Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh top logistics performance ranking, Mizoram and Delhi also lead

The Ministry of Commerce and Industry released the LEADS 2025 (Logistics Ease Across Different States) report, benchmarking logistics performance across all ...

What Happened

The Ministry of Commerce and Industry released the LEADS 2025 (Logistics Ease Across Different States) report, benchmarking logistics performance across all States and Union Territories.
Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Mizoram, and Delhi were designated as "Exemplars" — the top-tier category introduced in this edition — in their respective regional groupings.
Gujarat, Kerala, Maharashtra, Haryana, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Puducherry, and Jammu & Kashmir were classified as "High Performers."
The report introduced corridor-level assessments measuring journey time, truck speed, and waiting periods, along with API-enabled evaluation of section-wise truck speeds using real-time data.
India's logistics costs remain around 14% of GDP, compared to the global benchmark of 8–9%; the LEADS framework is designed to close this gap through competitive state-level improvements.

Static Topic Bridges

LEADS Report — Overview and Institutional Framework

The Logistics Ease Across Different States (LEADS) report is published annually by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. Conceived on the lines of the World Bank's Logistics Performance Index (LPI), it was first launched in 2018 and has since served as a national benchmarking tool to evaluate the logistics ecosystem across all States and UTs, fostering competitive federalism in supply chain performance.

First edition: 2018; conducted annually.
Published by: DPIIT, Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
Methodology: Combines objective indicators (infrastructure, regulatory support, logistics enablers) with perception-based feedback from industry on cost, efficiency, and services.
Four assessment pillars: Logistics Infrastructure, Logistics Services, Operating and Regulatory Environment, and Sustainable Logistics (newly introduced).

Connection to this news: The LEADS 2025 report's release, with a new "Exemplar" tier and corridor-level metrics, marks a significant upgrade in the rigor of logistics performance assessment and is directly testable in both Prelims (facts, categories) and Mains GS3 (infrastructure, supply chain policy).

State Performance Categories in LEADS 2025

LEADS 2025 introduced a revised four-tier classification system replacing earlier "Achievers / Fast Movers / Aspirers" categories. The new tiers — Exemplar, High Performer, Achiever, and Aspirer — reflect a more granular assessment of logistical maturity and are organized by geographic groupings (Coastal states, Landlocked states, Northeastern states, and Union Territories).

Exemplars (LEADS 2025): Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Mizoram, Delhi.
High Performers include: Gujarat, Kerala, Maharashtra, Haryana, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Puducherry, Jammu & Kashmir.
States are assessed across dimensions including infrastructure quality, service reliability, regulatory environment, and sustainable logistics practices.
The corridor-level assessment (new in 2025) measures real-time truck speeds on major national logistics corridors.

Connection to this news: The exemplar designation of geographically diverse states — from a coastal southern state (Tamil Nadu) to a landlocked northern state (UP), a northeastern state (Mizoram), and a Union Territory (Delhi) — demonstrates that logistical improvements are not limited to any single region or geography.

Logistics Costs and National Policy Context

High logistics costs are a structural drag on Indian manufacturing competitiveness. At approximately 14% of GDP, India's logistics costs are nearly double the global benchmark of 8–9%. The National Logistics Policy (NLP), announced in September 2022, and the PM GatiShakti National Master Plan are the primary policy frameworks aimed at reducing these costs through infrastructure integration, process digitization, and inter-ministerial coordination.

India logistics cost: ~14% of GDP (vs. global benchmark of 8–9%).
National Logistics Policy (NLP): Launched September 2022; goal to reduce costs and improve logistics performance.
PM GatiShakti: A digital platform for integrated infrastructure planning launched in 2021.
LEADS provides the state-level data that feeds into national logistics policy review.

Connection to this news: The LEADS 2025 ranking directly measures progress toward the NLP's objectives and is a key accountability tool for states in meeting national logistics efficiency targets.

Key Facts & Data

LEADS first launched: 2018; published by DPIIT, Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
LEADS 2025 top tier ("Exemplars"): Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Mizoram, Delhi.
High Performers (LEADS 2025): Gujarat, Kerala, Maharashtra, Haryana, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Puducherry, Jammu & Kashmir.
Four pillars: Logistics Infrastructure, Logistics Services, Operating and Regulatory Environment, Sustainable Logistics.
India's logistics cost: ~14% of GDP; global benchmark is 8–9%.
New in LEADS 2025: Corridor-level assessment using real-time API-enabled truck speed data.
BharatNet, PM GatiShakti, and NLP are complementary national frameworks driving logistics efficiency.