The G20 Pre-Cursor Conference on Transforming Logistics for Coastal Economies with a Focus on Sustainability was recently held in Odisha
At the 3rd Education Working Group (EdWG) meeting, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Minister of State, Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, and Electronics and Information Technology remarked that the conference is focusing on the nexus of logistics, coastal economies, and sustainability, and is essential in the context of skilling in coastal economies.
Atul Kumar Tiwari, Secretary, MSDE; Mr. R Dinesh, President Designate, CII and Executive Vice-Chairman, TVS Supply Chain Solutions; and Mr. NSN Murty, Partner, Deloitte were the other guests at the inauguration ceremony.
In addition, he predicted that logistics would provide young Indians as many career prospects as semiconductors, electronics, and information technology in the years to come. There will be a tonne of opportunity for business ventures, employment, and investment.
The Minister emphasised that there are chances and challenges for the world at this point, and in this context, India has overtaken China as the country with the fastest rate of economic growth. And the world has a lot more respect for India, he continued.
According to Chandrasekhar, the world is turning to reliable supply chains and robust logistics as it moves away from risk and towards resilient, reliable economies. As a result, coastal states like Odisha should pay attention to and consider logistics. The Minister used the production of mobile phones as an example, stating that whereas 82% of the mobile phones used in India in 2014 were imported, in 2022, nearly 100% of the mobile phones used in India will be indigenously produced.
India exported virtually no mobile phones in 2014, but this year alone, it exported Apple and Samsung phones built in India worth roughly 11 billion dollars. The cost of doing business in logistics in India was not competitive, which was one of the arguments against India for many years, he said. However, today, global majors are manufacturing semiconductors, electronics, mobiles, and many other products in India, exporting and selling them there, and the underpinning logistics ecosystem has become more effective.
He added that initiatives by the Narendra Modi administration, such as Gati Shakti, the National Master Plan for Multimodal Connectivity, will build a contemporary logistics ecosystem and aid India in becoming a major supplier of food, agricultural, and blue economy goods to the world.
The Minister emphasised that the future is about skilling, upskilling, and reskilling, and he advised the students in attendance to put their attention on learning new skills because doing so will improve their chances of finding employment. He continued, "Skilling should always be a constant process, as our Hon. PM states.”