
Export thrust: India should move goods like a horse to trade like a tiger
The 'trading across borders' indicator from the World Bank's 2020 Doing Business data-set showed that exporting from India took significant time and money. On average, border procedures alone took 52 hours and $212 per container. Export documentation consumed 12 hours and $58. Importing took even more—with around 65 hours and $266 needed for border clearance, and 20 hours and $100 for documentation.
In comparison, China was processing the same export shipments within 21 hours at a slightly higher cost of $256 per container. It processed documents faster too, in 9 hours on average, although the documentation cost is $74, slightly higher than in India.
Also Read: IMEC jinx: There's no relief in sight from war clouds over this trade route
India was better placed than the likes of Bangladesh and Vietnam, but behind countries like South Korea, which was the world leader on those counts. South Korea was doing border checks in just 13 hours at a cost of $185, and document processing in 1 hour for only $11. All these numbers showed the gap India needed to cover in competition with the world's best export performers. While Doing Business data is old and the World Bank has discontinued this study, its broad 2020 rankings may not have changed very much (except in Vietnam's case perhaps).
More recent data from the World Bank's Logistics Performance Index (LPI) offers us another picture. This index tracks the transportation of goods within and between countries, taking into account six measures: customs efficiency, infrastructure, ease of coordinating international shipments, logistics quality, tracking and tracing ability, and punctuality (frequency of on-time shipments).
As reported by the 2023 LPI report, India has taken significant strides on logistics, moving its world ranking from No. 54 in 2014 to No. 38 in 2023, with its score rising from 3.08 to 3.4. Its ranking on timeliness rose from No. 51 to No. 35, and its score for logistics competence and quality rose from 52 to 38, signifying higher professionalism and reliability in freight services. Moreover, in terms of infrastructure (covering ports, roads and railways), India's rank rose from No. 58 to No. 47, reflecting the impact of recent investments in physical logistical infrastructure.
Still, China is ahead of India on an absolute basis, at 19th place with a score of 3.7. It scores better on all the key factors: timeliness, quality of logistics and impressively on infrastructure, indicating the strength and dependability of its supply chain mechanisms. India's progress is heartening. Yet, continued efforts are needed to reach the logistics performance of global leaders.
Also Read: Our trade ambitions should make us look across as many seas as we can
India has also achieved impressive reductions in 'dwell time'—the number of days that cargo is held at a terminal or port before it can proceed. In the LPI 2023 report, while 4 to 8 days is the typical dwell time for economies at every level of income, India is on par with Singapore with a dwell time of only 3 days. This is an achievement ahead of the UAE, South Africa, US and Germany, indicative of improved coordination between customs officials, port authorities and logistics firms.
Underpinning these efficiency gains is India's massive investment in transport and logistics infrastructure. The coverage of National Highways (NH) increased from 65,569km in 2004 to 146,145km in 2024, with four and more lane stretches rising 2.6 times since 2014.
The construction tempo has picked up sharply, from 12.1km per day in 2014-15 to 33.8km per day in 2023-24. Flagship programmes such as the Bharatmala Pariyojana launched in 2017, are developing 26,000km of economic corridors, ring roads, bypasses and elevated corridors to ease city congestion and enhance freight movement. As of November 2024, 18,926km of roads had been constructed under this scheme.
Also Read: The time is right for a reset of India's trade ties with China
Apart from this, 35 multimodal logistics parks are also being built under the Bharatmala plan, with an aggregate outlay of ₹46,000 crore. On commissioning, these parks will be capable of transporting 700 million metric tonnes of cargo, increasing India's capacity to integrate various modes of transport in a cost-effective manner.
India's port cargo handling capacity has nearly doubled from 800.5 million tonnes annually in 2014 to 1,630 million tonnes in 2024, an increase of 87%. India has also climbed in terms of its world ranking in shipments, from No. 44 in 2014 to No. 22 in 2023. Concurrently, the turnaround time (TRT) at major ports—the time that ships spend at port—has declined significantly from 94 hours in 2013-14 to 48.06 hours in 2023–24. Average berth-day production has gone up by 52% and India is also seeing increased tourism through cruise terminals and lighthouse sites.
Also Read: India could learn much from the complaints of its trade partners
These reforms can be said to represent a paradigm shift. India is slowly putting in place the logistical framework necessary to support its dream of becoming an export-led economy. Continued and deepened, these reforms could bridge the gap between India's expansive trade aspirations and the harsh realities of trading on the international stage, thus making India not just a significant exporter but a truly competitive one.
These are the author's personal views.
