India’s rapid push to build out infrastructure has ushered in a new phase of growth powered by major investments across energy, metals, manufacturing, and urban development. As these large projects scale up, the project logistics landscape is undergoing a structural reset. Companies now face a far more demanding environment—remote sites, intricate ODC movements, tighter compliance norms, and rising pressure to meet accelerated timelines. At the same time, multimodal corridors, digital visibility tools, and evolving policy frameworks are reshaping how cargo moves across the country.
In this interview, Venkateswara Rao, Head Logistics, APAR Industries, offers his view on how these shifts are playing out on the ground. He discusses the changing approach to supply chain planning for large projects, the growing importance of risk assessment in remote regions, the expanding role of rail and coastal shipping, the influence of new digital technologies, and the policy interventions that could redefine India’s project logistics ecosystem in the years ahead.
In project logistics, what changes are you seeing in the way large infrastructure or energy projects are planning their supply chains today?
A few years ago, especially before COVID, planning was very different. A route survey for a large project could take up to 30 days. Today, with digital twins, AI, drones, and laser-based tools, we can complete the same work in just a few days.
Earlier, there were many approximations because manual measurements were common. Now, technology allows us to inspect a bridge down to the strength of a specific pillar and assess whether a heavy-lift vehicle can safely pass. Drones and laser scanners have replaced physical tapes, and simulations help us visualise how equipment will move across each terrain. Technological logistics has transformed project logistics.
Many project sites are located in remote regions with limited infrastructure. How do you evaluate and mitigate the risks involved in reaching these locations?
That’s an important question. When I worked with Vedanta Aluminium, our refinery was being set up in Lanjigarh in Odisha—a very remote and underdeveloped region. We moved massive ODCs like pressure vessels and filters for a 1.4 million-tonne alumina refinery.
The key is planning. You must study terrain, bridges, soil conditions, road strength, and overhead lines at the design stage itself. You always need plans A, B, and C because India’s weather, monsoons, and administrative permissions can affect movement.
Twenty years ago, access to such locations was extremely difficult. Today, national highways and better connectivity have reduced the concept of “remote”. You can reach almost anywhere if the planning is right.
With the growing emphasis on multimodal movement, how well is the current ecosystem—road, rail, coastal shipping—supporting large and overdimensional project cargo?
India has made major progress. Earlier, our logistics cost was around 14% of GDP, while developed countries operate at 6–8%. Without multimodal movement, reducing cost is impossible.
When I joined Jindal Stainless five years ago, the company moved about one million tonnes. Today, they move nearly three million tonnes from a remote location like Jajpur. That scale-up happened only because we adopted multimodal movement—rail, coastal, and road—rather than depending on trucks alone.
Shifting to rail alone brought down costs by 15–20%. The ease of doing business in logistics has improved significantly.
What role do you see railways playing in improving project cargo timelines and cost efficiency, especially as more routes open up for ODC and heavy-lift movements?
Rail is critical. Roads—whether national or state—cannot support heavy ODC movement throughout the day. Night movement restrictions and infrastructure limitations make road movement difficult.
Moving ODCs by rail can cost less than half of what it costs by road. Globally too, heavy lifts are moved primarily by rail or inland waterways.
For example, Tata put up a 120-metric-tonne lift in an interior location by using inland waterways on the Mahanadi River. Rail and waterways are the future for large cargo.
This is an abridged version of the article published in the February edition of the Logistics Insider magazine. To read the complete interaction, click here.
