Shri Piyush Goyal Releases LEADS 2025 Report to Benchmark Logistics Performance Across States and Union Territories

India’s FTAs Now Cover Over Two-Thirds of Global Trade; Five More Agreements to Become Operational Within 12 Months: Shri Piyush Goyal

India Advancing Trade Talks with GCC, Canada, Chile, Mexico and Other Key Regions: Shri Piyush Goyal

India Achieves Record USD 863 Billion Exports Despite Global Headwinds; Sets USD 1 Trillion Export Target for Current Year: Shri Piyush Goyal

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s Mission to Reduce Logistics Costs Driving Infrastructure Growth, Seamless Supply Chains and Greater Global Competitiveness: Shri Piyush Goyal

Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Shri Piyush Goyal felicitated the winners of LEAPS Awards 2025 across 13 categories spanning Core Logistics, MSMEs, Startups, Institutions and Special Categories at the LEAPS Awards 2025 and release of the LEADS Report 2025 today in New Delhi.

Shri Goyal today also released the LEADS 2025 report at the LEAPS Awards 2025 ceremony. The event witnessed participation from senior government officials, industry associations, logistics stakeholders, startups, MSMEs, academic institutions, members of evaluation committees and representatives from the logistics ecosystem.

Shri Piyush Goyal while addressing the LEAPS Awards 2025 and release of the LEADS Report 2025,  said India has covered 38 developed and prosperous economies through nine Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) over the last three and a half years, with four already operational and five more expected to come into force in the next 12 months. Minister said along with the FTAs concluded earlier with Japan, Korea and ASEAN countries, these agreements now cover more than two-thirds of global trade and economies.

Shri Goyal said India is also actively negotiating trade agreements with several countries and regions including Chile and Maldives, with both agreements expected to be concluded before the end of the year. He added that negotiations are also underway with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), which will cover all six Gulf nations including Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, in addition to Oman and the UAE. The Minister further said India is in active discussions with Canada, Eurasia, Mexico, SACU and Mercosur to expand trade engagement and market access opportunities.

The Minister added India achieved an all-time high export figure of USD 863 billion in the financial year ending March 31, 2026, despite global challenges including high tariffs, the continuing Ukraine conflict and the West Asia crisis. He noted that while global growth has slowed, India’s exports continued to grow, with services exports recording growth of around 8.5-9 per cent and overall exports growing by nearly 5 per cent over the previous year. He said the Government has now set an aspirational export target of USD 1 trillion for the current year, supported by the operationalisation of multiple FTAs and enhanced market access opportunities.

The Minister said the West Asia crisis, slowing global growth and other international disruptions should be viewed by India as opportunities to improve efficiency, reduce logistics costs, strengthen competitiveness and expand export markets. He stressed that continuous improvements in logistics, technology adoption and business processes would help India further enhance its export competitiveness and foreign exchange earnings.

Shri Piyush Goyal said Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has taken up reduction of logistics costs as an urgent national mission to make India globally competitive. He said investments in infrastructure, seamless logistics systems, faster transportation and improved delivery mechanisms are helping improve efficiencies, productivity and competitiveness. The Minister noted that both State Governments and private companies have contributed significantly towards strengthening the logistics ecosystem and expressed confidence that India can further reduce logistics costs through continued investments, innovation, startup-led solutions and improved efficiencies. He also highlighted that initiatives such as GST, decriminalisation of laws, reduction of compliance burdens and simplification of business processes are helping create a more seamless logistics and business environment in the country.

The Minister said India’s strengths include its democratic framework, large domestic demand, young population, diverse product and service offerings, strong digital infrastructure and skilled workforce. He highlighted that India produces 1.4 million STEM graduates annually and has emerged as a major destination for Global Capability Centres (GCCs), with nearly 1,700-1,800 GCCs already operational and another 500 in the pipeline.

He said the world is increasingly looking towards India for innovation, research and development and competitive manufacturing and services. He added that multinational companies are leveraging India’s talent pool, lower operational costs and robust digital ecosystem for expanding their global operations.

Referring to ongoing efforts to improve ease of doing business, Shri Goyal said the Government has undertaken decriminalisation of nearly 1,000 offences through the Jan Vishwas Bill and reduced around 42,000 compliance burdens. He added that further work is underway to simplify procedures, integrate databases and move more processes online.

The Minister also underlined the importance of balancing physical engagements with digital technologies in official interactions and negotiations. He said India is increasingly leveraging videoconferencing and digital platforms in trade negotiations and governance processes to improve efficiency.

The Minister urged all stakeholders to work collectively towards nation building and further strengthening India’s global competitiveness. He said every effort to improve efficiency, reduce costs and enhance productivity contributes towards making India a stronger economic power.

The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce & Industry, organised the award ceremony of LEAPS 2025 (Logistics Excellence, Advancement and Performance Shield), the flagship national initiative recognising excellence, innovation and best practices across the logistics ecosystem.

LEAPS 2025, the fourth edition of the initiative, has been designed to acknowledge organisations that have demonstrated leadership, operational excellence, innovation and sustainability in logistics and supply chain management. The initiative aligns with the vision of PM GatiShakti and the National Logistics Policy by promoting multimodality, efficiency enhancement, technology adoption and sustainable logistics practices.

