The Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways (MoPSW) on Friday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Shillong to set up India’s first ‘Gati Shakti Research Chair’.
The Chair will contribute towards high-quality academic research on multimodal logistics with a North-East focus: building knowledge on multimodal logistics development strategies and practice in the North-Eastern region, facilitate knowledge and innovation for logistical capacity building in the region.
Further, the chair also aims to foster collaboration with global experts in creating and developing knowledge and expertise while strengthening the links between the multimodal logistics research and capacity-building activities with key stakeholders such as the logistics industry, government bodies, local authorities, and other partners and associations.
According to the Ministry, the chair will also support the multimodal logistics research activities, capacity building and outputs to enable PM Gati Shakti Masterplan to power the East and North-East Region’s logistical capacity.
Addressing the occasion, Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal said, “With the establishment of this chair at your prestigious institute, the Northeast is poised to take lead in the research & development of multimodal logistics activities, capacity building and outputs. Students fraternity will now have an opportunity to hone their skills and build their careers in the field of logistics.”
A Strategic Round Table was also organised to discuss the multimodal logistics development strategy for connecting the North Eastern Region (NER) to the wider national and international regions to strengthen the local economy at the Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Centre for Policy Research and Analysis Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Shillong.
The meet attempted at strategizing for the development of a collective NER logistics Policy in line with the National Logistic Mission as well as steps for the operationalization and implementation of the policies related to multimodal logistics in the NER.
The initiative will foster research and innovation and underscore its recognition of the vital significance of multimodal logistics in the overall development of the NER and establish a robust institutional support. Through the MoU, the Ministry will also actively guide in shaping the research agenda, steering research priorities in line with the nation’s multimodal connectivity objectives, providing valuable industry insights, and facilitating collaboration among researchers, policymakers, and industry stakeholders.