CM Naidu: Andhra to be developed as ‘Gateway of East Coast’ with world-class logistics hub

Visakhapatnam: Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said Andhra Pradesh will be developed as the Gateway of the East Coast soon with the best logistics hub to meet global standards.

He announced the establishment of a logistics university and a civil aviation university in AP soon.

Inputs from shipping industries

The Chief Minister advised the experts of port-led shipping industries to form an advisory body with 20 members to offer suggestions to the State government to develop AP as a Logistics hub of the East Coast.

Participating as the chief guest of the East Coast and Logistics summit organised jointly by Global Forum for Sustainable Transformation (GFST) and Maritime Gateway here on Tuesday, the Chief Minister said that the Logistics sector plays a key role in increasing our economy and providing employment.

He said the contribution of the logistics sector to GSDP stands at one per cent at present and stressed the need for increasing it to 3 per cent.

Ports or fishing harbours every 50 km

He said with added advantages, Andhra Pradesh is the best place for port cargo exports with the existing 6 ports and four more ports are coming. He said that the State government is determined to develop ports or fishing harbours every 50 km along the 1,050 km coastline in AP.

He said AP stands second in sea cargo transport, and neighbouring states, including Telangana, Maharashtra, Odisha and Chhattisgarh and some parts of Karnataka also depend on AP ports for sea cargo transport.

Establishing ship and container repairing units

The Chief Minister said the State government is planning to develop ship building, ship and container repairing and ship recycling units in Dugarajupatnam, Machilipatnam and other ports, including providing facilities for maintenance of Defence vessels.

He stressed the need for creating a digital logistics platform and cargo tracking facilities, and developing rail, road and air connectivity for all the major ports.

The Chief Minister said the future is for logistics and we need to opt for next-gen reforms to develop the logistics sector to meet the demand of both local and global markets. Citing the examples of Dubai and Singapore, the Chief Minister opined that ports should be well-connected with industrial units to reduce logistics cost.

Reviving inland waterways

He stressed the need for reducing logistics cost, which stands at 13 per cent in India, while the logistics cost in other countries stands at 8 per cent.

The Chief Minister said that the State government is also planning to develop inland water transport to reduce logistics costs. Citing the example of the Buckingham canal used for transport between Kakinada and Chennai, the Chief Minister stressed the need for reviving inland waterways.

Referring to the suggestions of CEOs of the shipping industry, the Chief Minister said the State government will discuss with the Government of India to resolve some of the issues.

The Chief Minister said Andhra Pradesh is the only state providing water security and making efforts for the intra-linking of rivers.

Vizag safest place for women

He said Visakhapatnam, which is the safest place for women in the country, will emerge as a major technology hub of the country soon with the establishment of a data centre. He said the state government has been giving top priority to skill development to meet the future requirements of industries.

Earlier, the Chief Minister participated in a round table conference of CEOs of the shipping industry and the Logistics sector. Later, he released two books and launched the Air Cargo Forum of India AP Chapter.