PM GATISHAKTI
PM GATISHAKTI: Powering India’s Infrastructure Growth
Introduction
In August 2021, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled a visionary and ambitious initiative called PM GATISHAKTI, aimed at transforming the country’s infrastructure landscape. The name “GATISHAKTI” itself translates to ‘Gati’ meaning speed and ‘Shakti’ meaning power, signifying the intent to energize India’s growth by revamping its infrastructure. This multifaceted program seeks to foster economic development, enhance connectivity, and create sustainable job opportunities for millions of Indians.
- platform to bring 16 Ministries including Railways and Roadways together for integrated planning and coordinated implementation of infrastructure connectivity projects.
- The multi-modal connectivity will provide integrated and seamless connectivity for movement of people, goods and services from one mode of transport to another. It will facilitate the last mile connectivity of infrastructure and also reduce travel time for people.
- PM Gati Shakti will incorporate the infrastructure schemes of various Ministries and State Governments like Bharatmala, Sagarmala, inland waterways, dry/land ports, UDAN etc.
- Economic Zones like textile clusters, pharmaceutical clusters, defense corridors, electronic parks, industrial corridors, fishing clusters, agri zones will be covered to improve connectivity & make Indian businesses more competitive.
- It will also leverage technology extensively including spatial planning tools with ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) imagery developed by BiSAG-N (Bhaskaracharya National Institute for Space Applications and Geoinformatics).
The Need for PM GATISHAKTI
- India’s journey towards becoming a $5 trillion economy hinges on its infrastructure capabilities. A robust infrastructure network is the backbone of any thriving economy, and India is no exception.
- However, years of underinvestment, inadequate planning, and bureaucratic hurdles have hindered the nation’s infrastructure growth. The government recognized this pressing need and initiated PM GATISHAKTI to address these shortcomings.
Key Components of PM GATISHAKTI
1. National Infrastructure Pipeline (NIP): The NIP, a crucial component of PM GATISHAKTI, outlines a comprehensive vision for India’s infrastructure development. It envisions investments in various sectors, including energy, transportation, water resources, and more. The NIP aims to provide clarity to investors, improve project planning, and synchronize efforts at both the central and state levels.
2. Project Preparation Facility (PPF): To accelerate the development of bankable infrastructure projects, PM GATISHAKTI introduced the Project Preparation Facility. This initiative assists project developers in preparing detailed project reports and conducting feasibility studies, thereby reducing delays and increasing investor interest.
3. National Monetization Pipeline: India holds a vast asset base in the form of roads, railways, airports, and other public infrastructure. PM GATISHAKTI seeks to monetize these assets by leasing them to private investors, thus unlocking capital and promoting efficiency in the management and maintenance of these assets.
4. Technology-Driven Infrastructure Planning: The use of cutting-edge technology, including Geographic Information System (GIS) and data analytics, plays a pivotal role in PM GATISHAKTI. These tools aid in identifying gaps and optimizing infrastructure deployment.
5. Collaboration with States: PM GATISHAKTI acknowledges the importance of collaboration between the central government and states. It encourages states to take an active role in infrastructure development, fostering a cooperative federalism approach.
6. Green and Sustainable Infrastructure: Environmental concerns are integrated into the fabric of PM GATISHAKTI, promoting sustainable and eco-friendly infrastructure projects. This approach aligns with global climate commitments and ensures a greener and healthier future for India.
Significance and Impact
PM GATISHAKTI holds immense significance for India’s development:
1. Economic Growth: By catalyzing infrastructure development, PM GATISHAKTI aims to boost economic growth. It will not only create jobs but also enhance industrial and agricultural productivity.
2. Improved Connectivity: Enhanced transportation and logistics networks will improve connectivity, reducing the cost and time of moving goods and people across the country.
3. Attracting Investment: The program aims to attract both domestic and foreign investments, strengthening India’s position as an investment destination. Infrastructure projects offer lucrative opportunities for investors.
4. Strengthening Urban and Rural Areas: The program addresses the infrastructure divide between urban and rural areas, ensuring equitable development and improving the quality of life in both settings.
5. Environmental Sustainability: PM GATISHAKTI’s focus on green and sustainable infrastructure aligns with India’s environmental commitments and sets an example for responsible development.
PM Gati Shakti is based on six pillars:
- Comprehensiveness: It will include all the existing and planned initiatives of various Ministries and Departments with one centralized portal. Each and every Department will now have visibility of each other’s activities providing critical data while planning & execution of projects in a comprehensive manner.
- Prioritization: Through this, different Departments will be able to prioritize their projects through cross-sectoral interactions.
- Optimization: The National Master Plan will assist different ministries in planning for projects after identification of critical gaps. For the transportation of the goods from one place to another, the plan will help in selecting the most optimum route in terms of time and cost.
- Synchronization: Individual Ministries and Departments often work in silos. There is lack of coordination in planning and implementation of the project resulting in delays. PM Gati Shakti will help in synchronizing the activities of each department, as well as of different layers of governance, in a holistic manner by ensuring coordination of work between them.
- Analytical: The plan will provide the entire data at one place with GIS based spatial planning and analytical tools having 200+ layers, enabling better visibility to the executing agency.
- Dynamic: All Ministries and Departments will now be able to visualize, review and monitor the progress of cross-sectoral projects, through the GIS platform, as the satellite imagery will give on-ground progress periodically and progress of the projects will be updated on a regular basis on the portal. It will help in identifying the vital interventions for enhancing and updating the master plan.
Conclusion
PM GATISHAKTI is a game-changing initiative that holds the potential to transform India’s infrastructure landscape and power the country’s economic growth. By fostering collaboration, innovation, and sustainable practices, it aims to overcome the longstanding challenges hindering India’s infrastructure development. The program’s success will not only drive economic growth but also improve the quality of life for millions of Indians while showcasing India’s commitment to a sustainable and prosperous future.
Source: NPI
