Context

• India's vision of becoming a Viksit Bharat, a developed nation by 2047, is rooted not only in economic ambition but in the inclusive and sustainable upliftment of its people, businesses, and regions.
• Realising this vision necessitates a robust, efficient, and future-ready logistics sector that can fuel equitable development across the country.
• However, this sector, while critical, also stands among the most carbon-intensive in the world, posing a significant challenge to India’s broader sustainability goals.
• If India is to stay on course toward its net-zero carbon emissions target by 2070, decarbonising its logistics sector must become a central strategy.

The Environmental Cost of Logistics

• India's logistics sector, which includes road, rail, air, and maritime transport, along with warehousing infrastructure, is a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions.
• Accounting for approximately 13.5% of the nation’s total emissions, the sector’s environmental footprint is both vast and growing.
• Road transport alone, on which the country heavily relies, facilitating nearly 90% of passenger movement and 70% of freight, is responsible for over 88% of the sector’s emissions.
• Trucks alone account for nearly 38% of CO₂ emissions, highlighting an urgent need for structural changes.
• While maritime and inland waterways currently contribute less to the emissions tally, their role is expected to grow significantly.
• Government projections aim to triple cargo and passenger movements on inland waterways and boost coastal shipping cargo by 1.2 times by 2030.
• While these expansions promise economic and logistical benefits, they must be guided by environmentally responsible policies to ensure long-term sustainability.

The Need for a Green Transformation

• India's logistics sector is at a crossroads, and the path ahead demands a delicate balance between growth and sustainability.
• Decarbonising logistics is not just an environmental imperative, it is essential to building a resilient and globally competitive economy.
• To achieve this, India must look to both international benchmarks and homegrown innovation for solutions.
• Countries like China and the United States offer valuable insights into the benefits of shifting freight from road to rail.
• Rail freight, significantly less polluting than road transport, already enjoys considerable adoption in these nations.
• China, for example, has expanded its rail network to the point where it handles nearly half of all freight.
• India, which has already made strides in electrifying its railways, can build on this progress to increase rail freight’s share and lower its logistics-related emissions.

Steps Required Towards Green Transformation in Logistics Sector

• Innovations in Road, Maritime, and Air Logistics
  • Despite the environmental drawbacks, road freight will remain an integral part of India’s logistics network.
  • Therefore, it is imperative to make road transport cleaner.
  • A noteworthy initiative in this area is the pilot project on the Delhi-Jaipur corridor, which features overhead electric wires to power electric trucks.
  • If successful, this could revolutionise road freight by drastically cutting down emissions while maintaining economic feasibility.
• Coastal Shipping and Inland Waterways
  • Coastal shipping and inland waterways offer further potential for green transformation.
  • The International Maritime Organization’s goal of cutting shipping emissions by 50% by 2050 has catalysed global momentum toward adopting cleaner fuels.
  • India, too, can lead by investing in LNG-powered vessels, solar-electric boats, and biofuel-run barges, steps that will not only decarbonise transport but also stimulate innovation in green maritime technologies.
  • In contrast, air transport poses a particularly complex challenge due to its dependence on refined fuels.
  • Although technological advancements in sustainable aviation fuels and efficiency improvements offer hope, significant emissions reductions in this sector are likely to come through offsets and systemic improvements in other logistics modes.

The Way Forward

• Adoption of Renewable Energy
  • Warehousing, often overshadowed by transport in emissions discussions, is another major source of carbon emissions due to its heavy energy usage.
  • To reduce its carbon footprint, India must prioritise the adoption of renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, and geothermal power within warehouse operations.
  • Doing so would significantly contribute to a greener logistics ecosystem while offering cost savings and energy security.
• Toward a Future-Ready, Sustainable Logistics Network
  • The decarbonisation of India’s logistics sector is not merely a necessity, it is an opportunity.
  • It offers the country a chance to redefine its logistics landscape by making it more competitive, resilient, and aligned with global sustainability standards.
  • By investing in electrified rail and road networks, cleaner fuels for shipping, and energy-efficient warehousing, India can build a logistics infrastructure that supports both economic growth and environmental stewardship.

Conclusion

• The road to a greener logistics future is already under construction.
• What remains is the political will, strategic investment, and collaborative action to accelerate this transition.
• As India charts its path toward Viksit Bharat, the logistics sector must not lag behind but lead the charge, efficiently, inclusively, and sustainably.