PM Gati Shakti: India’s Next-Generation Infrastructure Blueprint

India’s infrastructure landscape is undergoing a paradigm shift with the rollout of PM Gati Shakti, a comprehensive and technology-driven approach to integrated infrastructure planning. Launched on October 13, 2021, by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the initiative is built around the National Master Plan (NMP) for multimodal connectivity, designed to break departmental silos and ensure unified, efficient, and future-ready infrastructure development.

A Digital Framework for Coordinated Infrastructure Growth

At the heart of PM Gati Shakti is a digital platform that integrates geospatial and infrastructure data from 44 Central Ministries and 36 States and Union Territories, enabling real-time project planning and monitoring. Over 1,614 data layers have been incorporated, allowing policymakers and engineers to visualize and plan infrastructure projects with greater accuracy and coordination.

The plan aligns with existing flagship schemes like Bharatmala, Sagarmala, UDAN, inland waterways, and smart cities, promoting convergence across transport, energy, telecom, urban development, and social infrastructure.

Project Assessment and Corridor Development

One of the core achievements of PM Gati Shakti is the evaluation of 208 high-value infrastructure projects worth ₹15.39 lakh crore, ensuring alignment with national priorities and multimodal connectivity principles. These projects span critical economic corridors, including:

• Energy, Mineral, and Cement Corridors
• High Traffic Density Corridors
• Rail Sagar (Railways and ports linkage)

Such integrated planning ensures that logistics hubs, industrial clusters, and transport networks are developed in harmony, thereby reducing redundancies and improving return on investment.

Sector-Wide Implementation and Achievements

Several key infrastructure ministries have leveraged the platform to streamline project execution:

• The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has planned 8,891 km of highways using the NMP platform.
• The Ministry of Railways has mapped over 27,000 km of railway lines, and significantly increased the pace of Final Location Surveys—rising from 57 in FY21 to 449 in FY22.
• The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas introduced electronic Detail Route Surveys (eDRS), cutting planning timelines from several months to just one day.

Additionally, several states have used the platform for targeted infrastructure planning:

• Gujarat reduced NoC requirements while planning a 300 km coastal corridor.
• Uttar Pradesh used the platform to identify locations for schools in underserved areas.
• Goa created a disaster management plan along the Amona River.

Expansion to States and Districts

To institutionalize integrated planning across all administrative levels:

• All 36 States/UTs have created State Master Plan (SMP) portals, covering 533 major projects.
• A District Master Plan (DMP) portal is in development, enabling infrastructure planning at the grassroots level. A beta version is already live in 28 aspirational districts, with national rollout set for March 2025.

Aligning with the National Logistics Policy

The National Logistics Policy (NLP), launched in September 2022, complements PM Gati Shakti by focusing on reducing logistics costs and enhancing the Logistics Performance Index (LPI). India’s LPI ranking improved from 44 to 38 in 2023 due to these combined efforts.

Key NLP initiatives include:

• ULIP (Unified Logistics Interface Platform) integrating 33 systems across 10 ministries, improving real-time cargo visibility.
• Logistics Data Bank (LDB) for tracking containerized EXIM cargo using RFID and IoT.
• LEADS Reports (5th and 6th editions) evaluating logistics efficiency across States/UTs.
• State Logistics Policies notified by 26 States/UTs to align regional strategies with national goals.

Capacity Building and Technological Integration

PM Gati Shakti has also emphasized skill development and knowledge transfer:

• Over 20,000 government officials have been trained.
• 150+ training sessions have been held across ministries and states.
• GIS, AI, and IoT technologies are being integrated for smarter, data-centric infrastructure planning.

Challenges in Implementation

Despite strong momentum, several structural challenges persist:

• Data silos between departments slow collaboration.
• Insufficient training limits effective use of digital planning tools.
• Delays in land acquisition and clearances remain a bottleneck.
• Funding gaps hinder state-level project execution.
• Uneven infrastructure development across regions exacerbates disparities.
• Sustainability practices, while emphasized, are not uniformly implemented.
• Monitoring mechanisms require further strengthening to track and evaluate progress.

Way Forward: Recommendations for Sustainable Infrastructure Growth

To overcome these issues and sustain momentum:

1. Centralized Data Integration: A shared platform for seamless data access.
2. Targeted Training: Regular skill-building for local officials and engineers.
3. Simplified Approvals: Faster land and environmental clearances.
4. Public-Private Partnerships: Innovative financing for capital-intensive projects.
5. Balanced Development: Priority focus on backward and underserved regions.
6. Eco-Friendly Guidelines: Institutionalize green construction practices.
7. Stakeholder Coordination: Inclusive planning with communities and private players.
8. Advanced Monitoring: Real-time project dashboards and impact assessments.
9. Public Awareness: Citizen engagement for infrastructure ownership.
10. Adoption of Smart Tech: Promote IoT, AI, and GIS across all infrastructure sectors.

Telecom Infrastructure: Gati Shakti Sanchar Portal

A critical enabler of digital infrastructure, the Gati Shakti Sanchar portal, launched in May 2022, has transformed Right of Way (RoW) approvals for telecom deployment. Over 2.11 lakh applications have been processed, expediting India’s 5G rollout, which now boasts over 13 crore users.

Complementary efforts include:

• 41,160 new mobile towers sanctioned under a ₹41,331 crore plan.
• Expansion of the BharatNet program to all inhabited villages, with an outlay of ₹1.88 lakh crore.

Conclusion: Building the Backbone of New India

PM Gati Shakti marks a new era in India’s infrastructure strategy—integrated, technology-driven, and outcome-oriented. As the country builds roads, railways, ports, telecom, and social infrastructure in sync, the initiative promises to reduce costs, improve connectivity, and boost industrial productivity.

Supported by policies like the NLP and platforms like Gati Shakti Sanchar, India is laying the groundwork for an Aatmanirbhar Bharat, powered by smarter infrastructure and inclusive growth.