Logistics has shifted from the “backroom to the boardroom” in India, becoming central to corporate strategy, risk management, and resilience, according to the September 2025 logistics update released by Mumbai-based Rubix Data Sciences Pvt Ltd.
The report highlights that India has expanded its National Highways by 60% in just a decade, overtaken the United States as the world’s second-largest rail freight carrier, and is targeting a tripling of air cargo capacity by 2030. Ports are also on track to push India into the global top five shipping nations.
Highway construction has accelerated 2.5 times, from 11.6 km per day in FY14 to 29 km per day in FY25, with an aspiration of 100 km per day. The length of National High-Speed Corridors has surged from 93 km in 2014 to 2,474 km today.
Rail has become a key player in automotive transport, with its share rising from just 1.5% a decade ago to nearly 25% today, supported by 170 dedicated rakes and double-decker wagons. Meanwhile, India’s ports handled 1,594 million tonnes in FY25, recording a 6% CAGR since FY22. A $20 billion investment drive aims to expand port capacity six-fold by 2047.
Air cargo, driven by the e-commerce boom, is projected to leap from $5 billion to $200 billion by 2030, spurring demand for freighters and faster handling systems. On the highways front, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has lined up a ₹3.4 trillion pipeline of 124 projects spanning 6,376 km, backed by a record ₹2.5 trillion capital expenditure in FY25.
However, the report cautions that disruption is reshaping trade flows. The 50% US tariffs have altered global routes, driving a 9% surge in India’s containerised exports in the first half of the year before the duties took effect.
India has also made progress in reducing logistics costs, which have fallen from 16% to nearly 10% of GDP, with the government aiming for single-digit costs by the end of 2025, Rubix noted.