Speaking on the occasion, Secretary, DPIIT Shri Amardeep Singh Bhatia highlighted the importance of an efficient and resilient logistics ecosystem in improving India’s global competitiveness and reducing logistics costs. He noted that LEAPS provides an important platform for recognising organisations that are driving transformation in the logistics sector through innovation, digitisation, sustainability and operational excellence.

The evaluation process for LEAPS 2025 was conducted through a structured and transparent mechanism. Online applications were invited through the Awrad portal of MHA (https://awards.gov.in/), from 13th October to 26th December 2025.

The Expert Committee meeting for LEAPS 2025 was held under the chairmanship of Joint Secretary, Logistics, DPIIT on 11th and 12th February 2026. Subsequently, the Award Committee meeting was held under the chairmanship of Secretary, DPIIT on 17th March 2026.

Applications were received across 13 categories, comprising Core Logistics, MSMEs, Institutions, Startups and Special Categories were evaluated and presented before the Expert Committee. The shortlisted applicants were further evaluated by the Award Committee.

The applicants were assessed on parameters including technological innovation, Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) practices, multimodality, alignment with the National Logistics Policy, operational efficiency, safety, research and development, gender diversity and contribution towards employment generation and skill development.

Shri Piyush Goyal also released the Logistics Ease Across Different States (LEADS) 2025 report today. LEADS is DPIIT’s flagship assessment of logistics performance across States and Union Territories and serves as a key benchmarking and reform tool for improving logistics efficiency across the country.

LEADS 2025 reflects the Government’s continued focus on integrated and data-driven logistics reforms under the PM GatiShakti National Master Plan and National Logistics Policy. The framework supports cooperative and competitive federalism by enabling States and UTs to benchmark performance, identify gaps and prioritise targeted logistics interventions.

The seventh edition of LEADS- LEADS 2025 marks a significant evolution in the assessment of India’s logistics landscape, featuring a more rigorous and refined evaluation methodology compared to previous years. LEADS 2025 also places greater emphasis on measurable and evidence-based indicators, with nearly 59% weightage assigned to objective indicators to strengthen assessment robustness and implementation tracking.

To better reflect the maturity and diverse progress of logistics ecosystems across the country, the LEADS 2025 framework has transitioned from its previous three-tier classification to a more comprehensive four-tier performance framework. The revised framework enables more nuanced assessment of logistics performance and supports targeted improvement pathways across different stages of logistics ecosystem development.

The New Four-Tier Categorization

The new four-tier categorization is as follows:

• Exemplars: Exemplars represent the top-performing States and Union Territories, demonstrating sustained excellence across policy, infrastructure, service delivery, and regulatory dimensions.

• Coastal States: Tamil Nadu

• Landlocked States: Uttar Pradesh

• North- Eastern States: Mizoram

• Union Territories: Delhi

• High Performers: High Performers comprise States and Union Territories that demonstrate strong and consistent outcomes across the majority of performance indicators.

  • Coastal States: Gujarat, Kerala, Maharashtra

  • Landlocked States: Haryana, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Bihar

  • North- Eastern States: Tripura, Meghalaya

  • Union Territories: Jammu & Kashmir, Puducherry

• Accelerators: Accelerators comprise States and Union Territories that have demonstrated notable improvement momentum and a clear reform orientation in recent years.

  • Coastal States: Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Goa, Karnataka

  • Landlocked States: Punjab, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh

  • North- Eastern States: Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Assam

  • Union Territories: Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu, Chandigarh, Ladakh, Lakshadweep

• Growth-Seekers:  Growth Seekers represent States and Union Territories that are at a foundational stage of logistics system development and institutional strengthening.

• Coastal States: West Bengal

• Landlocked States: Rajasthan

• North- Eastern States: Sikkim

• Union Territories: Andaman & Nicobar Islands

Overall, LEADS marks an important step toward strengthening evidence-based logistics planning and performance monitoring across States and Union Territories to support targeted reforms aimed at improving logistics efficiency, reducing logistics costs and strengthening India’s competitiveness.

The winners of LEAPS 2025 are as follows:

A. Core Logistics

1. Air Freight Service Provider – FedEx Express Transportation and Supply Chain Services (India) Pvt Ltd

2. Maritime Freight Service Provider – MSC Agency India Private Limited

3. Road Freight Service Provider – Safexpress Private Limited

4. Rail Freight Service Provider – DP World Rail Logistics Private Limited

5. Multimodal Transport Operators (MTOs) – Paradeep Parivahan Limited

6. Warehouse Service Provider (Industrial & Consumables) – TVS Industrial and Logistics Parks

7. Warehouse Service Provider (Agriculture) – Indicold Pvt Ltd

B. MSME

8. MSME Logistics Service Provider – Shipwaves Online Limited

C. Startup

9. Startup – Logistics Technology Service Provider – MatchLog Solutions Pvt Ltd

10. Startup – Logistics Operation Service Provider – Yellowings Delivery Services Private Limited

D. Institutions

11. Education Institute Promoting Logistics Sector – IIM Mumbai

E. Special Categories

12. Logistics Service Delivery for E-Commerce Operations – Delhivery Ltd

13. Multimodal Logistics Service Provider (3PL Service Provider, Freight Forwarder, Custom Broker/Agent) – Indev Infra Private Limited