India's ambitious infra push: A digital platform that combines 16 ministries

The Indian government two years ago announced an ambitious $1.2 trillion mega project called Gati Shakti (Hindi for strength of speed) or National Master Plan for multi-modal connectivity plan. Now, under the project, the government is set to create a digital platform that will combine 16 ministries across different verticals so that infrastructure projects do not get entangled in bureaucratic mess and red tapism.

Under the new portal, the private and government companies as well as investors will have a one-stop solution for the design and approval of projects while figuring out the costs without much difficulty.

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It is estimated that one in four infrastructure projects in India exceed their estimated budget while half of the projects get delayed.

According to Amrit Lal Meena, special secretary of logistics in the ministry of commerce and industry, of the 1,300 projects, Gati Shakti’s portal currently oversees, almost 40 per cent were delayed due to issues related to land acquisition, forest, and environment clearances, resulting in cost overruns.

“The mission is to implement projects without time overrun and cost overrun. Global companies choosing India as their manufacturing center is the objective.” said Meena regarding the objective of the new portal.

As reported by WION, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman during the budget speech, earlier this year unveiled India at 100 plan while elaborating on PM Gati Shakti programme to accelerate growth.

Read more: India Union Budget 2022: PM Gati Shakti plan highlights

The plan involves seven engines namely: Railways, roads, airports, ports, mass transport, waterways, and logistics infrastructure. The minister also informed that 100 PM Gati Shakti cargo terminals will be developed during the next three years.

Under the scheme 400 new generation, Vande Bharat trains with better efficiency will bebrought in the next threeyears.

Ever since PM Modi came to power, he has been focusing on making India a hub of infrastructure projects. To ensure that the benefits of the trillion-dollar project are visible on the ground, PM Modi in a speech batted for decentralisation of the programme.

He said that states can come up withtheir own master plans along lines of the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan.

“This would expedite the implementation of the Mission. Parallelly, they should work to use technology for enhancing ‘ease of living’ of the common man,” the PM was quoted as saying in the statement.

(With inputs from agencies)

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