Credit: GRI InstituteCan port-centric warehousing unlock India's supply chain potential?
Senior decision-makers examine emerging opportunities, infrastructure gaps, and policy shifts in the Indian logistics sector
July 8, 2025Real Estate
Written by Isabella Toledo
As demand for supply chain efficiency intensifies, India faces mounting pressure to streamline its logistics infrastructure and reduce costs. High logistics expenses have long been identified as a hurdle to competitiveness, especially when compared with nations such as China.
In response, the Indian government has launched a comprehensive drive to enhance port efficiency and integrate rail, road, and waterways into a cohesive logistics framework under the National Infrastructure Pipeline.
Efficient port infrastructure is critical, directly influencing the country’s capacity to participate in global trade. Major ports such as Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) have struggled with capacity limitations, resulting in bottlenecks and delays.
To address these issues, privatisation has been prioritised, enabling improved management and the adoption of advanced technologies to boost port throughput, ease congestion, and lower cargo clearance costs.
Additionally, the development of specialised facilities, such as container freight stations (CFS) and Free Trade Warehousing Zones (FTWZ), aims to streamline customs processes and enhance storage capabilities.
However, their effectiveness is often undermined by a fragmented regulatory landscape, with significant variations in rules across states creating confusion, delays, and increased costs for businesses.
Recent reforms such as the introduction of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) and the development of dedicated freight corridors have streamlined logistics and improved connectivity.
Yet, a more cohesive policy framework is needed - one that integrates warehousing with broader urban and industrial planning and aligns port development with multimodal transport infrastructure.
Securing affordable, suitable land close to ports is often a costly and lengthy process, with high land prices near major ports such as JNPT, Chennai, and Kolkata remaining as a major barrier to developing large-scale facilities, despite government SEZ and FTWZ efforts..
Operational expenses can also be substantial; while proximity reduces logistics costs, higher rents, construction costs, and the need for specialised infrastructure - such as multi-storey warehouses and automated systems - increase capital expenditure and extend return on investment cycles.
To address these challenges, many firms adopt operational expenditure (OpEx)-focused models, favouring leased spaces or pay-per-use arrangements that offer flexibility and lower upfront costs. This approach is particularly suited to third-party logistics providers, micro-fulfilment centres, and e-commerce businesses requiring scalable solutions.
Although the government has made efforts to address this issue, many of these areas remain fully subscribed or burdened by regulatory constraints, making land acquisition costly and time-consuming.
Infrastructure connectivity also poses a critical bottleneck. While dedicated freight corridors and port modernisation projects have progressed, gaps persist between ports and the wider supply chain, causing delays and increasing costs that hinder warehouse efficiency.
Nonetheless, strong opportunities arise from rising demand for faster, more efficient logistics. Integrating value-added services - such as manufacturing, assembly, packaging, and quality control - within port zones can transform ports into hubs of industrial activity and distribution, as seen in China and Dubai.
Additionally, emerging port infrastructure in locations like Kandla and Mundra offers fresh potential for port-centric warehousing - with expanding manufacturing activity, improving transport connectivity, and the privatisation of some port operations creating scope for increased efficiency and innovation.
As demand for supply chain efficiency intensifies, India faces mounting pressure to streamline its logistics infrastructure and reduce costs. High logistics expenses have long been identified as a hurdle to competitiveness, especially when compared with nations such as China.
In response, the Indian government has launched a comprehensive drive to enhance port efficiency and integrate rail, road, and waterways into a cohesive logistics framework under the National Infrastructure Pipeline.
Efficient port infrastructure is critical, directly influencing the country’s capacity to participate in global trade. Major ports such as Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) have struggled with capacity limitations, resulting in bottlenecks and delays.
To address these issues, privatisation has been prioritised, enabling improved management and the adoption of advanced technologies to boost port throughput, ease congestion, and lower cargo clearance costs.
Additionally, the development of specialised facilities, such as container freight stations (CFS) and Free Trade Warehousing Zones (FTWZ), aims to streamline customs processes and enhance storage capabilities.
Government Policies and Regulatory Impact
Special Economic Zones (SEZs) and FTWZs are central policy tools designed to facilitate trade by offering tax exemptions, customs duty deferments, and simplified clearance procedures, making them attractive for port-centric warehousing.However, their effectiveness is often undermined by a fragmented regulatory landscape, with significant variations in rules across states creating confusion, delays, and increased costs for businesses.
Recent reforms such as the introduction of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) and the development of dedicated freight corridors have streamlined logistics and improved connectivity.
Yet, a more cohesive policy framework is needed - one that integrates warehousing with broader urban and industrial planning and aligns port development with multimodal transport infrastructure.
(GRI Institute)
Financial and Operational Considerations in Port-Centric Warehousing
The financial sustainability of port-centric warehousing in India is a crucial concern for investors and businesses. While operational benefits include reduced transportation costs and faster clearance, financial feasibility hinges on factors such as land costs, infrastructure, and business models.Securing affordable, suitable land close to ports is often a costly and lengthy process, with high land prices near major ports such as JNPT, Chennai, and Kolkata remaining as a major barrier to developing large-scale facilities, despite government SEZ and FTWZ efforts..
Operational expenses can also be substantial; while proximity reduces logistics costs, higher rents, construction costs, and the need for specialised infrastructure - such as multi-storey warehouses and automated systems - increase capital expenditure and extend return on investment cycles.
To address these challenges, many firms adopt operational expenditure (OpEx)-focused models, favouring leased spaces or pay-per-use arrangements that offer flexibility and lower upfront costs. This approach is particularly suited to third-party logistics providers, micro-fulfilment centres, and e-commerce businesses requiring scalable solutions.
Challenges and Opportunities in Port-Centric Warehousing
Despite its clear advantages, developing port-centric warehousing in India faces significant challenges. A major hurdle among these is the scarcity of suitable land near major ports such as Mumbai, Chennai, and Kolkata, where high demand limits the development of large-scale, cost-effective facilities.Although the government has made efforts to address this issue, many of these areas remain fully subscribed or burdened by regulatory constraints, making land acquisition costly and time-consuming.
Infrastructure connectivity also poses a critical bottleneck. While dedicated freight corridors and port modernisation projects have progressed, gaps persist between ports and the wider supply chain, causing delays and increasing costs that hinder warehouse efficiency.
Nonetheless, strong opportunities arise from rising demand for faster, more efficient logistics. Integrating value-added services - such as manufacturing, assembly, packaging, and quality control - within port zones can transform ports into hubs of industrial activity and distribution, as seen in China and Dubai.
Additionally, emerging port infrastructure in locations like Kandla and Mundra offers fresh potential for port-centric warehousing - with expanding manufacturing activity, improving transport connectivity, and the privatisation of some port operations creating scope for increased efficiency and innovation.