Pro-Active Governance And Timely Implementation (PRAGATI) 2.0 : Progress and Prospects, 2025

Policy Update
Parth Lathiya

Background

In March 2015, the government of India launched the PRAGATI — Proactive Governance and Timely Implementation scheme which is a digital platform that fast-track the execution of high-priority government projects and resolve inter-departmental bottlenecks through direct intervention from the Prime Minister’s Office.

It is built as an ICT-enabled system that combines video conferencing, data dashboards, and geo-spatial tools. It also offered a space where Union Secretaries and State Chief Secretaries could come together in real time to identify delays, share updates, and receive time-bound directives. 

However, as India’s digital capabilities have grown and governance challenges have become more complex, the government launched PRAGATI 2.0 in 2023  with a significantly expanded scope and architecture. Unlike its predecessor, which functioned primarily as a high-level monitoring tool, the new version is designed to integrate real-time governance with everyday service delivery.

It aims to connect key platforms such as Aadhaar, DigiLocker, CPGRAMS, UMANG, and the myScheme portal through a common API ecosystem. The Prime Minister’s Office described PRAGATI 2.0 as a ‘uniquely integrated and interactive platform’ designed not only to monitor key government programmes but also to directly address the concerns of ordinary citizens.

Key features

• The PRAGATI system is structured across three levels: PMO, Union Government Secretaries, and State Chief Secretaries, enabling coordinated decision making process between the Centre and States.
• The Prime Minister will hold a monthly program called PRAGATI Day, where he will interact with Government of India Secretaries and Chief Secretaries via video-conferencing using data and geo-informatics visuals. 
• Issues to be raised before the PM are sourced from the existing database of public grievances, ongoing programmes, and pending projects.
• The system will rely on, reinforce, and re-engineer the data bases of the CPGRAMS for grievances, the Project Monitoring Group (PMG), and the Ministry of Statistics and Program Implementation. PRAGATI serves as an interface and platform for all three aspects.
• It will review numerous correspondences to the Prime Minister’s office from ordinary citizens, high dignitaries of states, and/or developers of public projects.
• The issues highlighted are posted seven days before the PRAGATI day (the third Wednesday of each month). These issues can be reviewed by Union Government Secretaries and Chief Secretaries after submitting the application.
• Each Union Government Secretary and Chief Secretary has been assigned a user ID and password. Union Government Secretaries and Chief Secretaries would be able to view the concerns affecting their Department/State.
• Union Government Secretaries and Chief Secretaries must provide comments and updates on the highlighted issues within three days (by next Monday).
• The PMO staff has one day, Tuesday, to review the data entered by the Union Government Secretaries and Chief Secretaries.
• The design is such that when the PM analyzes the issue, he should see both the issue and the most recent updates and visuals on his screen.

The table below presents a comparative view of the original PRAGATI platform and its upgraded version, PRAGATI 2.0, highlighting shifts in architecture, scope, and operational mechanisms.

Table 1: Key Differences Between PRAGATI (2015) and PRAGATI 2.0 (2023–24)

Performance and Assessment 

The PRAGATI 2.0 platform has significantly accelerated the implementation of several hundred large projects. By mid-2025, approximately 370-373 projects had been examined on the PRAGATI platform, with an aggregate investment of ₹20-21 lakh crore (about $250-260 billion). In mid-2023, the PRAGATI system had examined 340 projects totaling around ₹17.05 lakh crore.

As reported in an Oxford Saïd Business School study, the platform “has helped accelerate over 340 critical projects worth $205 billion” since 2015. These include massive highway development (an additional 50,000 km of national highways) and the doubling of airport capacity, which the government describes as “a decade of unparalleled progress” under continual supervision. 

In practice, problems that are posted in the PRAGATI forum tend to be resolved more quickly. For example, the delayed Pakri-Barwadih coal mine (stalled since 2006) was completed within three years of being included in PRAGATI. Similarly, the inclusion of the Ennore-Thiruvallur-Bengaluru gas pipeline project in PRAGATI resulted in the formation of a unified implementing agency, which resolved conflicts and completed the project by January 2024.

Across sectors, the Prime Minister’s active leadership on PRAGATI has “revived numerous stalled initiatives” and promoted an accountable culture. By mid-2025, PRAGATI meetings will have expanded to include not only infrastructure but also social projects (like Ayushman Bharat) and citizen grievances (banking/insurance complaints), demonstrating a broad performance influence on governance.

Emerging issues

Despite successes, analysts point out several challenges. The foremost challenge lies in its heavy reliance on the Prime Minister’s direct participation, which has led to uneven continuity. After a swift start in 2015–18, meeting frequency slowed in 2019–2020. Additionally, the official report stated that only two meetings occurred in each of 2019 and 2020, as the Prime Minister’s time was diverted by other national crises. Several critics argue that when the top leader is unavailable, the oversight gap widens, suggesting that PRAGATI’s reliance on a single individual can be an impediment.

