DP World Report: Indian businesses diversify supply chains and build inventory

Indian businesses are actively redesigning their supply chains to strengthen resilience and capture new growth opportunities, with supplier diversification, strategic inventory and digitalisation emerging as key priorities, according to new research from DP World’s Global Trade Observatory.

The India Country Report 2026, based on a survey of 451 senior supply chain and logistics executives, finds that Indian businesses are placing greater emphasis on resilience than their global counterparts. Supplier diversification is the leading priority, followed by increasing inventory and friend-shoring. Technology adoption and entry into new markets are also key drivers, with more than half of Indian businesses having fully digitalised customer-facing services, compared with fewer than four in ten globally. AI is already improving route optimisation, documentation and customs efficiency, strengthening supply-chain resilience.

India’s evolving trade landscape is reinforcing this shift. The PLI scheme is strengthening domestic manufacturing, while expanding trade relationships are creating new sourcing and market opportunities. Since 2022, India has concluded trade agreements with the UAE, Australia, the UK, EFTA states, Oman, New Zealand and the European Union, with negotiations underway with the GCC and Israel. FTAs emerged as the top policy priority for further trade growth, cited by nearly half of executives, ahead of digitalisation and trade facilitation. Access to trade finance is also stronger in India, with 57% reporting reasonable availability, compared with 39% globally.

As businesses diversify sourcing and expand into new markets, positioning inventory closer to customers is becoming increasingly important. DP World’s integrated trade and logistics network in India spans ports, warehousing, freight forwarding and multimodal connectivity. It serves around a quarter of India’s EXIM container market through five container terminals with a combined annual capacity of 6 million TEUs, supported by three Free Trade Warehousing Zones, 5 million sq ft of warehousing space, five container freight stations and eight inland rail terminals. Its network also includes 16,000+ owned containers, an express logistics network covering 15,000 pin codes, digital freight forwarding and trade finance solutions, helping businesses trade more efficiently and build more resilient supply chains.

Rizwan Soomar, CEO & MD, Subcontinent, Central Asia, Levant and Egypt, DP World, said India’s trade story is entering a new phase, with businesses redesigning their supply chains to build resilience and unlock growth. He said diversified sourcing, strategic inventory, digitalisation and access to new markets are becoming increasingly important in navigating disruption, adding that DP World helps businesses trade with greater flexibility and efficiency by connecting ports, inland markets, logistics and technology, strengthening India’s competitiveness and role in global value chains.