Aiming to make Uttar Pradesh a logistics hub and to boost exports, the Uttar Pradesh government will be developing a network of dry ports in the state. Ahead of the Global Investors Summit to be held in February 2023 that has been helmed by the chief minister Yogi Adityanath, UP has also received investment from international as well as domestic companies in this sector.
The state’s new Warehousing and Logistics Policy 2022 encourages investors for investment in warehousing and logistics as well as in dry ports. The state government aims to strengthen existing dry ports, inland container depots, freight stations and logistics terminals at suitable locations with access to road corridors, quality network of 4-lane and 6-lane highways, interlinking roads etc.
Through this policy, the state government plans to attract investment for the development of dry ports with modern facilities.
The state government will also be upgrading the Logistics infrastructure in Uttar Pradesh, which includes Rail Linked Joint Domestic and Exim Terminal, Rail Linked Private Freight Terminal at Moradabad and Inland Container Depot (ICD) at Kanpur, apart from ICD at Dadri Terminal. The state is benefiting from terminals being developed near or along inland waterways and multi-modal terminals being developed near or along freight corridors.
India's first 'Freight Village' is being developed in an area of 100 acres in Varanasi. The village will act as a trans-shipment hub for inbound and outbound cargo, connecting the export centres of eastern Uttar Pradesh with the ports of eastern India.
Meanwhile, investors have already started showing interest in investing in this project. MoUs have also been signed with many investors. MoU worth Rs 1300 crores has been signed with Saraf Group of UAE, while Hindustan Port Pvt. Ltd. has signed an MoU worth Rs.200 crores.
Apart from this, Mobility Infrastructure Group of US has signed MoU worth Rs 8200 crores, while Best Bay Trucking has signed MoUs worth Rs 1000 crores. Singapore's Star Consortium Pvt. Ltd. has inked MoU worth Rs 1000 with the UP government.
In addition to this, DP World of UAE has also agreed to invest in setting up a joint venture in the field of logistics and cargo. Under the joint venture, the company will require 2000 acres of land. Investment in this sector will provide employment opportunities to thousands of people in Uttar Pradesh.