Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Thursday advocated for Indian companies to form joint ventures with US companies to leverage their advanced technologies. Speaking at the AMCHAM's Annual Leadership Summit, Gadkari emphasized that India's position as the fastest-growing major economy makes such partnerships crucial for technological advancement. According to reports from Business Standard, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways is actively exploring possibilities of collaborating with US consultancy companies in preparing detailed project reports for road projects. As per Devdiscourse, Gadkari stated that "India is the fastest growing major economy... the US companies develop lots of new technologies, so it is very important for Indian companies to have joint venture with US companies."
Indian supply chains are facing unprecedented operational challenges as transport operators across multiple regions report diesel shortages, driver shortages, operational delays, and regulatory bottlenecks affecting truck movement. In an advisory issued on 20 May 2026, the All India Transporters Welfare Association (AITWA) warned manufacturers, exporters, importers, ports, and logistics stakeholders about "unprecedented operational disruptions" impacting the road transport sector. The association highlighted several factors including inconsistent diesel availability, vehicle idling, fleet shortages, delays linked to vehicle fitness procedures at RTOs, and implementation challenges surrounding mandatory Vehicle Location Tracking Device (VLTD) systems. AITWA also flagged the possibility of transport disruptions beginning 21 May in the Mundra Port, Gandhidham, and Kutch regions due to diesel shortages and operational actions announced by local transport associations.
Gadkari highlighted significant improvements in India's logistics efficiency, noting that logistics cost has decreased to single digits from the previous 16%. As reported by Business Standard, a comprehensive study by IIT Chennai, IIT Kanpur and IIM Bangalore revealed that India's expressway and economic corridor construction has been instrumental in this reduction. The minister noted that "India's logistics cost has now come down to single digit," with the study showing that India's expressway and economic corridor construction helped reduce the country's logistics cost to 10% from 16% earlier. According to Devdiscourse, Gadkari emphasized that "logistics cost is 12 per cent in the US, 12 per cent in European countries and 8-10 per cent in China," positioning India favorably in the global logistics landscape.
The transport minister shared impressive growth figures for India's automobile industry, stating that within five years, the target is to make India's automobile industry the number one globally. According to Business Standard, when Gadkari assumed charge as transport minister, the Indian automobile industry was valued at ₹14 trillion, which has now grown to ₹22 trillion. The sector currently employs 4 lakh youths and contributes the highest GST revenue to both the Centre and states. As reported by Devdiscourse, Gadkari added that "When I took charge as transport minister, the size of the Indian automobile industry was Rs 14 lakh crore. It is now Rs 22 lakh crore," positioning India behind the ₹78 trillion US industry and ₹47 trillion Chinese industry. The minister noted that "Within five years, our target is to make India's automobile industry the number 1 in the world," emphasizing the sector's rapid growth trajectory.
Gadkari highlighted India's dependence on fossil fuels as an economic burden, noting that ₹22 trillion is spent annually on fuel imports. As reported by Business Standard, the minister emphasized that this dependence creates both economic and environmental challenges. The government has identified 10 highway stretches across different parts of the country for plying green hydrogen-powered trucks to reduce vehicular pollution. These identified corridors include Greater Noida-Delhi-Agra, Bhubaneswar-Puri-Konark, Ahmedabad-Vadodara-Surat, Sahibabad-Faridabad-Delhi, Jamshedpur-Kalinganagar, Thiruvananthapuram-Kochi, and Jamnagar-Ahmedabad. According to Devdiscourse, Gadkari noted that "India's dependence on fossil fuels is an economic burden, as Rs 22 lakh crore is spent annually on fuel imports and is an environmental hazard, making the adoption of clean energy crucial for the country's progress."
