Uniform packaging rules set to lower logistics costs

Interministerial consultations for draft norms; final rules by fiscal end

- Dhirendra Kumar, Subhash Narayan

The government is working on packaging standards that would mandate optimum space utilisation in warehouses, a move that would support its objective of lowering its logistics costs from a high 14-15% of gross domestic product GDP) to the 7-8% seen in advanced economies.

The Union commerce ministry is working on standards that will cover racking arrangements, lifting, loading and unloading, two officials aware of the matter said, adding the rules will be part of the national logistics policy NLP).

A draft of the standards will go through interministerial consultations, and the final rules are likely before the end of the financial year, said one of the two officials quoted above, both of whom spoke on condition of anonymity.

Queries sent to the commerce ministry remained unanswered till press time.