Secondly, experts also highlighted concerns of over-centralization as a possible outcome of this initiative. By routing project decisions to the PM level, PRAGATI may move power away from line ministries and governments. This will “undermine bureaucratic independence” and increase government centralization. Additionally, the collaborative nature of PRAGATI is commendable but its heavy reliance on the Prime Minister’s direct involvement raises questions about its long-term sustainability.

Third, there has been growing concern over coordination overlaps as other digital programs (such as PM GatiShakti and the Project Monitoring Group portal) seek to improve infrastructure planning, which can potentially duplicate efforts. The progression of PRAGATI into “PRAGATI 2.0” aims to combine numerous platforms, however, the exact integration is still being developed. 

Finally, since PRAGATI’s project list is inevitably selective (hundreds reviewed out of thousands in progress), many smaller or rural initiatives continue to move forward without high-level inspection. In summary, while PRAGATI accelerated crucial schemes, its centralized model and fluctuating meeting schedule are recognized by experts as significant constraints to resolve.

Way Forward

Looking ahead, authorities intend to build on PRAGATI’s successes while addressing its existing limitations. This entails institutionalizing the platform’s processes so that they can operate independently of the Prime Minister’s personal involvement. Experts recommend delegating some review responsibilities to empower Cabinet committees or state-level entities to sustain momentum if the Prime Minister is engaged elsewhere.

Strengthening the PRAGATI portal, such as connecting it more firmly with GIS platforms (PM GatiShakti), environmental clearance systems (PARIVESH), and grievance portals, can help automate monitoring processes and eliminate redundancy. Including tools such as automated reminder alarms, predictive analytics, and citizen feedback loops could maintain accountability for delayed projects.

Strengthening state capability is also important: states can be encouraged to conduct their own quarterly PRAGATI-style evaluations internally to ensure alignment with the Centre’s strategy. Finally, PRAGATI’s mandate can be expanded to include social-sector projects (education, health) that are as rigorous as infrastructure and represent federal priorities. In summary, the “2.0” concept seeks to incorporate PRAGATI’s collaborative culture into routine governance processes by utilizing technology to make accountability systematic rather than episodic in the overall governance structure.

References

1. Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). (2015, March 25). PM launches PRAGATI – a multi-purpose platform for Pro-Active Governance and Timely Implementation. [Press Release].
   https://pib.gov.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=117491

2. Oxford Saïd Business School & Gates Foundation. (2023). Using technology for better governance: India’s PRAGATI platform.
   https://www.sbs.ox.ac.uk/sites/default/files/2023-12/Oxford-Gates-India-Governance-Report.pdf

3. Press Information Bureau (PIB). (2023, July 12). PM reviews key infrastructure projects under PRAGATI platform.
   https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1937914

4. Digital India Corporation, MeitY. (2023). GovForms and DigiLocker Integration: Digital Paperless Governance Toolkit.
   https://www.digilocker.gov.in/govforms/

5. myScheme Portal. (2024). Discover Government Welfare Schemes.
   https://www.myscheme.gov.in/
   
6. CPGRAMS (Centralised Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System). (n.d.). Public grievance monitoring system under DARPG.
   https://pgportal.gov.in/
   
7. UMANG App (Unified Mobile Application for New-Age Governance). (n.d.). Government services app.
   https://web.umang.gov.in/landing/
8. Project Monitoring Group (PMG). (n.d.). Fast-track clearance of large projects.
   https://pmg.gov.in/
   
9. Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI). (n.d.). Project statistics and monitoring dashboards.
   https://mospi.gov.in/
   
10. PM GatiShakti Portal. (2022). GIS-based infrastructure planning platform.
    https://gati.gov.in/
    
11. PARIVESH Portal (MoEFCC). (n.d.). Forest and Environmental Clearance Monitoring.
    https://parivesh.nic.in/

12. ThePrint. (2020, December 4). Why PRAGATI, Modi’s big reform to fast-track development, has lost steam.
    https://theprint.in/india/governance/why-pragati-modis-big-reform-to-fast-track-development-has-lost-steam/553798/

13. The Hans India / IANS. (2024, December 26). PM Modi takes stock of 8 big infra projects worth Rs 1 lakh crore.
    https://www.thehansindia.com/news/national/pm-modi-takes-stock-of-8-big-infra-projects-worth-rs-1-lakh-crore-839332

14. Eurasia Review. (2025, July 1). Modi’s Route to Centralized Government and Its Implications for Rural Development – OpEd.
    https://www.eurasiareview.com/01072025-modis-route-to-centralized-government-and-its-implications-for-rural-development-oped/

About the contributor: Parth Lathiya is a Research Intern at the Impact and Policy Research Institute (IMPRI). He is currently pursuing his Master’s degree in Political Science and International Relations at the University of Hyderabad (HCU), Telangana. His academic interests lie in emerging technologies and their regulatory frameworks in India.

Acknowledgement: The author sincerely thanks Ms. Aasthaba Jadeja and IMPRI fellows for their valuable contribution.

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

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