A landmark DPIIT–NCAER report has pegged India’s logistics cost for FY 2023–24 at ₹24.01 lakh crore, or 7.97% of GDP, a sharp revision from the earlier 13–14% estimates.

Using a hybrid methodology of national accounts, trade data, and large-scale surveys, it provides the first globally comparable benchmark.

Key insights: costs are higher for small firms (16.9% of output) versus large (7.6%); rail and coastal shipping are most efficient, while road and air remain costlier; warehousing averages ₹30/sq.ft/month, nearly doubling for cold storage.

Regional disparities persist, with Northeast logistics costliest. The study calls for freight corridors, multimodal parks, greener logistics, and digitization.

This data-driven assessment positions India to boost competitiveness under the National Logistics Policy and PM Gati Shakti.