Lack of Water Logistics start-ups
By: Amit Bhushan Date: 9th Oct. 2016
In spite of the several announcements, that water logistics space provides low cost transportation opportunities that can cut down logistics costs by more than 50% compared to existing modes, there seems to be a dearth. This is even as investments in logistics and supply chain ventures by say e-commerce sector has been on rise. However, it seems not to be of any concern to any party or leaders even though electoral stakes seem to be rising for nearly all parties/leaders. It is for everyone to ponder why is there a lack of start ups in these sector running their daily travel, tour & transportation services, even though these can be beneficial subject to right policy environment. The corporate in commodity sector struggling with loan repayment can save cost subject to entrepreneurs taking care to bring down transportation costs of coal, iron ore, fertilizers, petrochemicals etc. However these continued to be moved mostly via rail and/or road and corporate of all hues and colours have given such projects a miss, which only means they want such projects be considered when transportation prices have risen along with higher development costs.
If corporate were committing to use such services especially in bulk commodities like mineral and refined oils/motor-fuels, edible oils, coal and other minerals/metal products, building materials etc., financing by global players or local banks may not have been an issue but I present situation, number of projects is anyone’s guess. On the other hand there has been a rush for defence projects which shows the way system seems to be manipulated, but even the opposition or parties in fray don’t seem to be complaining loud enough. Of the track-record of parties who may have incentives to point out such issues (in power in states), there has been own problems related to say lack of development of food processing sector, power sector woes, corruption in roads/social sectors etc. mostly due to political meddling. There has been a lack of change in management for projects which may have gone awry and banks being saddled with bad debts but very little noise in so far since politicians have come across a single project where there has been gross violation of norms by existing management, out of so many bad loans, which actually speaks volumes about how people in system might be hand in gloves with politico-business nexus and this is true even about employees unions and those politicians who seem to be making noise about the issues rather than unraveling some meaningful details. So what we have is political posturing and newbies also seem to be playing along mostly apart from some scathing/loud but rather immaterial comments which is most likely to fail in the din of electoral noise/s.
Also while on the face of it, politicians have shown concerns regards high employment real estate sector, however continues ambiguity about land laws and complexity of the business, not to speak about man-made complexity in forms of numerous development authority following different procedures and marred with their own corruption racket. Added to this are woes related to labour and lack of sanitary/water/electric supply related municipal issues requiring political interventions to ensure project success which are not really policy driven currently in any of the states. This has ensured that there are no foreign investors while the domestic real estate developers are struck with unsold projects as well as bad debts with banks. The prices refuse to come down and employment remains subdued, while the government continues to make noise about housing for all with no one question or track its yearly achievements/progress which is visible to people across states. In spite of the all the above, our commercial news media seem to be on a long drive to celebrate ‘dance of democracy’ even as it continues to ignore ‘real issues’ afflicting people, but keep feeding people up on the rhetoric.
By: Amit Bhushan Date: 9th Oct. 2016
In spite of the several announcements, that water logistics space provides low cost transportation opportunities that can cut down logistics costs by more than 50% compared to existing modes, there seems to be a dearth. This is even as investments in logistics and supply chain ventures by say e-commerce sector has been on rise. However, it seems not to be of any concern to any party or leaders even though electoral stakes seem to be rising for nearly all parties/leaders. It is for everyone to ponder why is there a lack of start ups in these sector running their daily travel, tour & transportation services, even though these can be beneficial subject to right policy environment. The corporate in commodity sector struggling with loan repayment can save cost subject to entrepreneurs taking care to bring down transportation costs of coal, iron ore, fertilizers, petrochemicals etc. However these continued to be moved mostly via rail and/or road and corporate of all hues and colours have given such projects a miss, which only means they want such projects be considered when transportation prices have risen along with higher development costs.
If corporate were committing to use such services especially in bulk commodities like mineral and refined oils/motor-fuels, edible oils, coal and other minerals/metal products, building materials etc., financing by global players or local banks may not have been an issue but I present situation, number of projects is anyone’s guess. On the other hand there has been a rush for defence projects which shows the way system seems to be manipulated, but even the opposition or parties in fray don’t seem to be complaining loud enough. Of the track-record of parties who may have incentives to point out such issues (in power in states), there has been own problems related to say lack of development of food processing sector, power sector woes, corruption in roads/social sectors etc. mostly due to political meddling. There has been a lack of change in management for projects which may have gone awry and banks being saddled with bad debts but very little noise in so far since politicians have come across a single project where there has been gross violation of norms by existing management, out of so many bad loans, which actually speaks volumes about how people in system might be hand in gloves with politico-business nexus and this is true even about employees unions and those politicians who seem to be making noise about the issues rather than unraveling some meaningful details. So what we have is political posturing and newbies also seem to be playing along mostly apart from some scathing/loud but rather immaterial comments which is most likely to fail in the din of electoral noise/s.
Also while on the face of it, politicians have shown concerns regards high employment real estate sector, however continues ambiguity about land laws and complexity of the business, not to speak about man-made complexity in forms of numerous development authority following different procedures and marred with their own corruption racket. Added to this are woes related to labour and lack of sanitary/water/electric supply related municipal issues requiring political interventions to ensure project success which are not really policy driven currently in any of the states. This has ensured that there are no foreign investors while the domestic real estate developers are struck with unsold projects as well as bad debts with banks. The prices refuse to come down and employment remains subdued, while the government continues to make noise about housing for all with no one question or track its yearly achievements/progress which is visible to people across states. In spite of the all the above, our commercial news media seem to be on a long drive to celebrate ‘dance of democracy’ even as it continues to ignore ‘real issues’ afflicting people, but keep feeding people up on the rhetoric.