NEW DELHI, June 28:  Developing industrial parks with plug-and-play facilities at fast pace, further reduction in logistics cost and skilling are essential for enhancing manufacturing activities in India, according to Cushman & Wakefield.

  Real estate consultant Cushman & Wakefield has come out with a report,  ‘Elevating India’s Manufacturing Resilience: Charting the Path to Self-Reliance’.

The report is based on a proprietary survey with 94 senior decision-makers across India’s manufacturing and logistics sectors, capturing a mix of perspectives from large enterprises and MSMEs.

“India’s manufacturing sector is undergoing a structural shift. Our findings indicate a strong alignment between infrastructure investment, policy clarity, and industry intent,” said Gautam Saraf, Executive Managing Director, Mumbai & New Business, Cushman & Wakefield.

According to the survey, he said 88 per cent of manufacturers are scaling up due to infrastructure-led confidence, and over 95 per cent report improved logistics access through government-backed programmes.

“Yet, to sustain this momentum, India must address deep-rooted cost and capacity gaps, especially in logistics, integrated facilities, and MSME productivity,” Saraf said.

“Plug-and-play industrial parks, multimodal logistics networks, and improved land aggregation frameworks are not just enablers, they are essential levers for converting policy momentum into production ready outcomes,” he observed.

The report identifies four core challenges threatening India’s ability to sustain manufacturing growth. These four challenges are high logistics cost, warehousing capacity lagging behind global benchmarks, low value addition and skill gap.

To address these gaps and support long-term growth, the report laid out a five-pronged strategy– accelerate the development of plug-and-play industrial parks; reassess the parameters that define MSMEs to foster scale; fast-track the rollout of multimodal logistics parks; invest in targeted skill development programmes; and empower MSME exports through unified digital platforms and incentives.

Abhishek Bhutani, Managing Director, Logistics & Industrial Services India, Head- Gujarat, Cushman & Wakefield, said India’s manufacturing sector is at an inflection point, poised for accelerated growth driven by policy support and infrastructure improvements.

“A significant takeaway from our research is the rising importance of plug-and-play industrial parks. These pre-approved, infrastructure-ready zones are helping reduce time-to-market, lower upfront capital expenditure, and mitigate operational risks, especially for MSMEs looking to scale,” he said.

As companies expand into new regions, Bhutani said their success will increasingly depend on access to such turnkey ecosystems that offer integrated logistics, skilled talent, and multimodal connectivity.  (PTI)