Cold chain summit calls for improving capability than adding capacity
This will help overcome the annual post-harvest loss totallying $18.5 billion for Viksit Bharat
India boasts ample cold-storage capacity, yet the nation suffers substantial annual post-harvest losses exceeding $18.5 billion, with only 4% of perishables moving through organized cold chains. At the "Building Ecosystem for Viksit Bharat" summit, experts emphasized that the next phase must shift from merely adding capacity to enhancing capability, integration, utilization, and end-to-end connectivity.
Agriculture Minister Sukanta Kumar Panigrahi stressed that moving perishables efficiently, from harvest to market, is vital to preserving value and preventing waste. ASSOCHAM Chairman Saandip Wadhwa pointed out that India has made significant strides in expanding physical infrastructure, but the focus should now shift towards creating connectivity rather than merely increasing capacity.
With a projected capacity growth to 43.7 million tonnes by 2031, the emphasis should be on elevating the quality and effectiveness of the existing ecosystem. State Bank of India's DGM Mata Prasad highlighted the cold chain's potential to link agriculture infrastructure, food processing, and logistics exports, offering tailored financial solutions.
Former DGM Amrit Lal Meena advocated for industry associations and state governments to plan industrial townships, warehousing, and multimodal logistics parks at strategic infrastructure junctions. The summit concluded with a call for actionable recommendations to make Indian supply chains more competitive, resilient, and globally integrated.
Written by urgent.news from Hindu BusinessLine's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
