PM Gati Shakti Data For Private Sector 2021

Policy Update

Omkar Shelar

India’s infrastructure landscape is undergoing a digital revolution, with the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan at its core. Announced in October 2021, this ambitious initiative seeks to transform how infrastructure is planned and executed through a unified digital platform that brings together 44 central ministries and all states/UTs. In the Union Budget 2025, the government of India decided to distribute particular geospatial data to private sector organizations. The government made this strategic choice to democratize data which will drive public-private partnerships (PPPs) forward as well as enhance logistical effectiveness and attract investments in essential sectors.

Objective :

The main purpose of allowing private industry is to develop stronger partnerships between public sector entities and private infrastructure developers. The government offers real-time access to achieve its objectives which includes, Better project planning and execution, Reduce the expenses of logistics operations combined with more efficient supply chain systems, Attract private capital to national infrastructure priorities, Encourage innovation in digital infrastructure and smart city solutions, Promote Make in India and Make for the World initiatives.

Functions :

The Gati Shakti platform integrates and streamlines planning across ministries and sectors through a GIS-enabled digital dashboard with over 1,600 data layers. These include, Land use and land ownership records, Locations of roads, railways, ports, airports, and utility networks, Environmental clearances and zonal regulations with ongoing and proposed infrastructure projects across states. The platform functions on six core pillars:

Comprehensiveness : Aggregates infrastructure data from all relevant departments.
Organizational focus remains on projects which yield maximum impact due to prioritization methods.
Optimization : Identifies cost-effective multimodal logistics solutions.
Synchronization : Reduces redundancy through real-time coordination.
Analytical Tools : Supports decision-making through spatial analysis and satellite imagery.
The system has features for dynamic adaptation to enable field project monitoring and adaptation as field conditions transform.

With the private sector being allowed limited but significant access, these functions will now also serve private developers, logistics firms, construction companies, and urban planners.

Performance :

Since 2021, PM Gati Shakti has seen considerable progress:

91 Gati Shakti Cargo Terminals have been commissioned.
434 projects have been identified with a cumulative investment of over ₹11.17 lakh crore.
68 infrastructure projects (6,290 km) have been sanctioned worth ₹1.11 lakh crore.
The District Master Plan Portal is being piloted in 28 districts for bottom-up planning.
Project report preparation time has been reduced from 6-8 months to 2-3 months due to faster ground-truthing and visual data access.
Integration with major national schemes such as Bharatmala, Sagarmala, and UDAN has enhanced multimodal connectivity.

Private sector investment in augmentation requires extensive cost-sharing systems in addition to investments in international exchange and smart logistics corridors and tourism infrastructure development.

Impact :

On Infrastructure and Logistics: Private access to Gati Shakti data will optimize route planning, reduce fuel costs, and prevent construction overlaps. Efficient use of land and resources will emerge as private players align with state and central planning systems.

On Investment: A ₹1.5 lakh crore allocation through PPP models in Budget 2025 underscores the government’s push for private involvement. Sectors like coal, telecom, and urban utilities can now leverage spatial data to streamline infrastructure rollouts.

On Employment and Tourism: Development of the top 50 tourist destinations will be undertaken in “challenge mode (Challenge mode in government policy or program implementation refers to a competitive selection process where states, cities, or organizations compete against each other to qualify for funding, support, or recognition by meeting specific criteria or presenting the best proposals.) requiring collaboration between states and private stakeholders. Hospitality skill development is being encouraged, with infrastructure and hotels now included in the harmonised infrastructure list, improving financing ease.

On Digital Governance: Digital India initiative receives additional support from this data-sharing effort which also enables the National Geospatial Mission to modernize land records while creating a national geospatial foundation.

Challenges:

1. Data Sensitivity and Security Risks: Sensitive data on the Gati Shakti portal (such as strategic assets, locations including ports and railways and energy infrastructure) demand strict security and safeguards.

2. Lack of Clear Access Protocols: Formal guidelines and access procedures such as API designs and data access are still under formulation. Using such unstandardized procedures could lead to improper data distribution and misuse through technological advantage gaps among portal users.

3. Limited Private Sector Capacity in GIS and Spatial Analytics: Private companies outside the category of MSMEs and regional-level organizations have a lack of technical skills to utilize geospatial information properly. Development programs must include training sessions to build capacity in GIS tools together with satellite data interpretation methods and infrastructure planning techniques.

4. Digitization and Quality of Underlying Data: Among basic database layers, both land documentations and aged utility cartography exist in an inconsistent state between different states across the nation. The use of inaccurate data throughout planning processes may trigger mistakes because such information lacks ground verification.

5. Institutional Coordination Challenges: A total of 44 ministries together with departments and private sector organizations may create additional leadership complexities. Affiliated parties including the central government and individual states together with private users create obstacles in establishing synchronized real-time coordination procedures.

Way Forward:

While the potential of this move is significant, its success hinges on several key factors:

Clear Access Guidelines : The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) is in the final stages of releasing norms that will define:
- The extent of data to be shared.
- Project-specific query systems.
- Protocols to ensure data privacy and cybersecurity.
Capacity Building : To maximize utility, private sector entities will need upskilling in GIS tools, spatial analytics, and platform navigation.
Data Integrity and Trust : Concerns from the Ministry of Electronics and IT about data sharing need to be addressed through secure APIs and transparency frameworks.
Enhanced Interoperability : Seamless integration with state-level GIS systems and other digital governance tools is critical for effective private sector use.
Outcome-Oriented Partnerships : The government must ensure that private investments facilitated through Gati Shakti translate into tangible outputs which includes faster construction, lower costs, better urban design, and greener infrastructure.

Conclusion:

PM Gati Shakti achieved national prominence by granting the private sector access to its data ecosystem platform as a landmark event in Indian infrastructure development. The change introduces collaborative development that operates through data-driven methods instead of using centralized planning within isolated systems. The platform shows promise to revolutionize infrastructure development because it includes 1,600 data layers connected to a powerful GIS framework while supporting national campaigns Make in India and Digital India. However, the onus now lies equally on the government and private players to use this data responsibly, securely, and innovatively—building a foundation for a more connected, efficient, and globally competitive India.

References:

CNBC TV18 – Budget 2025 – PM Gati Shakti Data Now Open to Private Sector https://www.cnbctv18.com/economy/budget-2025-pm-gati-shakti-data-is-now-accessible-to-the-private-sector-19550654.htm

Economic Times – DPIIT examining options for sharing Gati Shakti data with private sector https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/infrastructure/dpiit-examining-options-for-sharing-gati-shakti-data-with-private-sector/articleshow/117925482.cms

Business Standard – Govt to Share PM Gati Shakti Data with Private Sector; Announces National Geospatial Mission https://www.business-standard.com/budget/news/govt-to-share-selected-data-maps-from-pm-gati-shakti-with-pvt-sector-fm-125020101508_1.html

Indian Express – Norms for Private Sector Access to PM Gati Shakti Data Coming Soon: DPIIT https://indianexpress.com/article/business/pm-gati-shakti-private-sector-access-norms-soon-dpiit-9817615

ClearTax – What is the PM Gati Shakti Scheme? https://cleartax.in/s/pm-gati-shakti-scheme

About the Contributor: Omkar Shelar is a policy researcher at IMPRI and a postgraduate student of Public Policy and Governance at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Hyderabad with a keen interest in Data driven policy making and analysis.

Acknowledgement: The author extends sincere gratitude to Dr Arjun Kumar and Aasthaba Jadeja for their invaluable guidance and support.

Disclaimer: All views expressed in the article belong to the author and not necessarily to the organisation.