FICCI-PwC Report Calls for Specialised Agency to Manage Bi-modal, Multimodal Transport Plans

Mar 24, 2025

 

Government considering developing a mechanism for real-time truck monitoring 

 

NEW DELHI, 24 March 2025: A new knowledge paper released by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and PwC India has called for establishing a specialised agency to coordinate multimodal transport planning and accelerate integration across India’s vast transportation network.

 

The report, “Integrated Multimodal Transport in India,” unveiled at FICCI’s 2nd Edition of GatiShakti Summit, provides a strategic roadmap with short and long-term recommendations to transform country’s fragmented transport infrastructure into a cohesive ecosystem.

 

The report identifies critical institutional gaps hampering multimodal integration, including uncoordinated planning across transport agencies and disparate regulatory frameworks across states. To address these challenges, it recommends establishing a central coordinating body with authority to oversee bi-modal and multimodal projects, reporting directly to the highest government offices.

 

Addressing the summit, Pankaj Kumar, Joint Secretary, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), highlighted government initiatives to enhance logistics integration. He discussed plans to explore digital tracking systems for truck movements across major corridors. 

 

Just as we track containers with RFID, we are considering how to monitor truck movements on major corridors. We're evaluating whether 5G, IoT, or RFID technologies would be most appropriate for providing critical data on transit times and identifying bottlenecks in the road freight network, he explained.

 

The Joint Secretary also alluded to the difficulties women face in this sector. We are very serious about increasing women’s participation in the logistics sector, Kumar noted, highlighting the plans to set up a task force to address challenges women face at terminals, ICD or CFS, including basic facilities like toilets, lighting, and safe approach roads, and make the sector more accessible and supportive for women professionals, Kumar noted.

 

Mr Anil Syal, Co-Chairman, FICCI Committee on Logistics and President, Safexpress Private Limited, noted that India's logistics sector, valued at $317 billion in 2024, is projected to expand with a robust CAGR of 8.8% annually by 2029. "The PM GatiShakti national master plan, now in its third successful year, has revolutionised infrastructure planning by consolidating over 1600 data layers from 44 ministries and 36 states and union territories, enabling better inter-ministerial and interstate coordination," he said.

 

Ms Pali Tripathi, Co-Chairperson, FICCI Committee on Logistics and CEO, Taabi Mobility, highlighted five key areas driving logistics transformation: "Strengthening industry-government collaboration, digital transformation and supply chain resilience, adapting to e-commerce demands, streamlining logistics costs through better infrastructure, and implementing sustainability measures are critical to turning logistics into India's biggest competitive advantage."

 

Mr Sachin Bhanushali, Advisor, FICCI Committee on Logistics, stressed the importance of modal shift from road-only to road-rail-road transportation. "We need to complete our freight corridors quickly and bring in separation of freight transportation from passenger transportation on trunk corridors. The manufacturing sector looks at price plus service as the decision-making point, not just logistics cost or speed alone," he noted.

 

The study outlines a two-phase roadmap, with short-term priorities focused on completing critical infrastructure like Dedicated Freight Corridors by 2025, rolling out unified digital systems, and capacity building. Long-term recommendations include ensuring every district has access to rail or waterway-based freight terminals by 2030 and creating a countrywide network of economic corridors by 2035.

 

The report also advocates for enhanced regional connectivity to address historical imbalances between well-connected regions in the west, northwest and south, and underserved areas in the northeast, central and eastern parts of the country.

 

Other key recommendations include expanding open data publication to foster private sector innovation, implementing green multimodal initiatives aligned with climate goals, and ensuring barrier-free design and safety measures for inclusive transit access.