PM Gati Shakti: A milestone in India's infrastructure development

As India marks the third anniversary of the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan, its impact on the country’s infrastructure is being felt far and wide. The initiative has revolutionised infrastructure development by fostering a coordinated, efficient, and integrated approach. With a focus on multi-modal connectivity — integrating road, rail, air, and waterways — PM Gati Shakti is transforming India’s logistics landscape, streamlining project execution, and reducing costs. This ambitious plan is now set to propel India into a new era of infrastructure-led growth.

Key achievements

The achievements of PM Gati Shakti reflect its success in addressing critical infrastructure gaps and streamlining execution across sectors. To date, it has assessed over 208 major infrastructure projects, worth more than $180 billion, and has played a pivotal role in identifying and rectifying 156 critical infrastructure gaps, particularly in last-mile connectivity for key sectors like coal, steel, fertilizer, and food distribution.

 

In transportation, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has planned over 8,891 km of new roads, while the Ministry of Railways has mapped more than 27,000 km of new railway lines. The Gati Shakti platform was instrumental in designing a 300 km coastal corridor in Gujarat, cutting across procedural hurdles by reducing the number of NoC (No Objection Certificate) permissions from 28 to 13.

These achievements underscore the broad scope and significant impact of PM Gati Shakti on India’s infrastructure keeping in pace with existing and future demand, creating a solid foundation for sustained economic growth.

Accelerating infrastructure investments

The robust framework of PM Gati Shakti is driving unprecedented growth in infrastructure investment. Morgan Stanley anticipates that over the next five years, investments are projected to grow at an impressive 15.3 per cent compound annual growth rate (CAGR), with cumulative spending expected to reach $1.45 trillion. This wave of infrastructure investments will fuel India’s growth trajectory, helping the nation maintain its position as an emerging global economic powerhouse.

PM Gati Shakti’s focus on cross-sector coordination is enabling these investments to be deployed effectively, ensuring that they support a high period of productive growth for the country.

Data-driven infrastructure development

A key feature of the Gati Shakti initiative is its integration of advanced technologies, such as Geospatial Information Systems (GIS) and data analytics, to revolutionise infrastructure planning. The platform hosts over 1,600 layers of data, covering critical areas like land, forests, highways, and urban centres, which reduces duplication of efforts and accelerates project approvals.

This data-centric approach ensures real-time decision-making, minimising redundancies and enabling projects to be completed within budget and on time. The digital framework of Gati Shakti has drastically improved the efficiency and transparency of infrastructure projects, helping to reduce the historically high logistics costs for Indian businesses. By cutting these costs, the initiative enhances the global competitiveness of Indian products and services.

A forward-looking vision: Opening Gati Shakti to the private sector

A key strategic vision for the future is the potential opening of the Gati Shakti platform to the private sector. Although this has not yet been implemented, the move could be transformative for India’s infrastructure ecosystem. By granting private companies access to non-sensitive, shareable data, the government would be fostering an environment of collaboration and transparency that could further accelerate project implementation.

A public-private partnership (PPP) model would bring in additional resources, expertise, and an innovative approach to speed up the pace of infrastructure development, thereby unlocking unprecedented growth potential. This potential shift is expected to position India as a global leader in infrastructure, boosting both economic growth and global competitiveness.

Future vision: Inclusive growth and global interest

As PM Gati Shakti moves into its next phase, the initiative’s focus will expand to district-level projects, industrial corridors, and smart city development. This shift is aimed at ensuring that infrastructure growth reaches every corner of the country, promoting inclusive development that benefits all regions and communities.

Additionally, the government is in discussions to create a PM Gati Shakti District Master Plan portal, which will decentralise infrastructure planning and drive growth at the local level.

The success of Gati Shakti has already garnered international interest, with countries like Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Madagascar, Senegal, and Gambia expressing a desire to adopt aspects of the platform. This international attention highlights the global relevance of the initiative, positioning India as a model for infrastructure development among emerging economies.

Conclusion: Laying the foundation for a prosperous future

The PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan has proven to be a game-changer for India’s infrastructure sector, driving integrated, multi-modal connectivity and reducing logistics costs. By leveraging advanced technologies and fostering cross-sector collaboration, Gati Shakti is not only transforming India’s infrastructure landscape, but also laying the groundwork for sustained economic growth.

As India continues to make bold investments in infrastructure, Gati Shakti will remain a central pillar of the country’s long-term growth strategy. With the future prospect of involving the private sector and decentralising infrastructure development, the initiative is set to drive India’s infrastructure transformation at an even faster pace.

PM Gati Shakti will also play a crucial role in realising the Viksit Bharat Vision, paving the way for India’s transition into a developed nation by 2047.

This visionary approach to infrastructure development ensures that Gati Shakti will remain a cornerstone of India’s journey towards global leadership and sustained prosperity.

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The writer is the Chairman - FICCI Committee on Logistics and CEO & MD (India Subcontinent, Middle East and North Africa), DP World

Disclaimer: These are personal views of the writer. They do not necessarily reflect the opinion of www.business-standard.com