Five Years of PM GatiShakti

Syllabus: GS3/Infrastructure

Context

• PM GatiShakti National Master Plan (PMGS-NMP) has completed five years.

PM GatiShakti National Master Plan (PMGS-NMP)

• It was launched on 13 October 2021 for providing multimodal connectivity infrastructure to various economic zones and improving logistics efficiency across India.
• PM Gati Shakti incorporates infrastructure schemes from various ministries and state governments, such as Bharatmala, Sagarmala, inland waterways, dry/land ports, and UDAN. 
  • It is not under a single ministry but is coordinated by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
• Aim: To provide seamless and efficient connectivity for the movement of people, goods, and services across various modes of transport, thereby enhancing last-mile connectivity and reducing travel time.

Key features of PM GatiShakti

• Seven Infrastructure Engines: Roads, Railways, Ports, Waterways, Airports, Mass Transport and Logistics Infrastructure form the core sectors of the plan.  
• Whole-of-Government Planning: The National Master Plan covers 58 Central Ministries and Departments and all 36 States and Union Territories, enabling infrastructure proposals to be planned and assessed across sectors.
• Integrated Digital Planning: The NMP brings together infrastructure, and geospatial information on a common GIS-based platform, supporting spatial planning and decision-making.
• Wider Data Access: The PM GatiShakti Public platform provides access to 230 approved datasets, enabling site suitability analysis, connectivity mapping, alignment planning and compliance checks.

Institutional Framework of PM GatiShakti

• Empowered Group of Secretaries (EGoS): Chaired by the Cabinet Secretary, the EGoS oversees the implementation of PM GatiShakti and reviews, considers and approves changes in the Master Plan.
• Network Planning Group (NPG):  The NPG brings together the Heads of Network Planning Divisions from infrastructure Ministries and Departments.
  • It examines infrastructure proposals and ensures unified planning, integration and optimisation. 
  • It also monitors developments under the National Master Plan for project planning.
• Technical Support Unit (TSU): The TSU comprises domain and subject-matter experts who support the evaluation process. It assists the Logistics Division in performing its role as the PM GatiShakti Secretariat.

What are the Challenges?

• Interdepartmental Coordination: Different ministries and state governments may have competing priorities, resulting in delays in project planning and execution.
• Data Quality and Integration: Inaccurate, outdated or incompatible datasets can affect the reliability of GIS-based planning and decision-making.
• Land Acquisition: Land disputes, rehabilitation requirements and environmental clearances delay infrastructure projects despite integrated planning.
• Limited Private Sector Access: Restrictions on access to sensitive datasets limit the information available to private investors for project planning and site selection.

Concluding remarks

• PM GatiShakti marks a shift towards integrated, data-driven infrastructure planning in India. 
• Strengthening interdepartmental coordination, addressing implementation bottlenecks and ensuring environmental sustainability will be crucial to improving logistics efficiency and achieving the vision of Viksit Bharat.

Source: PIB