3 years of PM Gati Shakti: Transforming India's Infrastructure and Connectivity

On the 75th Independence Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the ‘PM Gati Shakti’ initiative during his address to the nation from the Red Fort. The National Master Plan for Multi-modal Connectivity, which was launched on October 13, 2021, will mark its third anniversary this Sunday.

This digital platform is designed to bring together various Ministries, such as Railways and Roadways, to ensure integrated planning and coordinated execution of infrastructure projects. The initiative aims to provide seamless, efficient connectivity for the movement of people, goods, and services across multiple modes of transport, enhancing last-mile connectivity and reducing travel time. PM Gati Shakti incorporates the infrastructure schemes of various Ministries and State Governments such as Bharatmala, Sagarmala, inland waterways, dry/land ports, and UDAN. 

Key Accomplishments under PM GatiShakti National Master Plan (NMP):

The PM GatiShakti NMP has resulted in numerous achievements across various sectors, significantly improving project planning, speed, and execution.

• The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) planned over 8,891 km of roads using NMP, while the Ministry of Railways (MoR) used NMP to plan more than 27,000 km of railway lines. MoR also accelerated the completion of Final Location Surveys (FLS), completing 449 FLS in FY ’22 compared to 57 in FY ’21.

• The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG) streamlined the process for Detail Route Survey (DRS), reducing the time required to create reports from 6-9 months to just one day using electronic DRS (eDRS).

• Using NMP principles, a 13 GW renewable energy project from Leh (Ladakh) to Kaithal (Haryana) achieved optimal alignment of the ‘Green Energy Corridor’ for inter-state transmission.

  
  

Gati Shakti Sanchar Portal:

Universal and equitable access to Broadband services across the country, especially in the rural areas- is one of the most important visions of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In line with the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan, “Gati Shakti Sanchar” portal was launched for Centralized Right of Way (RoW) approvals on May 14, 2022.

The Gati Shakti Sanchar portal is a major reform brought in to facilitate faster rollout of telecom infrastructure. It is a Centralised Right of Way (RoW) Portal that enables applicants such as Telecom Service Providers/Infrastructure Providers / Internet Service Providers (TSP/IP/ISPs) to apply for RoW approvals. As on October 11, 2024, 2.11 lakh applications have been approved.

The portal is integrated with all 36 States /UTs and with relevant central ministries viz. Ministry of Railways (MoR), Ministry of Road, Transport and Highways (MoRTH), Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) and Ministry of Defence (MoD).

5G services were launched in India on October 1, 2022. Over 130 million subscribers have started using 5G services, marking the quickest deployment of 5G in the world. To enhance telecom connectivity further, the government is executing various schemes.

A total of 41,160 mobile towers have been approved, with a budget of ₹41,331 crore, to provide 4G connectivity to approximately 55,000 villages.

The scope of the BharatNet program has been broadened to include all inhabited villages, with a budget allocation of ₹1.88 lakh crore.

The National Logistics Policy (NLP):

The National Logistics Policy (NLP), launched on September 17, 2022, aims to accelerate India’s economic growth by establishing an integrated, efficient, and cost-effective logistics network. The policy's objectives include reducing logistics costs, improving India's ranking in the Logistics Performance Index (LPI) to be among the top 25 countries by 2030, and promoting data-driven decision-making.

The Comprehensive Logistics Action Plan (CLAP) drives its implementation, focusing on key areas such as digital logistics systems, asset standardization, human resource development, state engagement, and EXIM logistics.

A major emphasis is placed on training and capacity-building in collaboration with the Capacity Building Commission (CBC). Training modules are integrated with Central and Administrative Training Institutes through webinars, workshops, and digital platforms to enhance skills across the logistics sector.