Gajendra Singh Godara
Sep 20, 2025
15
mins read
In Union Budget 2025, the Finance Minister announced selective access to PM Gati Shakti portal data/maps for private players to support project planning and PPPs, with the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade(DPIIT) framing secure‑access guidelines for logistics and infrastructure use.
In August 2025, the 98th Network Planning Group meeting under PM Gati Shakti evaluated seven projects—new rail lines, highway expansions, a multimodal logistics park, and textile parks—to align with integrated connectivity goals and cut travel time.
Table of content
Launch and Context
Announced on 15 August 2021 and launched on 13 October 2021, PM Gati Shakti was conceived as a ₹100 lakh crore (≈$1.2 trillion) national master plan that builds on the ₹110 lakh crore National Infrastructure Pipeline by integrating projects under a common framework.
Rationale
To break silos, cut delays and overruns, and lower India’s high logistics costs (~13–14% of GDP vs 8–10% in Germany/Japan), the master plan institutionalises upfront, cross‑ministry design using GIS mapping and data analytics so clearances are faster, gaps are filled, and connectivity supports a $5 trillion economy.
Scope
A unifying platform—not a fund—that aligns central/state schemes like Bharatmala, Sagarmala, UDAN, inland waterways, industrial corridors, Dedicated Freight Corridors, and BharatNet with economic zones (textile, pharma, electronics, agri, and multimodal logistics parks) to ensure last‑mile linkages nationwide.
Integrated Planning:
Break silos and plan with a multimodal lens so highways, rail lines, ports and other assets are synchronized, cutting redundancy and improving resource use.
Speed & Cost Efficiency:
Align timelines and clearances, use spatial tools to spot gaps and pick optimal alignments, reducing delays and cost overruns.
Six Pillars
Comprehensiveness: One centralized PM Gati Shakti portal integrating schemes (Bharatmala, Sagarmala, UDAN, economic zones).
Prioritization: Choose projects with the highest cross‑sector impact first.
Optimization: Use data tools to select time‑ and cost‑efficient routes and shared corridors.
Synchronization: Coordinate stages and approvals across agencies for timely execution.
Analytical: GIS‑based, data‑driven planning with ISRO imagery via BISAG‑N.
Dynamic: Real‑time visualisation, monitoring, and course correction across ministries.
Digital Platform (Portal):
What is the PM Gati Shakti portal? It is essentially a massive GIS-powered collaborative platform that hosts all the data layers and project information.
Central ministries and state governments upload project plans and geo-spatial data here. The portal thus acts as a single source of truth for infrastructure mapping and avoids inter-agency information gaps.
All-of-Government Approach: The PM Gati Shakti scheme is inherently multi-ministerial. 44 central ministries/departments and all 36 state/UT governments are now part of this unified planning process. But notably, 15 social sector ministries (e.g. Rural Development, Health, Education, Skill Development, Housing) have also been brought on board with standard operating procedures to leverage the platform.
Coordination Structure: The Empowered Group of Secretaries (EGoS) monitors and guides the overall implementation and resolves inter-ministerial issues. The Network Planning Group (NPG) is where the coordination truly happens – planners from different ministries meet, discuss proposals, and ensure every major project is designed for multimodal synergy. This institutional mechanism is a paradigm shift from the old silo approach.
State and District Integration: States have been encouraged to create State Master Plan (SMP) portals mirroring the central platform, so that state-level projects and utilities are also mapped. Many states (e.g. Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat) have started using the portal for their internal planning. Going further, a District-level Master Plan (DMP) portal is being developed to trickle this down to all districts.
At the heart of this initiative is the PM Gati Shakti digital portal, a sophisticated GIS system providing geospatial planning tools for infrastructure. Key aspects of the portal include:
Massive GIS Database: The portal integrates thousands of data layers. These include physical maps (topography, satellite imagery), administrative boundaries, existing infrastructure (roads, rail lines, airports, power lines, fiber optic network, pipelines), forest and environmental layers, economic zones, and demographic data.
Layered Project Mapping: All new projects from various ministries are uploaded with precise geo-coordinates. This allows real-time project mapping and highlights potential conflicts or synergies.
Analytics and Decision Support: Advanced analytics built into the portal help identify optimal routes and site locations. The portal’s analytical tools, combined with ISRO satellite imagery, improve the quality of Detailed Project Reports (DPRs). They also facilitate environmental and social impact assessments early on by showing what sensitive areas a project might traverse.
