PM Gati Shakti: India’s Integrated Infrastructure Connectivity Plan for Economic Growth

The Indian government aims to include social sector ministries in the National Monetisation Pipeline (NMP) platform to boost socio-economic development. Sumita Dawra, the Special Secretary of the Logistics Division, DPIIT, emphasized the benefits of using the NMP for social sector planning during a meeting on PM Gati Shakti’s NMP adoption.

What is PM Gati Shakti?

• The ambitious PM Gati Shakti scheme or National Master Plan for multi-modal connectivity plan is a new initiative by the Government of India aimed at improving the transportation infrastructure in the country.
• The PM Gati Shakti scheme was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 13, 2021, during a virtual event on infrastructure development. The scheme is aimed at improving transportation infrastructure in India and strengthening connectivity across various modes of transport.

Objectives of the Scheme

• To develop an integrated, seamless, and multimodal transportation system across the country.
• To reduce transportation costs and enhance the efficiency of logistics operations.
• To improve connectivity and reduce travel time for passengers and freight.
• To promote the development of industries and generate employment opportunities.
• To enhance the competitiveness of Indian industries in both domestic and international markets.
• The Gati Shakti digital platform brings together 16 ministries, including railways and roadways, to integrate the planning and execution of infrastructure connectivity projects.
• The platform aims to resolve issues such as disjointed planning, lack of standardization, clearance problems, and timely creation and utilization of infrastructure capacities.
• Over 200 layers of geospatial data, including existing infrastructure information, are provided on the portal, allowing different government departments to track the progress of various projects in real-time at one centralized location.
• The scheme is expected to boost last-mile connectivity, reduce logistics costs, and prevent overlapping of works by addressing the issue of government departments working in tandem.
• The platform incorporates infrastructure schemes under various ministries and state governments, including Bharatmala, Sagarmala, inland waterways, dry/land ports, UDAN, economic zones, textile clusters, pharmaceutical clusters, defense corridors, electronic parks, industrial corridors, fishing clusters, agri zones.
• A monitoring group under the Department of Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) will oversee key projects in real time and report any inter-ministerial issues to a group of ministries responsible for resolving them.
• The Gati Shakti platform is expected to improve connectivity, resolve infrastructure-related problems, and help India achieve its infrastructure development goals.

The scheme has set ambitious targets for the development of transportation infrastructure in the country. The government plans to invest Rs. 100 lakh crore (approximately USD 1.3 trillion) in the transportation sector over the next five years. The scheme aims to develop new infrastructure projects, modernize and expand existing ones, and leverage new technologies to enhance efficiency and reduce costs.

Targets of the Scheme

• The scheme includes the development of 11 industrial corridors and two new defense corridors.
• The aim of the scheme is to achieve a turnover of 1.7 lakh crore in defense production.
• Around 38 electronics manufacturing clusters and 109 pharma clusters are planned to be developed under the scheme.
• The total cargo handled at Indian ports is targeted to increase to 1759 MTPA.
• Over 200 airports, helipads, and water aerodromes will be added to the infrastructure.
• The scheme also aims to extend 4G connectivity to all villages across India.
• In addition, the plan includes the addition of 17,000 km to the gas pipeline network.

Need for the Scheme

• India’s transportation infrastructure has been inadequate and underdeveloped for a long time, which has led to various problems, such as high transportation costs, poor connectivity, and delays in the movement of goods and people. The PM Gati Shakti scheme aims to address these issues and develop a modern, efficient, and integrated transportation system in the country.

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