Date: 2026-05-13Category: Press ReleaseState: Union GovernmentCountry: India
Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Shri Piyush Goyal Felicitates LEAPS 2025 Winners Across 13 Categories Celebrating Excellence in Logistics and Innovation
**Executive Summary**
On May 13, 2026, Union Minister Piyush Goyal felicitated the LEAPS 2025 award winners and released the LEADS 2025 report to benchmark logistics performance across Indian States and Union Territories. The report highlights India's record USD 863 billion exports in the previous fiscal year and sets a USD 1 trillion target for the current year, supported by the expected operationalization of five new Free Trade Agreements within the next 12 months. The central mission remains the reduction of logistics costs through the National Logistics Policy and PM GatiShakti to enhance global competitiveness.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Trade and Export Performance**
* Achieved an all-time high export figure of USD 863 billion for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2026.
* Set an aspirational export target of USD 1 trillion for the current year.
* India’s FTAs currently cover over two-thirds of global trade, with nine agreements concluded in the last 3.5 years.
* Active trade negotiations are underway with the GCC, Canada, Chile, Maldives, Mexico, and other key regions.
* **Logistics Benchmarking (LEADS 2025)**
* The LEADS 2025 report transitioned to a refined four-tier categorization for States and UTs: Exemplars, High Performers, Accelerators, and Growth-Seekers.
* Assessment robustness has been increased, with 59% weightage now assigned to objective indicators.
* The framework serves as a tool for cooperative federalism, allowing states to identify gaps and prioritize targeted interventions.
* **Logistics Excellence Awards (LEAPS 2025)**
* Recognized excellence across 13 categories, including Core Logistics, MSMEs, Startups, and Institutions.
* Evaluation parameters included technological innovation, ESG practices, multimodality, and alignment with the National Logistics Policy.
* Notable winners include FedEx Express (Air Freight), MSC Agency (Maritime), and Delhivery Ltd (E-commerce Operations).
* **Ease of Doing Business and Regulatory Reforms**
* Decriminalization of nearly 1,000 offences through the Jan Vishwas Bill.
* Reduction of approximately 42,000 compliance burdens to create a seamless business environment.
* Increasing use of digital platforms and videoconferencing in official trade negotiations to improve efficiency.
**Impact Analysis**
**State and Union Territory Governments**
**Impact**
States are now benchmarked under a more nuanced four-tier performance framework (Exemplars to Growth-Seekers), highlighting their efficiency in policy and infrastructure.
**Action Required**
States must use the LEADS 2025 findings to identify specific logistics gaps and implement targeted reforms to improve their ranking and reduce local logistics costs.
**Logistics Service Providers (MSMEs and Startups)**
**Impact**
Companies are recognized for innovation and operational excellence through the LEAPS initiative, while also benefiting from a simplified regulatory environment (GST, decriminalization).
**Action Required**
Stakeholders should adopt digital technologies, align with National Logistics Policy standards, and focus on sustainable practices to remain competitive.
**Global Investors and Multinational Companies**
**Impact**
India is positioned as a major destination for Global Capability Centres (GCCs) and competitive manufacturing, supported by a large STEM talent pool and expanding FTA coverage.
**Action Required**
MNCs are encouraged to leverage India’s robust digital ecosystem and lower operational costs to expand their global operations.
Key Entities Referenced
LEADS 2025: The flagship Logistics Ease Across Different States report, a benchmarking and reform tool for assessment of logistics performance across India's States and Union Territories.
LEAPS 2025: The Logistics Excellence, Advancement and Performance Shield, a national initiative and award ceremony recognizing innovation and best practices across the logistics ecosystem.
National Logistics Policy: The policy framework guiding the integrated and data-driven logistics reforms and the evaluation of logistics efficiency in India.
PM GatiShakti National Master Plan: A national initiative for infrastructure growth and multimodality that aligns with the objectives of logistics cost reduction and seamless supply chains.
Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT): The primary department under the Ministry of Commerce & Industry responsible for organizing the LEAPS awards and releasing the LEADS assessment report.
Ministry of Commerce & Industry
Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Shri
Piyush Goyal Felicitates LEAPS 2025 Winners
Across 13 Categories Celebrating Excellence in
Logistics and Innovation
Shri Piyush Goyal Releases LEADS 2025 Report to
Benchmark Logistics Performance Across States and Union
Territories
India’s FTAs Now Cover Over Two-Thirds of Global Trade;
Five More Agreements to Become Operational Within 12
Months: Shri Piyush Goyal
India Advancing Trade Talks with GCC, Canada, Chile,
Mexico and Other Key Regions: Shri Piyush Goyal
India Achieves Record USD 863 Billion Exports Despite
Global Headwinds; Sets USD 1 Trillion Export Target for
Current Year: Shri Piyush Goyal
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s Mission to Reduce
Logistics Costs Driving Infrastructure Growth, Seamless
Supply Chains and Greater Global Competitiveness: Shri
Piyush Goyal
Posted On: 13 MAY 2026 8:33PM by PIB Delhi
Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Shri Piyush Goyal felicitated the winners of LEAPS Awards
2025 across 13 categories spanning Core Logistics, MSMEs, Startups, Institutions and Special Categories
at the LEAPS Awards 2025 and release of the LEADS Report 2025 today in New Delhi.