The author is a research associate, NCAER, New Delhi.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
State's crude steel capacity rises by 6.15MT in 5 years: Min
1 2 Kendrapada: Steel industry in Odisha has witnessed substantial growth, with the state now hosting 60 operational plants — 59 private and 1 public, Union minister of state for steel Bhupathiraju Srinivasa Varma has informed the Rajya Sabha. The state's crude steel capacity has increased by 6.15 million tonnes over the last five years, reaching 31.48 MT, the minister added. In response to a query from Rajya Sabha MP from Odisha, Muzibulla Khan, Varma said the steel sector is deregulated, with the govt providing a policy-friendly environment while companies must secure their own statutory approvals. Since Jan 2020, 34 environmental clearances have been granted, with approvals extending until July this year, the minister said. Replying to a joint question from MPs Harsh Mahajan and Dr Kavita Patidar, Varma said several initiatives like the implementation of domestically manufactured iron & steel products policy and the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for specialty steel, have been initiated to enhance domestic manufacturing, reduce imports and attract capital investments.


News18
2 hours ago
- News18
Andhra Pradesh CM Naidu discusses urban housing plans with Singapore officials
Agency: PTI Last Updated: Singapore, Jul 28 (PTI) Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Monday met officials from Singapore's housing and urban redevelopment agencies and the World Bank to explore potential collaboration in his state's upcoming urban housing projects, especially in Amaravati. The chief minister is in Singapore for a five-day visit. On his second day here, Naidu met with senior officials from the Housing Development Board (HDB), the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA), the Singapore Corporation Enterprise, and the World Bank, according to a press release. 'Discussions focused on potential collaboration in Andhra Pradesh's upcoming urban housing projects, particularly in Amaravati," it said. He also invited the HDB to participate as a development partner and shared Andhra Pradesh's urban vision, strategic goals, and ongoing initiatives. Naidu visited the Bidadari Housing Project, a development that houses over 10,000 families, and praised its thoughtful integration of nature, heritage, and community living, calling it a powerful example for cities across the world. He said that Andhra Pradesh's capital Amravati is being built with a vision that blends modern infrastructure with bold, future-oriented thinking, according to the press release. He noted that the Singapore government had already provided the master plan for Amaravati and that the World Bank is now also a key development partner. The chief minister also held discussions on building quality, affordable housing in urban and semi-urban areas of Andhra Pradesh, it said. PTI GS GRS GRS GRS view comments First Published: July 28, 2025, 16:30 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.


Hans India
4 hours ago
- Hans India
Naidu meets Singapore minister, discusses green energy, data centre development
Amaravati: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, on the second day of his visit to Singapore, met Minister for Manpower and Minister-in-charge of Energy and Science & Technology, Dr Tan See Leng, and discussed collaboration in sectors such as green energy, data centres, logistics, and housing. During the meeting, the Chief Minister highlighted Andhra Pradesh's major initiatives in green energy and sought greater cooperation from Singaporean firms in projects related to green hydrogen, transmission corridors, and port development. According to the Chief Minister's Office, Naidu emphasised the need for Singapore's participation in establishing data centres and elaborated on the state's rapid expansion of its port infrastructure. Recognising Singapore's global strength in logistics, he called for its support in implementing best practices in the ports and logistics sectors in Andhra Pradesh. He also underscored the importance of Singapore's involvement in human resources, science and technology, and trade collaboration. Addressing concerns faced by Singaporean companies during the previous administration, the Chief Minister assured Minister Tan that measures are being taken to resolve those issues and that his visit reflects a commitment to transparency and rectification. He remarked that his government is investment-friendly and deeply values its relationship with Singapore. Recollecting past initiatives, CM Naidu cited the development of Singapore Township in Hyderabad during his earlier tenure as a symbol of admiration for Singapore's planning and efficiency. He also noted that Hyderabad once adopted nighttime street-cleaning inspired by practices observed in Singapore. To further the partnership, the Chief Minister extended a formal invitation to Minister Tan to attend the upcoming Global Investors Summit scheduled for November in Visakhapatnam. In response, Minister Tan expressed Singapore's keen interest in working with Andhra Pradesh in the fields of housing and subsea cables. He affirmed that both sides could jointly pursue initiatives in these areas. The Minister also mentioned Singapore's ongoing collaboration with the World Bank on green energy and housing-related programmes. Recalling his previous visit to Hyderabad and his earlier meeting with CM Naidu, Minister Tan expressed optimism about deepening bilateral cooperation. The meeting was attended by Andhra Pradesh Ministers Nara Lokesh, P. Narayana, and T.G. Bharat, along with senior officials from the state government.