Mission GatiShakti: A Transformational Blueprint For India’s Infrastructure And Connectivity (2021)

Policy Update
Riya Rawat

Background

Announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 13, 2021, the Pradhan Mantri Gati Shakti National Master Plan represents a paradigm shift in infrastructure development aimed at propelling India into a competitive global economy. This strategic initiative, with an ambitious investment plan of INR 100 lakh crore, consolidates the infrastructure projects of 16 ministries, covering sectors such as roadways, railways, ports, waterways, and airports, into an integrated, seamless framework. The plan also encapsulates ongoing national schemes like Bharatmala for highways, Sagarmala for maritime development, UDAN for aviation, and various industrial and logistics corridors, effectively creating an interlinked economic grid to support India’s industrial and social development goals.

Historically, India’s infrastructure development has been hampered by the compartmentalized approach of various departments, leading to misaligned planning and redundancy. For instance, roads would often be excavated multiple times to accommodate separate utilities, resulting in inefficiencies and elevated costs. Gati Shakti’s holistic approach aims to eliminate these silos by bringing together diverse ministries under a unified digital platform, fostering a multi-modal infrastructure ecosystem where projects are designed, approved, and executed in alignment with a shared national vision. With an emphasis on last-mile connectivity, this initiative also seeks to lower logistics costs, which stand notably higher than the global average, thereby bolstering India’s global competitiveness.

Functioning

The functional architecture of the Gati Shakti National Master Plan rests on cutting-edge technological infrastructure, primarily driven by a Geographic Information System (GIS) developed by the Bhaskaracharya National Institute for Space Applications and Geoinformatics (BISAG-N). This GIS-based platform integrates over 1,450 data layers from both central and state ministries, including satellite imagery from the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and geospatial data across various economic zones and logistics hubs. Through this system, stakeholders across departments can access real-time project data, enhance spatial planning, and engage in coordinated decision-making. This level of integration not only supports synchronized planning but also minimizes delays often caused by fragmented approvals and insufficient coordination among different agencies.

A robust institutional framework supports this technological backbone. The Network Planning Group (NPG), comprising representatives from each infrastructure ministry, conducts in-depth reviews of proposed projects to ensure their coherence with Gati Shakti’s multi-modal objectives. Concurrently, the Empowered Group of Secretaries (EGoS), led by the Cabinet Secretary, oversees the overall implementation process, facilitating inter-ministerial collaboration and policy alignment. By enabling real-time data sharing and project monitoring, Gati Shakti addresses the longstanding issues of project delays and inefficiencies that have historically plagued large-scale infrastructure projects in India.

Additionally, the centralized nature of the Gati Shakti platform allows ministries to adopt cross-sectoral planning tools that assist in the selection of optimized project routes and methods. For example, eDRS (Electronic Detailed Route Surveys) have significantly reduced survey times from several months to just a few hours, expediting project timelines and enhancing cost-effectiveness. The system’s analytical capabilities, such as “Go/No-Go” area assessments, support data-driven decision-making, enabling stakeholders to predict and mitigate potential regulatory or environmental challenges early in the planning process.

Performance

The Gati Shakti initiative has achieved measurable progress across key sectors since its inception. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, for instance, has utilized the National Master Plan to chart over 8,891 kilometers of new highways, aiming to expand India’s connectivity and reduce travel times for both goods and people. Simultaneously, the Ministry of Railways has strategically planned more than 27,000 kilometers of railway lines using the platform, accelerating completion timelines and improving route efficiencies.

The energy sector has also seen significant gains under the Gati Shakti framework. The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, leveraging eDRS, has streamlined pipeline alignments, notably saving 42 kilometers on North-East Gas Grid alignments and generating cost savings of approximately INR 169 crore. The Ministry of Power, focusing on the “Green Energy Corridor” from Leh to Kaithal, achieved optimal route alignments that contribute to reduced carbon footprints while supporting India’s renewable energy goals.

These performance indicators underscore the capability of Gati Shakti to expedite infrastructure planning and execution, contributing directly to India’s aspirations for sustainable development and economic growth. The initiative has also been instrumental in sectors beyond physical infrastructure. For instance, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh have employed the platform for disaster management and social infrastructure planning, respectively. These applications of Gati Shakti reflect its broader potential as a governance tool that extends its impact to areas like public health, education, and climate resilience, making it a transformative asset for diverse development needs across the country.

