PM Modi flags off multi-modal logistics park under Gati Shakti in Chennai

CBRE South Asia Pvt. Ltd, India's leading consulting firm has been appointed as the advisor for the development of a multi-modal logistics park in Chennai. The foundation stone of the project was today laid by the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi at JLN Indoor Stadium on Thursday.

Part of the Government's visionary Gati Shakti-National Master Plan, the MMLP is being developed near the Tamil Nadu city of Chennai, in Mappedu, over an area of 184.27 acres.

The MMLP in Chennai is expected to be a cutting-edge facility with smart technologies that will address the long-standing "last-mile" delivery difficulty. Warehouses, cold storage, cargo terminals, custom facilities, truck terminals, accommodation and boarding facilities for truckers, commercial facilities, and the ability to handle diverse commodities will all be provided by the Chennai MMLP. The development of the MMLP would allow shippers the flexibility to choose between different modes of transportation.

Speaking about the project, Anshuman Magazine, Chairman & CEO - India, South-East Asia, Middle East & Africa, CBRE shared, "Chennai is a vital site for supply chain and logistics in the south, serving as a gateway for local and international trade. We are honoured to have been chosen to collaborate with the government on its nation-building vision and goal. This project will help to strengthen the country's economy while also facilitating and encouraging seamless exports. Our global perspective and specific knowledge in the logistics industry will aid us in providing essential support and guidance on projects of this size and scope. CBRE will assist the government in the implementation of one of its most ambitious programmes, aimed at making India a more resilient, competitive, and vibrant economic hub"

CBRE is also the consultant for MMLPs across four other locations including Mumbai, Silchar, Coimbatore and Hyderabad. These projects are a part of the promising Bharatmala Pariyojana programme launched for the development of world-class infrastructure dedicated to smooth and seamless freight transport across air, road, rail, and water routes.

The 35 MMLP projects will cumulatively create over 2 lakh job opportunities in the coming years and reduce logistics costs monetarily and ecologically by a notable margin. Currently, more than 70% of the national cargo moves through roads and national highways causing pollution and stress on the roads.

These MMPLs will help in bringing the logistics costs down from the present 13-14% of India's GDP to the 8-10%, the investment benchmark a followed by developed nations such as Japan and the EU. The project aims to transform the Indian infrastructure and logistics landscape by bringing greater efficiencies and eliminating operational redundancies.

Preetham Mehra, Senior Executive Director & Head - Government Practice, CBRE India said, "By knowledge and domain expertise, CBRE India has pioneered various public-private collaborations. MMLP is another such initiative that involves a deep understanding and specialized knowledge of the logistics sector and we are glad to partner with the government's vision. The MMLP will improve the country's logistics sector by lowering overall freight costs and time, optimizing warehousing costs, reducing vehicular pollution & congestion and improving the tracking and traceability of consignments. Along with the 5 projects currently assigned to CBRE, we look forward to many more opportunities of working with the implementing agencies."