In the latest Logistics Efficiency and Ease Across Different States (LEADS) Index 2023, released by the Commerce and Industry Ministry, Delhi has emerged as a leading achiever among Union Territories. This index serves as a vital indicator of logistical efficiency, crucial for fostering exports and overall economic growth. The report highlights Delhi’s position among the top-performing states and Union Territories, reflecting its commitment to enhancing logistical capabilities.
The LEADS 2023 report designates a total of 13 states and Union Territories as “achievers” in the logistics index chart. Alongside Delhi, notable achievers include Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Chandigarh, Assam, Haryana, Punjab, Telangana, and Uttar Pradesh. These regions have demonstrated commendable progress in optimizing logistics, contributing to their status as high performers.
However, the report also notes changes in the landscape, with Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand transitioning to the “aspirers” and “fast movers” categories, respectively. Sikkim and Tripura have made significant advancements, moving from “fast movers” in 2022 to join the prestigious “achievers” category in the current report.
The report further categorizes various states. Kerala, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Andaman and Nicobar, Lakshadweep, and Puducherry are labeled as “fast movers.” Meanwhile, “aspirers” include Goa, Odisha, West Bengal, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Daman and Diu, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.
Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, presenting the fifth LEADS report, emphasized its role in stimulating healthy competition among states and Union Territories to enhance logistics performance. The LEADS index evaluates regions based on Logistics Infrastructure, Logistics Services, and Operating and Regulatory Environment.
Goyal underscored the significance of the logistics sector, predicting its pivotal role in propelling the country’s economy to USD 35 trillion by 2047. He highlighted ongoing efforts to reduce logistics costs, including substantial investments in infrastructure development. Goyal encouraged the industry to focus on skilled manpower, embrace new technologies like AI and blockchain, and adopt measures to reduce the carbon footprint for sustained growth in the logistics sector.
LEADS, conceived in 2018, differs from the World Bank’s Logistics Performance Index (LPI) by incorporating both perception and objectivity in its evaluation. The report, based on a comprehensive pan-India survey conducted between May and July 2023, offers region-specific insights for informed decision-making and overall growth. Over 7,300 responses across 36 states/UTs and 750 stakeholder consultations contributed to this robust assessment.
In a parallel development, Uttar Pradesh has secured the Achiever States status in the LEADS Survey Report 2023 for the second consecutive year. The state has been declared an ‘achiever’ in the landlocked states category, reaffirming its commitment to logistical efficiency.
The Ministry of Commerce and Industry’s LEADS report assesses logistics ease in various states, measuring multimodal connectivity, improvements in logistics efficiency, and the uninterrupted movement of people and goods. LEADS is an indigenous data-driven index that evaluates logistics infrastructure, services, and human resources across all 36 states and union territories, aligning with international standards like the Logistics Performance Index.
The 2023 LEADS Survey report recognizes achievers in different categories. In the coastal category, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka have received accolades. For landlocked states, achievers include Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Telangana, and Punjab. Similarly, the North East category includes Assam, Sikkim, and Tripura, while the Union Territory category comprises Chandigarh and Delhi as achievers.
Kerala and Maharashtra are ‘Fast Movers’ in the coastal category, while in the landlocked category, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Uttarakhand have earned this distinction.
