<p data-path-to-node="4">The Government of India, through the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, has partnered with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to develop and implement a standardized grading and rating system for the nation’s warehousing and cold-chain facilities.</p><p data-path-to-node="5">The joint initiative aims to create an objective, data-backed evaluation architecture that benchmarks modern storage assets against global standards, driving operational efficiency across domestic supply chains and mitigating significant post-harvest losses in perishable commodities.</p><p data-path-to-node="6">Under the framework, storage assets will be evaluated on critical operational parameters, including technological integration, thermal compliance, structural safety, environmental sustainability, automated handling, and regulatory compliance.</p><h3 data-path-to-node="7"><b data-path-to-node="7" data-index-in-node="0">Core Objectives of the Rating Framework</b></h3><ul data-path-to-node="8"><li><p data-path-to-node="8,0,0"><b data-path-to-node="8,0,0" data-index-in-node="0">Industry Standardization:</b> Establishing clear grading metrics (such as Grade-A specifications) to help logistics operators, third-party logistics (3PL) providers, and industrial developers identify structural gaps and elevate infrastructure benchmarks.</p></li><li><p data-path-to-node="8,1,0"><b data-path-to-node="8,1,0" data-index-in-node="0">Perishable Waste Reduction:</b> Enhancing end-to-end cold-chain traceability and temperature monitoring to protect pharmaceutical supplies, farm produce, and perishables, thereby bolstering food security and export value.</p></li><li><p data-path-to-node="8,2,0"><b data-path-to-node="8,2,0" data-index-in-node="0">Attracting Institutional Investment:</b> Providing investors, private equity funds, and lending institutions with a reliable risk-assessment tool, accelerating capital flow into compliant, climate-resilient logistics parks and cold hubs.</p></li><li><p data-path-to-node="8,3,0"><b data-path-to-node="8,3,0" data-index-in-node="0">Alignment with National Logistics Policy (NLP):</b> Supporting India’s targets under the NLP and PM GatiShakti National Master Plan to drive down overall logistics costs from double digits to competitive international single-digit baselines.</p></li></ul><h3 data-path-to-node="9"><b data-path-to-node="9" data-index-in-node="0">Strategic Sector Impact</b></h3><p data-path-to-node="10">India's warehousing and temperature-controlled logistics sector is experiencing rapid expansion, propelled by booming e-commerce, quick-commerce fulfillment, organized retail, and specialty agro-pharma exports.</p><p data-path-to-node="11">By collaborating with the Asian Development Bank to institute an accredited rating system, the government seeks to eliminate fragmented, sub-standard storage practices, promote green warehousing protocols, and build a unified, high-performing logistics backbone across urban consumption centers and rural production clusters.</p>