Syllabus:

GS-2: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. 

GS-3: Effects of liberalization on the economy, changes in industrial policy and their effects on industrial growth. 

Context: Recently, Minister of Commerce and Industry launched six initiatives on the occasion of the decade-long celebrations of the Make in India initiative.

Make in India Initiative

• It is a program designed to transform India into a global hub for manufacturing, design, and innovation, thereby boosting the economy and creating jobs. 
• Its core goals include attracting investment, fostering innovation, building best-in-class manufacturing infrastructure, improving the ease of doing business, and enhancing skill development across 27 identified sectors. 
• The initiative also emphasizes self-reliance, aims to reduce reliance on imports, and incorporates supportive policies like the Goods and Services Tax (GST) and the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Schemes.
• Achievements:
  FDI growth: Between 2014 and 2024, India received $667 billion in foreign direct investment (FDI), accounting for nearly two-thirds of all inflows since liberalisation. 
  Startup Ecosystem: The country’s startup ecosystem has grown to over 1.80 lakh DPIIT-recognised startups, making it the third largest globally after the United States and China, and has generated over 17.6 lakh jobs, with 118 unicorns as of 2025. 
  Sectoral Transformation: India has emerged as the world's second-largest mobile phone manufacturer and a major global player in electronics and defense, with significant growth in textiles.

The launched initiatives are:

1. Report on Assessment of Logistics Cost in India

• It aims to strengthen data-driven logistics planning as per the mandate of the National Logistics Policy (2022), establish a uniform framework for measuring logistics costs, and benchmark them against global practices.
• India will have a comprehensive and scientifically derived estimate of logistics costs using a hybrid methodology that combines secondary data with nationwide surveys for the first time.
• The Ministry clarified that earlier logistics costs in India were overstated at 13–14% of GDP based on external or partial data. As per the latest National Council of Applied Economic Research assessment for DPIIT, logistics costs stand at 7.97% of GDP.

2. Industrial Park Rating System (IPRS) 3.0

• It was developed by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) with support from the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
• The initiative seeks to strengthen India’s industrial ecosystem by providing reliable data, promoting best practices, and supporting world-class infrastructure development.
• The Government is actively developing 20 plug-and-play industrial parks and smart cities under National Industrial Corridor Development Programme.
• The launch of IPRS 3.0 will help assess and benchmark facilities, infrastructure, and competitiveness of industrial parks across the country.

3. Logistics Data Bank (LDB) 2.0

• The initiative aims to boost India’s digital trade and export competitiveness.
• LDB 2.0 introduces high-seas container tracking, allowing exporters to track containers even after departure from Indian ports across international waters to improve coordination and enhance credibility in global markets.
• It also offers multi-modal visibility across road, rail, and sea using container, truck, or trailer numbers, as well as railway FNRs through integration with Unified Logistics Interface Platform (ULIP) APIs.
• A live container heatmap will provide location-based views of container distribution across the country, helping stakeholders and policymakers identify imbalances and respond proactively to potential bottlenecks.

4. Logistics Ease Across Different States (LEADS) 2025

• The initiative aims to benchmark logistics performance across States and Union Territories to support India’s vision of a globally competitive and future-ready logistics ecosystem.
• LEADS 2025 introduces two key features assessment of 5–7 major corridors based on journey time, truck speed, and waiting periods, and API-based evaluation of section-wise speeds on key road corridors.

5. Guidebook on Mapping of Harmonised System of Nomenclature (HSN) Codes

• The guidebook allocates 12,167 HSN Codes across 31 Ministries and Departments.
• It aims to enable targeted policymaking and support effective trade negotiations and serve as the foundation for building a resilient and competitive manufacturing ecosystem.
• The Harmonized System of Nomenclature (HSN) is developed by the World Customs Organization (WCO) and implemented in 1988, provides a 6-digit universal code to classify over 5,000 products, ensuring uniformity in global trade.
• Its purpose is to enable the systematic and logical classification of goods, thereby facilitating international commerce.
• India, a WCO member since 1971, initially adopted the 6-digit HSN for Customs and Central Excise but later expanded it to 8 digits for greater precision.

6. Integrated State and City Logistics Plans

• The Government has initiated Integrated State and City Logistics Plans under Strengthening Multimodal and Integrated Logistics Ecosystem (SMILE) Program in collaboration with the Asian Development Bank (ADB), beginning with eight cities across eight states.
• The exercise will help assess existing logistics infrastructure, identify gaps, and provide a roadmap for improving efficiency and reducing costs.

Sources:
CNBC TV
PIB
PIB
Economic Time