"IMEC Plus":Building India's Path to Global Trade Leadership

At the recently held IMEC Conclave 2025, Mr. Auguste Tano Kouamé, Country Director of the World Bank in India, spoke about India’s logistics transformation and the strategic promise of the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC).

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Logistics: The Bedrock of India’s Trade Vision

“Let me begin by emphasising that logistics is a critical agenda item for India,” Kouamé stated. “We've heard about flagship initiatives like PM Gati Shakti and the National Logistics Policy, which reflect India’s commitment to transforming its logistics ecosystem.”

Despite these efforts, challenges remain. Logistics costs in India are estimated to account for nearly 13% of GDP—a stark contrast to global benchmarks like Germany and France, where such costs are already in single digits. “The ambition, as articulated by policymakers, is to reduce these costs to single digits,” Kouamé noted.

Tracking India’s Progress through the Logistics Performance Index

The World Bank’s Logistics Performance Index (LPI) offers a broader lens to assess a country’s trade environment. “India’s performance on the LPI has improved significantly over the past decade,” Kouamé remarked. “In fact, we expect the next edition of the index to reflect continued progress. The Prime Minister himself has set the goal of positioning India within the top 20 globally, and we believe this is entirely achievable in the coming years.”

IMEC as a Catalyst for Trade and Development