PM GatiShakti and the Power of Data: Transforming Infrastructure Planning for a Connected India
When the government unveiled PM GatiShakti in October 2021, the headlines spoke of quick execution and reduced bottlenecks. The deeper story, however, is about data—how information is being applied to link highways, rail corridors, ports, and utilities into a single network.
At the heart of this shift is a digital platform that integrates inputs from 57 central ministries and 36 states and union territories. More than 1,700 data layers are now available in one system—spanning highways, airports, railway tracks, industrial parks, power lines, and even ecological zones. With GIS mapping, overlaps and gaps can be identified before ground is broken. If a rail corridor cuts through farmland or a port expansion lacks highway access, the issue becomes apparent on screen instead of years later, when work is already underway.
The platform is central to the work of the Network Planning Group (NPG). Since 2021, the NPG has reviewed close to 300 proposals worth over ₹13.5 lakh crore. Their assessment goes beyond paperwork. They ask whether a railway link will cut travel time for local factories, whether a new port ties efficiently into existing highways, and whether alignments can avoid fragile landscapes or heavy displacement.
Recent projects illustrate this data-first approach. The Ratlam–Nagda railway line in Madhya Pradesh, valued at ₹1,018 crore, is designed to transport freight more efficiently between industrial zones. In Maharashtra, the Wardha–Ballarpur corridor (₹2,381 crore) is focused on easing the transportation of coal and cement. Odisha’s Bahuda Satellite Port, at a scale of ₹21,500 crore, is being designed to expand cargo handling in sync with the Maritime India Vision 2030. These are not isolated efforts—they are coordinated through common datasets that bring ministries and states to the same table.
The usefulness is not limited to central agencies. States upload their own data, and private companies can also access parts of the system. A manufacturer scouting for a factory site, or a logistics firm planning a warehouse, can now factor in upcoming highways and railways instead of gambling on future connections. This helps align national ambitions with state-level needs and local land use.
There are early signs of progress. Officials report that projects aligned with GatiShakti are experiencing fewer hurdles, especially on land acquisition—an area that once stalled projects for years. Freight flows, too, are seeing improvements. Coal shipments from Odisha to Maharashtra were recently planned through the portal by checking rail capacity, mapping routes, and coordinating with ports. The consignment moved without delay, saving costs for shippers and reducing congestion.
The system is not flawless. Keeping data current requires cooperation from many agencies, some of which are still adjusting to the new way of working. Bureaucratic silos can slow down updates, and not every official is yet comfortable with GIS tools. And while technology helps anticipate trouble, it does not remove the ground realities of clearances, contractors, or community concerns.
Even with these limits, the difference is clear. Infrastructure in India has often been planned in fragments—a railway here, a highway there, utilities added later. GatiShakti drives a shift from piecemeal projects to integrated corridors, where assets are designed with an eye to their interconnectivity.
In practical terms, this means that roads and ports are not just structures but enablers. They link markets, reduce travel time, and expand opportunities. Data helps ensure those links are in the right places, designed with efficiency in mind, and less prone to costly revisions.
India’s economic goals will not be met by construction alone. They will depend on whether infrastructure is planned intelligently, built in sequence, and connected seamlessly. PM GatiShakti offers a framework to make that possible.
Infrastructure shapes economies. Data shapes infrastructure. Used together, they can redefine how a country builds for the future.
References
- “PM GatiShakti National Master Plan Evaluates 293 Infrastructure Projects Worth ₹13.59 Lakh Crore” — Press Information Bureau. Press Information Bureau
- “Infra projects worth over ₹13 lakh crore reviewed under PM GatiShakti” — Economic Times (ET Infra). ETInfra.com
- “India’s GatiShakti Plan Advances with 293 Infrastructure Projects Evaluated Worth ₹13.59 Lakh Crore” — IBEF. India Brand Equity Foundation
- “Geospatial Fosters Multi-Modal National Master Plan” — Geospatial World. Geospatial World
- “PM GatiShakti National Master Plan completes 3 years of transforming India’s infrastructure landscape” — PIB (Press Information Bureau), October 2024. Press Information Bureau
- “PM GatiShakti Data For Private Sector” — IMPRI India. IMPRI Institute
Raj Kashyap Das – Knowledge & Insights Coordinator, Sambodhi
