New Delhi [India], August 17 (ANI): Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, on Sunday affirmed that India's logistics cost will come down to single-digit by the end of 2026.

The logistics cost of India is 14-16 per cent, China's is 8 per cent, and Europe and America have 12 per cent each, Gadkari said, addressing the event in the national capital that marked the inauguration of two major National Highway projects by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

'I want to assure the Prime Minister and all of you that before the end of 2026, the logistics cost of our country will come in the single digits, which will be very important for our exports. We will become even more competitive,' the Minister said.

Prime Minister Modi today inaugurated two major National Highway projects worth a combined cost of nearly Rs 11,000 crore.

The projects -- the Delhi section of the Dwarka Expressway and the Urban Extension Road-II (UER-II) -- have been developed under the Government's comprehensive plan to decongest the capital, with the objective of greatly improving connectivity, cutting travel time, and reducing traffic in Delhi and its surrounding areas.

The 10.1 km long Delhi section of Dwarka Expressway has been developed at a cost of around Rs. 5,360 crore. The section will also provide Multi-modal connectivity to Yashobhoomi, DMRC Blue line and Orange line, the upcoming Bijwasan railway station and the Dwarka cluster Bus Depot. This section comprises:

The Prime Minister earlier inaugurated the 19 km long Haryana section of the Dwarka Expressway in March 2024.

Prime Minister also inaugurated the Alipur to Dichaon Kalan stretch of Urban Extension Road-II (UER-II) along with new links to Bahadurgarh and Sonipat, built at a cost of around Rs 5,580 crores.

It will ease traffic on Delhi's Inner and Outer Ring Roads and busy points like Mukarba Chowk, Dhaula Kuan, and NH-09. The new spurs will provide direct access to Bahadurgarh and Sonipat, enhance industrial connectivity, reduce city traffic, and expedite goods movement in the NCR.

... With both these projects, the people of Delhi NCR will get great relief from traffic jams. If I say that the problem of 50 per cent traffic jam in Delhi will be reduced due to these highways, I think it will not be surprising,' Union Minister Gadkari said. (ANI)