Why Jammu & Kashmir Is Set to Become a Logistics Gateway for North India: LG Manoj Sinha

Why Jammu & Kashmir Is Set to Become a Logistics Gateway for North India: LG Manoj Sinha India’s business sector has always been several steps ahead of the world, said the Lieutenant Governor of Jammu & Kashmir, Shri Manoj Sinha, welcoming everyone at the important Jammu Trade & Logistics Conclave 2025 of the Indian Chamber of Commerce In the last ten-eleven years, efforts have started in our country to restore that glorious place, LG said. For the past five to six years, Jammu and Kashmir has also been involved in this campaign to some extent. And the importance of this Conclave increases further because Jammu, strategically located at the crossroads of North India, is rapidly emerging as an important trade hub. And there is an urgent need to realise its potential through immense possibilities, smart logistics infrastructure and better logistics operations. Today, all the entrepreneurs, experts and policy makers associated with this sector are present here, I would like to say to all of them that for me personally, the turning point of this sector was 17 September 2022 when the Honourable Prime Minister Shri Modi ji launched the National Logistics Policy in the country. And I believe that in the last three years, this policy has given a new impetus to reforms in the logistics ecosystem. And digital integration and skill development, alignment with all policies, infrastructure planning have also brought revolutionary changes in this sector. This year, the average daily highway construction in our country has reached thirty-four kilometers. Ninety-nine percent of villages are connected by good roads. The railway budget has also increased eight to nine times between 2014 and 2024. Under the Gati Shakti Infrastructure project, it is being ensured that the funds worth Rs 100 lakh crore are utilized properly and its masterplan is also being prepared along with long-term plans for the infrastructure needs. If we look at the journey of Jammu and Kashmir, I can say that this Union Territory is a living proof of the work done in the matter of connectivity in the last five to four years. In July 2025, the Prime Minister inaugurated the rail link project connecting Kashmir with the rest of India. The aspirations of traders and citizens that had been in their hearts for decades were fulfilled that day. With the construction of the highway tunnel, the distance between Jammu and Srinagar, which used to take eleven to ten hours, is now covered in five to five and-a-half hours. This road connectivity will establish Jammu as a major business hub in North India in the coming years because in terms of products, what Jammu and Kashmir produces is very unique and one-of-a- kind in the country. I believe that storage, logistics parks, modernization of warehouse sector in Jammu Kashmir and special focus on this sector like other parts of the country can play a big role in the economy of Jammu Kashmir. A decade ago, if someone had said that the logistics sector could become India’s growth engine, we probably wouldn’t have believed it, said the Lieutenant Governor of Jammu & Kashmir, Shri Manoj Sinha.