PM GatiShakti initiative recommends 208 major infra projects

The PM GatiShakti initiative has recommended a total of 208 large-scale infrastructure projects, valued at Rs 15.39 lakh crore, for approval. Covering key sectors such as roads and railways, these projects aim to enhance integrated infrastructure development across India. Established under this initiative in October 2021, the Network Planning Group (NPG) has conducted assessments to accelerate progress and ensure effective execution. This comprehensive approach seeks to streamline infrastructure investments and drive economic growth in the country.

India has recommended 208 major infrastructure projects, worth Rs 15.39 lakh crore, under the PM GatiShakti National Master Plan to accelerate multimodal connectivity and boost the nation’s infrastructure. Launched on 13th October 2021, the initiative aims to drive economic growth and sustainable development by integrating efforts across key sectors. These 208 projects, assessed by the inter-ministerial Network Planning Group (NPG), focus on enhancing roads, railways, urban development, and the oil and gas sector.

Of the 208 projects, 101 are dedicated to road development, 73 to railways, 12 to urban infrastructure, and 4 to the oil and gas sector. These large-scale infrastructure projects aim to address India’s logistics challenges, reduce costs, and ensure better integration between various modes of transport. The NPG, which meets every two weeks, evaluates projects to ensure they align with GatiShakti’s goal of synchronized, efficient, and cross-sectoral infrastructure development. Projects valued at over Rs 500 crore are initially reviewed by the NPG before final approval from the Public Investment Board (PIB) or the Department of Expenditure under the Ministry of Finance.

The GatiShakti plan consolidates numerous existing government schemes, such as Bharatmala (roadways), Sagarmala (port connectivity), inland waterways, and UDAN (regional air connectivity), into a cohesive framework. It focuses on improving connectivity to key economic zones, including textile clusters, pharmaceutical clusters, industrial corridors, defense corridors, and agricultural zones, thus making Indian businesses more competitive. By leveraging cutting-edge technology such as GIS-based spatial planning and ISRO-developed satellite imagery, the plan enhances precision in project planning and execution.

A key feature of the PM GatiShakti National Master Plan is its reliance on over 1,600 layers of geospatial data, which includes critical information like land records, social infrastructure, and physical assets. This data integration ensures that projects can be designed more efficiently and implemented without delays. Furthermore, 156 critical infrastructure gaps have been identified for intervention, particularly in port connectivity and bulk commodity movement (e.g., coal, cement, and foodgrains), ensuring smooth logistics flow.

The initiative is not only making strides within India but has also garnered international attention. Nepal and Sri Lanka have expressed interest in adopting the GatiShakti model, with discussions underway for collaborations. In the coming months, the initiative is expected to expand to the district level, further improving infrastructure across India.

The PM GatiShakti initiative is built on six foundational pillars—comprehensiveness, prioritization, optimization, synchronization, analytical capability, and dynamic monitoring—ensuring a holistic, timely, and well-coordinated approach to infrastructure development. The comprehensiveness pillar integrates all existing and planned initiatives from various ministries and departments into a single, centralized portal, enhancing visibility and coordination among stakeholders for better planning and execution. Prioritization enables different departments to identify and focus on the most critical projects through cross-sectoral interactions, ensuring optimal resource allocation. The optimization pillar helps ministries plan projects by identifying critical infrastructure gaps and selecting the most efficient and cost-effective transportation routes for goods. Synchronization breaks down silos among ministries, allowing for seamless execution of projects by aligning activities across various departments and levels of governance. The analytical capability leverages advanced GIS-based spatial planning and analytical tools, providing comprehensive data layers to executing agencies, which facilitates informed decision-making. Lastly, dynamic monitoring incorporates real-time tracking of cross-sectoral projects, utilizing satellite imagery and regular updates on the centralized portal to identify necessary interventions quickly. Ultimately, PM GatiShakti is powered by clean energy, emphasizing sustainability in infrastructure development. This commitment supports India’s environmental goals while encouraging innovation and investment in renewable energy sources. By prioritizing sustainable practices, the initiative aims to create resilient infrastructure that meets the needs of a growing economy while minimizing its ecological footprint, positioning India as a leader in sustainable infrastructure and driving long-term economic growth.