Shri Goyal today also released the LEADS 2025 report at the LEAPS Awards 2025 ceremony. The event
witnessed participation from senior government officials, industry associations, logistics stakeholders,
startups, MSMEs, academic institutions, members of evaluation committees and representatives from the
logistics ecosystem.Shri Piyush Goyal while addressing the LEAPS Awards 2025 and release of the LEADS Report 2025,
said India has covered 38 developed and prosperous economies through nine Free Trade Agreements
(FTAs) over the last three and a half years, with four already operational and five more expected to come
into force in the next 12 months. Minister said along with the FTAs concluded earlier with Japan, Korea
and ASEAN countries, these agreements now cover more than two-thirds of global trade and economies.
Shri Goyal said India is also actively negotiating trade agreements with several countries and regions
including Chile and Maldives, with both agreements expected to be concluded before the end of the year.
He added that negotiations are also underway with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), which will cover
all six Gulf nations including Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, in addition to Oman and the UAE.
The Minister further said India is in active discussions with Canada, Eurasia, Mexico, SACU and
Mercosur to expand trade engagement and market access opportunities.
The Minister added India achieved an all-time high export figure of USD 863 billion in the financial year
ending March 31, 2026, despite global challenges including high tariffs, the continuing Ukraine conflict
and the West Asia crisis. He noted that while global growth has slowed, India’s exports continued to grow,
with services exports recording growth of around 8.5-9 per cent and overall exports growing by nearly 5
per cent over the previous year. He said the Government has now set an aspirational export target of USD
1 trillion for the current year, supported by the operationalisation of multiple FTAs and enhanced market
access opportunities.
The Minister said the West Asia crisis, slowing global growth and other international disruptions should be
viewed by India as opportunities to improve efficiency, reduce logistics costs, strengthen competitiveness
and expand export markets. He stressed that continuous improvements in logistics, technology adoption
and business processes would help India further enhance its export competitiveness and foreign exchange
earnings.
Shri Piyush Goyal said Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has taken up reduction of logistics costs as an
urgent national mission to make India globally competitive. He said investments in infrastructure,
seamless logistics systems, faster transportation and improved delivery mechanisms are helping improve
efficiencies, productivity and competitiveness. The Minister noted that both State Governments and
private companies have contributed significantly towards strengthening the logistics ecosystem and
expressed confidence that India can further reduce logistics costs through continued investments,
innovation, startup-led solutions and improved efficiencies. He also highlighted that initiatives such as
GST, decriminalisation of laws, reduction of compliance burdens and simplification of business processes
are helping create a more seamless logistics and business environment in the country.
The Minister said India’s strengths include its democratic framework, large domestic demand, young
population, diverse product and service offerings, strong digital infrastructure and skilled workforce. He
highlighted that India produces 1.4 million STEM graduates annually and has emerged as a major
destination for Global Capability Centres (GCCs), with nearly 1,700-1,800 GCCs already operational and
another 500 in the pipeline.
He said the world is increasingly looking towards India for innovation, research and development and
competitive manufacturing and services. He added that multinational companies are leveraging India’s
talent pool, lower operational costs and robust digital ecosystem for expanding their global operations.
Referring to ongoing efforts to improve ease of doing business, Shri Goyal said the Government has
undertaken decriminalisation of nearly 1,000 offences through the Jan Vishwas Bill and reduced around
42,000 compliance burdens. He added that further work is underway to simplify procedures, integrate
databases and move more processes online.The Minister also underlined the importance of balancing physical engagements with digital technologies
in official interactions and negotiations. He said India is increasingly leveraging videoconferencing and
digital platforms in trade negotiations and governance processes to improve efficiency.
The Minister urged all stakeholders to work collectively towards nation building and further strengthening
India’s global competitiveness. He said every effort to improve efficiency, reduce costs and enhance
productivity contributes towards making India a stronger economic power.
The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce & Industry,
organised the award ceremony of LEAPS 2025 (Logistics Excellence, Advancement and Performance
Shield), the flagship national initiative recognising excellence, innovation and best practices across the
logistics ecosystem.
LEAPS 2025, the fourth edition of the initiative, has been designed to acknowledge organisations that
have demonstrated leadership, operational excellence, innovation and sustainability in logistics and supply
chain management. The initiative aligns with the vision of PM GatiShakti and the National Logistics
Policy by promoting multimodality, efficiency enhancement, technology adoption and sustainable logistics
practices.
Speaking on the occasion, Secretary, DPIIT Shri Amardeep Singh Bhatia highlighted the importance of an
efficient and resilient logistics ecosystem in improving India’s global competitiveness and reducing
logistics costs. He noted that LEAPS provides an important platform for recognising organisations that are
driving transformation in the logistics sector through innovation, digitisation, sustainability and
operational excellence.
