Gadkari urges Indian firms to form JVs with US tech companies at AMCHAM summit
Synopsis
Gadkari's AMCHAM address was part trade pitch, part scorecard. India's logistics cost has dropped from 16% to 10% — now below the US and Europe — and the auto sector has grown from ₹14 lakh crore to ₹22 lakh crore on his watch. The ask to Indian firms: forge JVs with US tech companies now, or risk falling behind on the next wave of industrial transformation.
Key Takeaways
Nitin Gadkari called on Indian companies to form joint ventures with US firms to access advanced technologies, speaking at the AMCHAM annual leadership summit on 21 May .
India's logistics cost has fallen to 10 per cent from 16 per cent , according to a study by IIT Chennai , IIT Kanpur , and IIM Bangalore .
India's automobile industry has grown from ₹14 lakh crore to ₹22 lakh crore ; the government targets global number one status within five years .
India spends ₹22 lakh crore annually on fossil fuel imports; 10 highway corridors have been identified for green hydrogen truck pilots.
The Ministry of Road Transport is exploring US company consultations for highway DPR preparation .
Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari on Thursday, 21 May called for Indian companies to actively pursue joint ventures with US firms as a strategic route to accessing cutting-edge technologies. Speaking at the annual leadership summit of the American Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM) in New Delhi, Gadkari framed the push as essential for India's continued economic momentum.
The Case for India-US Joint Ventures
'India is the fastest growing major economy while US companies develop lots of new technologies, so it is very important for Indian companies to have joint ventures with US companies,' Gadkari said in his address. The minister also revealed that the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways is exploring the engagement of US firms as consultants for preparing detailed project reports (DPRs) for highway projects — a signal that the technology collaboration push extends to infrastructure planning itself.
Logistics Cost Milestone
Gadkari highlighted a significant structural improvement in India's supply chain efficiency, citing a recent study by IIT Chennai, IIT Kanpur, and IIM Bangalore that found India's logistics cost has fallen to 10 per cent of GDP from 16 per cent earlier — a reduction attributed to the rapid buildout of expressways and economic corridors. For context, logistics costs stand at 12 per cent in both the US and European countries, and between 8 and 10 per cent in China. Gadkari described the supply chain as 'the most important part in logistics,' underscoring why this metric matters to India's competitiveness.
Automobile Industry Ambitions
The minister pointed to the automobile sector as another arena where India is closing ground on global leaders. 'When I took charge as Transport Minister, the size of the Indian automobile industry was ₹14 lakh crore. It is now ₹22 lakh crore,' he noted, adding that the government aims to make India's auto industry the number one in the world within five years. By comparison, the US automobile industry is currently valued at ₹78 lakh crore and China's at ₹47 lakh crore. The sector currently employs 4 lakh youths and contributes the highest GST receipts to both the Centre and states.
Green Hydrogen Push on Highways
Gadkari also flagged India's ₹22 lakh crore annual fossil fuel import bill as both an economic burden and an environmental hazard, making the transition to clean energy a national priority. The government has identified 10 highway stretches across the country for piloting green hydrogen-powered trucks to cut vehicular emissions. The designated corridors include Greater Noida-Delhi-Agra, Bhubaneswar-Puri-Konark, Ahmedabad-Vadodara-Surat, Sahibabad-Faridabad-Delhi, Jamshedpur-Kalinganagar, Thiruvananthapuram-Kochi, and Jamnagar-Ahmedabad, among others.
About AMCHAM
AMCHAM comprises over 400 US companies along with individual and honorary members. The incumbent US Ambassador to India serves as its Honorary President, and its elected national executive board consists of country heads from leading US corporations — making it one of the most consequential bilateral business forums in India.
With India's logistics costs now competitive with China's and a clear roadmap for green mobility, Gadkari's address signals that the Centre is positioning infrastructure and clean energy as twin levers for deepening India-US economic ties.
Point of View
And framing JVs as a technology-access play rather than a market-access concession gives Indian industry a forward-looking rationale. The logistics cost drop from 16% to 10% is a genuine structural achievement, but the comparison with China's 8-10% shows the gap is narrowing, not closed. The automobile ambition — overtaking a ₹78 lakh crore US industry with a ₹22 lakh crore base in five years — stretches credibility without a detailed roadmap. The green hydrogen highway pilots are the most concrete deliverable on the table, and their success or failure will be the real test of whether this summit address translates into outcomes.
NationPress
10 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Nitin Gadkari say about Indian firms and US companies at AMCHAM?
Gadkari urged Indian companies to forge joint ventures with US firms to gain access to the latest technologies, calling it 'very important' given India's status as the fastest-growing major economy. He made the remarks at the AMCHAM annual leadership summit in New Delhi on 21 May.
What is India's current logistics cost and how has it changed?
India's logistics cost has fallen to 10 per cent of GDP from 16 per cent earlier, according to a study by IIT Chennai, IIT Kanpur, and IIM Bangalore. This improvement is attributed to the expansion of expressways and economic corridors, and now compares favourably with the US and Europe, both at 12 per cent.
What is the size of India's automobile industry and what is the government's target?
India's automobile industry is currently valued at ₹22 lakh crore, up from ₹14 lakh crore when Gadkari took charge as Transport Minister. The government aims to make it the number one automobile industry in the world within five years.
Which highway corridors have been identified for green hydrogen truck pilots?
The government has identified 10 highway stretches for green hydrogen-powered truck pilots, including Greater Noida-Delhi-Agra, Bhubaneswar-Puri-Konark, Ahmedabad-Vadodara-Surat, Sahibabad-Faridabad-Delhi, Jamshedpur-Kalinganagar, Thiruvananthapuram-Kochi, and Jamnagar-Ahmedabad, among others.
What is AMCHAM and why does Gadkari's address matter?
AMCHAM is the American Chamber of Commerce in India, comprising over 400 US companies, with the US Ambassador to India serving as Honorary President. Gadkari's address at its annual leadership summit is significant because it signals the Centre's intent to deepen India-US industrial and technology ties at a senior bilateral forum.
