DPIIT developing warehouse, cold-chain grading standards with ADB: Joint Secretary

The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), in collaboration with the Asian Development Bank (ADB), is developing a grading and rating framework for warehouses and cold-chain facilities across India. The proposed system is intended to improve infrastructure quality and help certified facilities access government incentives and institutional credit.

Speaking at the third Logistics, Warehousing and Cold Chain Summit organised by FICCI, Pankaj Kumar, Joint Secretary at DPIIT, said the regulatory structure for the rating system is yet to be finalised. Options under consideration include oversight by a government agency or a self-regulatory mechanism led by industry bodies.

Warehouse standards cover infrastructure and operations

The proposed rating framework follows two sets of warehouse standards and guidelines recently circulated by DPIIT. These cover areas including facility design and construction, flooring, roofing, fire safety, security, occupational health, sustainability, illumination, material-handling equipment and racking systems.

The standards are intended to establish benchmarks for warehouse infrastructure and operational practices across the sector.

States to integrate warehousing into logistics policies

DPIIT is also working with state governments to incorporate warehousing and cold-chain infrastructure into state logistics policies. The department is supporting states in preparing city logistics plans covering warehouses, dark stores and cold-storage facilities.

The initiative is intended to bring logistics infrastructure into broader urban and state-level planning while improving coordination between warehousing, transportation and distribution networks.

Guidelines for multimodal logistics parks under development

Kumar also said DPIIT’s logistics division is drafting guidelines for multimodal logistics parks (MMLPs). The proposed guidelines would provide a framework for the development and operation of facilities designed to integrate multiple modes of freight transport.

The warehouse and cold-chain rating initiative, state-level logistics planning and MMLP guidelines form part of DPIIT’s broader efforts to standardise logistics infrastructure and improve the efficiency of India’s supply chain network.