As India advances toward becoming a global auto hub, logistics emerges as the sector’s invisible engine—driving precision, managing EV complexities, and adapting to policy shifts that shape the future of mobility and manufacturing.
30 Jun 2025 | 377 Views | By Jitendra Srivastava, Triton Logistics & Maritime.
‘A single delayed shipment can hold up production on a thousand-vehicle assembly line.’
That's the relentless truth of the auto industry today—where precision, velocity, and strength drive competitive victory. India is rapidly becoming a global automotive and manufacturing powerhouse, with booming consumer demand, electric mobility technology, and ambitious government ...
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‘A single delayed shipment can hold up production on a thousand-vehicle assembly line.’
That's the relentless truth of the auto industry today—where precision, velocity, and strength drive competitive victory. India is rapidly becoming a global automotive and manufacturing powerhouse, with booming consumer demand, electric mobility technology, and ambitious government initiatives fuelling growth. Every car on the road, however, is supported by an advanced logistics platform that is constantly changing to keep up with the rapidly changing industry.
The Indian auto industry is going through a make-or-break phase currently, becoming a leading hub for electric mobility, green technology, and mass production. But turning it into a reality hinges on an equally future-proof logistics system. In the case of Just-in-Time production, enabling exports of the last mile, or safe transport of high-value electric vehicle parts, modern logistics not only serves the auto industry but also drives it.
“In automotive logistics, timing isn’t just a metric—it’s a responsibility. Our job is to keep things moving even when the world doesn’t,” said Jitendra Srivastava, CEO, Triton Logistics & Maritime.
Supply Chain at a Crossroads: Challenges Facing the Auto Sector
The world of automotive logistics is no longer merely about moving material. It's about orchestration—synchronising operations with production lines, integrating global and domestic suppliers smoothly, and navigating a maze of regulatory systems and environmental regulations.
With just-in-time manufacturing models so vulnerable to any misstep, even minor shipping delays or supplier breakdowns can lead to production halts. Recent disruptions like semiconductor shortages and raw material delays have shown how exposed current systems are.
The industry's transition to electric vehicles also adds a level of logistical complexity because these batteries require particular handling, safety precautions, and temperature-controlled conditions. While India's infrastructure is shifting towards enhancement, it continues to be plagued by fragmentation that hampers the cross-border movement of goods as well as last-mile delivery.
As a result, documentation and compliance are changing quickly, especially regarding sustainability disclosures. Amid this high-speed scenario, logistics has transformed from a modest backend process to a critical competency that can make or break manufacturers and suppliers alike.
Logistics as a Strategic Lever: Managing Speed, Precision, and Transformation
As the automotive sector moves into its next phase of growth, logistics is taking on a strategic, technology-driven role. Across factory floors and dealer networks, speed and visibility throughout operations are increasingly a requirement. Advanced levers come into play in this situation.
AI-powered control towers enable real-time decision-making and dynamic rerouting in the case of unexpected disruptions—weather, port closures, or geopolitical conflicts. For EV manufacturing, cold chain logistics and safety-first custom enclosures handle high-value batteries with care, compliance, and confidence.
Paperless documentation flows and seamless ERP software are significantly improving cross-border visibility while reducing errors. At the same time, multimodal route optimisation and Just-in-Sequence (JIS) logistics are helping manufacturers coordinate the supply of thousands of components to exact production schedules.
Simultaneously, ESG-aligned logistics models such as carbon-neutral shipping partners and energy-efficient warehouses are emerging as new norms, especially as auto majors tie logistics KPIs to sustainability metrics. Overall, these levers are helping manufacturers and suppliers de-risk operations and build future-proof capabilities.
Policy Tailwinds Driving Forward Momentum
Around the world, governments are recognising that the future of car expansion is in stronger, smarter supply chains. Trade policies, green mobility incentives, and infrastructure investments now all seek to empower not just car manufacturers, but logistics networks that drive them.
In India, programs like the Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for Advanced Automotive Technologies and battery storage are stimulating indigenous demand and innovation for agile, compliant logistics, especially for hydrogen and electric vehicles. Concurrently, programs like GST, Gati Shakti, and the PM E-Drive scheme are making freight mobility easier, enabling faster integration into warehouses, and stimulating EV consumption at scale.
Around the globe, policy initiatives like the EU's Green Deal, US CHIPS Act, and emerging Asia-Pacific trade agreements are aligning manufacturing and logistics agendas, requiring cleaner transport, more resilient supply, and better cross-border flow. Together, these policies are transforming the auto industry's logistics foundation into a cleaner, more resilient, and future-focused decade of disruption and growth.
India's vision of becoming a global auto manufacturing powerhouse depends not only on assembly lines but also on the invisible arteries of logistics that feed them. As the sector evolves from an ICE to EV and from localised to global supply chains, the role of logistics will further deepen in significance.
Jitendra Srivastava is CEO at Triton Logistics & Maritime. Views expressed are the author's personal.