Unified Logistics Interface Platform
The Centre will soon roll out the Unified Logistics Interface Platform (ULIP) to drastically reduce logistics costs and make Indian goods competitive, integrating about 24 logistics systems across six ministries and departments to provide real-time data and fill a critical gap for efficient movement of goods through different modes.
It will reduce logistics cost and time, assisting just-in-time inventory management, and in eliminating tedious documentation. Most importantly, this will provide real-time information to all stakeholders, and improve international competitiveness. It was also emphasized that the solution should have the visibility of multi-modal transport, and all the existing systems of various ministries should be integrated with the ULIP system.
Unified Logistics Platform to Cut Cost, Boost Ease of Business
- The platform can be utilised by various government and private agencies, service providers, industry bodies, enterprises and start-ups to enable exchange of information on areal-time basis, ranging from cost to availability of containers and vacancy at ports, among other critical information.
- It will be an open and secure delivery platform, there will be interoperability, there will be scalability, security and accountability for data exchange.
- A private sector will then be able to clearly find out whether they should use road, rail, which container depot, logistics hub, ports and the time framework for sending their goods
- This will be one of the path-breaking initiatives to bring down the cost of logistics in India. There will be unified documentation and all data will be available on a real time basis. Logistics costs in india are high, accounting for 14% of GDP. Transportation and inventory costs account for more than 90% of these costs.
- Platform will be able to bring all processes linked to requests, compliances, certifications, approvals, feedback of all the ministries under one umbrella. Once information exchange within the system is set up, ULIP is likely to develop a unified documentation and reference system.