Gati Shakti Sanchar Portal: Launched on May 14, 2022, this portal streamlines Right of Way (RoW) approvals for telecom projects, enhancing broadband access, particularly in rural areas. It integrates 36 States/UTs and key central ministries, expediting approvals from months to just 16-22 days. By October 2024, over 2.11 lakh applications were approved. The portal has been pivotal in the rapid rollout of 5G services, initiated in October 2022. Additionally, 41,160 mobile towers with a budget of INR 41,331 crore were sanctioned to improve 4G coverage, and the BharatNet program received an expanded allocation of INR 1.88 lakh crore to connect all inhabited villages

Impact

Mission Gati Shakti’s anticipated impact encompasses a wide spectrum of economic and social benefits, especially in terms of logistics efficiency, infrastructure coherence, and job creation. With a focus on reducing the overall logistics costs, which constitute a substantial percentage of the Indian GDP, Gati Shakti aims to realign India’s infrastructure landscape to match global standards. By 2025, the plan targets expanding the national highway network to over 200,000 kilometers, establishing around 220 airports and heliports, and constructing approximately 34,500 kilometers of natural gas pipelines to bolster energy security and accessibility.

Additionally, Gati Shakti’s coordinated approach promotes cooperative federalism, with state governments adopting similar structures for project evaluation and planning, creating alignment across levels of governance. By March 2025, each district in India is expected to have its own master plan portal, enabling local authorities to undertake infrastructure planning that corresponds with state and national priorities. The cascading impact of this district-level integration is likely to extend to rural economies, creating jobs, enhancing rural connectivity, and fostering balanced regional development.

Notably, Gati Shakti’s emphasis on environmental sustainability aligns with India’s commitment to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2070. Through strategic initiatives such as the electrification of railways and the establishment of LNG facilities, the mission underscores the integration of eco-friendly solutions within large-scale infrastructure projects. This vision is further supported by the logistics framework’s emphasis on a modal mix that promotes rail and waterways over road-based logistics, offering a lower-emission alternative for the transport of goods and reducing congestion on national highways.

Emerging Issues

While Gati Shakti’s design addresses many historical inefficiencies, the mission faces challenges inherent to the scale and complexity of its goals. Local regulatory hurdles, bureaucratic delays, and land acquisition issues continue to hinder the pace of implementation, particularly at the district level. The technological sophistication of Gati Shakti, while beneficial for centralized coordination, has also exposed disparities in digital infrastructure across states. Regions lacking adequate digital resources may experience delays in data synchronization, compromising the real-time visibility crucial for Gati Shakti’s success.

In addition, the mission’s dependency on cross-departmental collaboration requires a continuous, well-orchestrated alignment among central ministries, state governments, and local agencies. To maintain cohesive planning and prevent potential policy disconnects, Gati Shakti will need to expand its training programs and capacity-building initiatives, particularly for local-level administrators who may be less familiar with advanced GIS and spatial planning technologies.

Way Forward

As Mission Gati Shakti advances, several strategic enhancements are essential to sustain its momentum. Expanding digital capacity will be critical, particularly in rural and underserved regions. This could involve state-level investments in IT infrastructure and specialized training to ensure that local agencies can effectively utilize Gati Shakti’s GIS and real-time data tools. Additionally, developing standardized protocols for data entry and updating across ministries will help to prevent discrepancies and improve overall project tracking and accountability.

On the sustainability front, Gati Shakti could incorporate more advanced clean energy logistics frameworks, such as electric vehicle charging networks or renewable energy integration within new infrastructure projects. As the mission expands, regular feedback loops between central and state-level agencies will help to streamline policy adjustments and resolve emerging issues swiftly. By refining its approach and reinforcing interdepartmental alignment, Gati Shakti can further cement its role as a cornerstone of India’s development strategy and a model of integrated governance.

As the country progresses towards a $5 trillion economy, Mission Gati Shakti’s multi-modal, synchronized approach holds the potential to redefine India’s economic geography, making Indian businesses more competitive globally while improving the quality of life for millions of citizens.

Selected References and Important Links

About the Author: Riya Rawat is a researcher at the Impact and Policy Research Institute (IMPRI), pursuing a second master’s degree in Political Science. With a strong background in public policy, gender studies, and international relations, her research interests focus on policy development, analysis, and global affairs.

Acknowledgement: The author extends sincere gratitude to Dr. Arjun Kumar and Aasthaba Jadeja for their invaluable guidance and support. Special thanks to Devananda and Avi Sharma for their assistance in reviewing the article and providing insightful suggestions.