JAMMU: The Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Jammu today organised the “ICC Jammu Trade & Logistics Conclave 2025”, bringing together senior government leaders, policymakers, industry heads, logistics experts, and representatives of civil society to deliberate on strengthening Jammu & Kashmir’s trade and logistics ecosystem. The event carries added importance as the Indian Chamber of Commerce marks 100 years of its establishment.
Welcoming the participants, Rahul Sahai, Chairman ICC Jammu, extended gratitude to the Chief Guest, Lieutenant Governor of J&K, Manoj Sinha, for his presence and for the transformative governance reforms implemented across the Union Territory since 2020. He also acknowledged the dignitaries in attendance, including Vikramjit Singh, IPS, Commissioner Secretary, Industries & Commerce Department, and Debmalya Banerjee, Regional Director, ICC Northern Region.
Addressing the Conclave, the Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha, said Jammu is rapidly emerging as a trade and logistics hub connecting Ladakh and the Kashmir Valley with India’s major trade corridors. He noted that the unprecedented expansion of road and rail connectivity over the last five years has unlocked the region’s vast economic potential.
The LG highlighted that the National Logistics Policy, launched under the leadership of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has accelerated reforms across the logistics ecosystem, strengthened multimodal connectivity, enhanced digital integration, and transformed national infrastructure planning. Improvements in storage, last-mile connectivity, and logistics capabilities, he said, have ensured that even remote regions remain connected to mainstream development, with growing e-commerce penetration and an expanding retail sector driving the demand for warehousing and logistics facilities in the UT.
Emphasising the need for a modern logistics ecosystem, the LG said a robust storage, warehouse, and transport framework is essential for achieving self-reliance, enabling smooth producer-to-consumer linkages, and fulfilling the aspirations of traders, industrialists, farmers, artisans, and MSMEs.
He announced that the Jammu & Kashmir Logistics Policy 2025 will be unveiled shortly, introducing a comprehensive framework focusing on multimodal logistics, development of dry ports and warehousing zones, and large-scale private-sector participation. The new policy will also accord industry status to the logistics sector, making it eligible for the full range of benefits under the industrial policy.
The LG further informed that under the PM GatiShakti National Master Plan, 49 major logistics and connectivity projects worth ₹3,000 crore have already been mapped, improving coordination, reducing logistics costs, and strengthening last-mile connectivity to industrial estates. He also announced the establishment of a Multi-Modal Logistics Park (MMLP) at Vijaypur, Jammu, under a PPP–DBFOT model, featuring an Inland Container Depot, warehousing complexes, cold storage facilities, a truck terminal, and a container freight station.
The Conclave included sectoral presentations by senior experts and officials, including:
- Uchit Singhal, IRTS, Senior Divisional Commercial Manager, Northern Railway Jammu Division
- Surinder Bamal, General Manager, Punjab Container Corporation of India
- Vishesh Paul Mahajan, JKAS, Transport Commissioner, J&K
- Haseeb Mughal, IPS, DIG Traffic Jammu
- Dr. Arun Manhas, Director, Industries & Commerce Jammu
- Amit Kumar Tamaria, Joint Director, MSME-DFO Jammu
- Ashok Gupta, General Manager, J&K Bank
- Navin Kumar Chaurasia, Regional Officer, Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, GoI
- Karan Singh Wazir, Chairman, All J&K Transport Welfare Association
They addressed emerging opportunities and challenges across railway cargo, air cargo, containerised movement, road transport, warehousing, and the broader logistics ecosystem.
The event also witnessed strong participation from Jammu’s trade bodies, industry groups, and civil society members, including representatives from the Raghunath Bazar Association, Kanak Mandi Traders Association, Ware House Traders Federation, Jammu Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Association of Industries Gangyal, and several other organisations.
In his concluding remarks, Rahul Sahai said the Conclave aligns with the Prime Minister’s vision of Viksit Bharat @2047, underlining logistics as the backbone of economic growth and a catalyst in positioning Jammu as a major industrial and commercial gateway for North India. He expressed confidence that the actionable insights and policy directions generated at the Conclave will contribute significantly to building a strong, efficient, and integrated logistics ecosystem in Jammu & Kashmir.
