On 3rd September 2020, AMCHAM organized an interactive roundtable on ‘Strengthening Logistics: Positioning India in the Global Supply Chain.’ The event was an initiative of the Supply Chain & Logistics Committee and Manufacturing Committee. The session commenced with brief opening remarks by Ms. Ranjan Khanna, Director General CEO, AMCHAM India and Ms. Surabhi Wahal, Regional Director – Western Region, AMCHAM India. In the welcome address, Mr. Sanjay Koul, Vice Chair, AMCHAM, Chairman – Manufacturing Committee, AMCHAM and Chairman & Managing Director, Timken India Limited, welcomed the esteemed speakers and participants.

This was followed by an iinteractive panel dialogue with senior officials of port authorities. The esteemed panelists, Mr. Sanjay Sethi, Chairman, Jawaharlal Nehru Port (JNPT) and Mr. P. Raveendran, Chairman, Chennai Port Trust, shared insights into the ongoing initiatives and plans at the ports to enable better connectivity to railways and roadways and port led industrialization. The panel was moderated by Mr. Praveen Gosain, Chairman – Supply Chain & Logistics Committee, AMCHAM and Director (Supply Chain India), Corning Technologies India Pvt. Ltd.

Mr. Pawan Kumar Agarwal, Special Secretary (Logistics), Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India, delivered the keynote address stating that ports were an integral part of the logistics system of the country. He further shed insights on the government’s integrated approach to strengthening the supply chain, logistics, warehousing, transportation ecosystem and key points from the National Logistics Policy, as proposed.

The next segment included an interaction with senior officials of state governments. Mr. Gaurav Gupta IAS, Principal Secretary to Government, Commerce and Industries Department, Government of Karnataka, Mr. Venugopal Reddy B., Principal Secretary (Industries), Industries, Energy & Labor Department, Government of Maharashtra, Dr. S. Aneesh Sekhar IAS, Executive Director, Industrial Guidance and Export Promotion Bureau, Government of Tamil Nadu and Mr. Jayesh Ranjan IAS, Principal Secretary, Industries & Commerce/IT/Textiles, Government of Telangana, through their remarks highlighted the efforts of their respective states towards strengthening logistics, the incentives and policies that support the sector, the status of e-passes for interstate transport due to the pandemic, challenges and solutions in place to support industries and development of infrastructure. The discussion was moderated by Mr. Arijit Sen, Co-Chairman – Manufacturing Committee, AMCHAM and Senior Director, Global Government Affairs and Public Policy, Flex Group.

The event concluded with closing remarks and a vote of thanks by Mr. Mukul Varshney, Co-Chairman – Manufacturing Committee, AMCHAM and Director – Corporate Affairs, Media and Communications, John Deere India Pvt. Ltd.