerce & Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said releasing the report on Monday.
Focus on export
While the first version of the report, LEADS 2018, focused on export-import trade and assessed the efficiency of the logistics ecosystem, the 2019 report covered both international and domestic trade. The LEADS 2021 report has taken the effort further by helping identify problem areas in the sector and prepare policy responses to deal with them, according to the government. No ranking was released last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Gujarat retained the top slot, amongst 21 States, on the logistics index chart, an indicator of the efficiency of logistical services necessary for promoting exports and economic growth, the release pointed out. Gujarat has been the top performer since 2018.
The LEADS 2021 report has been prepared by a team of Transport & Logistics professionals at EY LLP with inputs from Department of Logistics, Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
Among the northeastern States and Himalayan Union Territories, Jammu Kashmir topped the chart. Among Union Territories, Delhi got the top position.
“Some States have leapfrogged in their rankings. Uttar Pradesh has moved ahead seven places. That is reflective of the efforts that have been done in improving the quality of infrastructure there,” Goyal said.
“Department of Commerce through LEADS will continuously engage with all States and UTs to support, facilitate and promote improvements in the overall logistics ecosystem. Synergies flowing from such a coordinated approach will reduce logistics costs and which, in turn, will act as significant stimulants to PM Gati Shakti National Master plan,” according to an official release.
Source : The Hindu Businessline