The evaluation process for LEAPS 2025 was conducted through a structured and transparent mechanism.
Online applications were invited through the Awrad portal of MHA (https://awards.gov.in/), from 13th
October to 26th December 2025.
The Expert Committee meeting for LEAPS 2025 was held under the chairmanship of Joint Secretary,
Logistics, DPIIT on 11th and 12th February 2026. Subsequently, the Award Committee meeting was held
under the chairmanship of Secretary, DPIIT on 17th March 2026.
Applications were received across 13 categories, comprising Core Logistics, MSMEs, Institutions,
Startups and Special Categories were evaluated and presented before the Expert Committee. The
shortlisted applicants were further evaluated by the Award Committee.
The applicants were assessed on parameters including technological innovation, Environmental, Social
and Governance (ESG) practices, multimodality, alignment with the National Logistics Policy, operational
efficiency, safety, research and development, gender diversity and contribution towards employment
generation and skill development.
Shri Piyush Goyal also released the Logistics Ease Across Different States (LEADS) 2025 report today.
LEADS is DPIIT’s flagship assessment of logistics performance across States and Union Territories and
serves as a key benchmarking and reform tool for improving logistics efficiency across the country.
LEADS 2025 reflects the Government’s continued focus on integrated and data-driven logistics reforms
under the PM GatiShakti National Master Plan and National Logistics Policy. The framework supports
cooperative and competitive federalism by enabling States and UTs to benchmark performance, identify
gaps and prioritise targeted logistics interventions.
The seventh edition of LEADS- LEADS 2025 marks a significant evolution in the assessment of India’s
logistics landscape, featuring a more rigorous and refined evaluation methodology compared to previous
years. LEADS 2025 also places greater emphasis on measurable and evidence-based indicators, withnearly 59% weightage assigned to objective indicators to strengthen assessment robustness and
implementation tracking.
To better reflect the maturity and diverse progress of logistics ecosystems across the country, the LEADS
2025 framework has transitioned from its previous three-tier classification to a more comprehensive four-
tier performance framework. The revised framework enables more nuanced assessment of logistics
performance and supports targeted improvement pathways across different stages of logistics ecosystem
development.
The New Four-Tier Categorization
The new four-tier categorization is as follows:
Exemplars: Exemplars represent the top-performing States and Union Territories, demonstrating
sustained excellence across policy, infrastructure, service delivery, and regulatory dimensions.
Coastal States: Tamil Nadu
Landlocked States: Uttar Pradesh
North- Eastern States: Mizoram
Union Territories: Delhi
High Performers: High Performers comprise States and Union Territories that demonstrate strong
and consistent outcomes across the majority of performance indicators.
Coastal States: Gujarat, Kerala, Maharashtra
Landlocked States: Haryana, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Bihar
North- Eastern States: Tripura, Meghalaya
Union Territories: Jammu & Kashmir, Puducherry
Accelerators: Accelerators comprise States and Union Territories that have demonstrated notable
improvement momentum and a clear reform orientation in recent years.
Coastal States: Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Goa, Karnataka
Landlocked States: Punjab, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh
North- Eastern States: Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Assam
Union Territories: Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu, Chandigarh, Ladakh,
Lakshadweep
Growth-Seekers: Growth Seekers represent States and Union Territories that are at a foundational
stage of logistics system development and institutional strengthening.
Coastal States: West Bengal
Landlocked States: Rajasthan
North- Eastern States: Sikkim
Union Territories: Andaman & Nicobar Islands
Overall, LEADS marks an important step toward strengthening evidence-based logistics planning and
performance monitoring across States and Union Territories to support targeted reforms aimed at
improving logistics efficiency, reducing logistics costs and strengthening India’s competitiveness.
The winners of LEAPS 2025 are as follows:
A. Core Logistics
1. Air Freight Service Provider – FedEx Express Transportation and Supply Chain Services
(India) Pvt Ltd
2. Maritime Freight Service Provider – MSC Agency India Private Limited
3. Road Freight Service Provider – Safexpress Private Limited
4. Rail Freight Service Provider – DP World Rail Logistics Private Limited5. Multimodal Transport Operators (MTOs) – Paradeep Parivahan Limited
6. Warehouse Service Provider (Industrial & Consumables) – TVS Industrial and Logistics
Parks
7. Warehouse Service Provider (Agriculture) – Indicold Pvt Ltd
B. MSME
8. MSME Logistics Service Provider – Shipwaves Online Limited
C. Startup
9. Startup – Logistics Technology Service Provider – MatchLog Solutions Pvt Ltd
10. Startup – Logistics Operation Service Provider – Yellowings Delivery Services Private
Limited
D. Institutions
11. Education Institute Promoting Logistics Sector – IIM Mumbai
E. Special Categories
12. Logistics Service Delivery for E-Commerce Operations – Delhivery Ltd
13. Multimodal Logistics Service Provider (3PL Service Provider, Freight Forwarder, Custom
Broker/Agent) – Indev Infra Private Limited
***
Abhishek Dayal/ Abhijith Narayanan/ Ishita Biswas
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