“Achieving Trade Competitiveness Through Air Express”

India ranks 35 in Logistics Performance Index (LPI), compared to China at 27, Taiwan at 25, and Japan at 12. India’s merchandise trade to GDP ratio was 38.5 per cent in 2014 and 31.8 per cent in 2015, reflecting a high cohesion with the global economy. Global trade has burgeoned, by leveraging technology and air express just in time for manufacturing and time bound delivery. Air express not only allows companies to expand their trade footprint irrespective of geographical constraints, it also ensures customer satisfaction through high speed product services. However, in the absence of a conducive regulatory framework, it would not be possible for the industry to meet the desired goals and become globally competitive. Regulatory challenges involve complex customs processes, limited automation, absence of an end-to-end air express policy, and approval from multiple ministries.