Monitoring and Updates: The dynamic nature of the portal means ministries continuously update progress. This transparency improves feedback and review mechanisms, as bottlenecks become visible to all stakeholders.
One-Stop Clearance Integration: While not an explicit function of the Gati Shakti portal itself, it complements other digital initiatives like PARIVESH (for environmental clearances) and the National Single Window System.
Reducing Logistics Costs: Perhaps the most immediate impact of PM Gati Shakti is on improving India’s logistics efficiency. By synchronizing infrastructure investments, the plan helps eliminate redundancies and improve the connectivity of supply chains.
Faster Project Implementation: The coordinated approach under Gati Shakti saves time at multiple stages – planning, approvals, and execution. Ministries no longer work at cross-purposes; this means fewer project delays due to land acquisition issues, utility shifting, or inter-agency NOCs.
Enhanced Multimodal Connectivity: Gati Shakti explicitly focuses on multimodal integration – ensuring that road, rail, air, and waterways connect seamlessly. This has led to initiatives like development of multi-modal logistics parks (MMLPs), and connection of manufacturing centers to ports and rail hubs.
Economic Growth and Jobs: Investment in infrastructure has strong multiplier effects – an estimated ₹1 invested in infrastructure can generate ₹2.5 to ₹4 in economic output.
Ease of Living and Doing Business: From a governance perspective, PM Gati Shakti improves both ease of doing business (through infrastructure availability, streamlined logistics, and predictable project pipelines) and ease of living for citizens.
Use in Social Sectors: An underrated but important aspect is the extension of Gati Shakti principles to social infrastructure. The platform has been used to plan locations of schools, skill centers, hospitals, and amenities for underserved areas. For example, the Education Ministry mapped PM SHRI schools to industry clusters to target skill training, and the Health Ministry identified villages lacking digital connectivity to prioritize new health facility sites.
Nationwide Expansion: PM Gati Shakti extended to 27 aspirational districts, targeting 750 districts soon through the GatiShakti portal.
Technology Integration: PM Gati Shakti portal leverages geospatial tools and dynamic data layers for real-time infrastructure planning and enhanced decision-making.
Global Recognition: PM Gati Shakti scheme showcased to 30 countries in Central Asia and Southeast Asia, featured at UNESCAP Hong Kong and Asia Pacific Business Forum.
Healthcare Integration: Ministry of Health uses PM Gati Shakti platform to identify internet-dark areas and map new healthcare facility sites; Uttar Pradesh selected hospital and wheat purchase center locations.
Rural Development: Gujarat's Dahod district utilized satellite imagery for planning cost-effective drip irrigation systems; Arunachal Pradesh developed tourism potential around Bichom Dam.
Urban Logistics: Cities like Kanpur, Bengaluru, and Srinagar developed comprehensive city logistics plans improving first- and last-mile connectivity.
Skill Development: Ministry of Skill Development uses Gati Shakti approach for strategic placement of training institutes near industrial clusters and SEZs.
Data Accuracy & Updates: The portal’s effectiveness hinges on the accuracy of data layers and real-time updates by agencies. Data silos and traditional work cultures in some departments can slow the free flow of information.
Coordination at Local Levels: High-level coordination is improving, but centre-state coordination and inter-departmental coordination at the field level remain issues.
Funding Constraints: Notwithstanding the grand ₹100 lakh crore vision, funding each project is still a challenge. Many infrastructure projects under Gati Shakti require hefty capital – rail lines, highways, ports, etc.
Regulatory and Clearances: Projects still must navigate environmental and social safeguards. Land acquisition continues to be a bottleneck for highways and railways – even with route optimization, India’s dense population means some displacements and negotiations are inevitable.
Technical Capacity and Usage: The Gati Shakti portal is a high-tech solution; ensuring that thousands of officers across government are trained to use it effectively is a challenge.
Measuring Impact: Another challenge is to develop a strong monitoring and evaluation framework. It’s important to quantify how much time/cost is saved by Gati Shakti interventions and ensure accountability.
Going forward, the government has laid out a clear roadmap to strengthen and expand the PM Gati Shakti program:
District-Level Rollout: By 2025, the goal is to operationalize District Master Plan portals nationwide. This will empower local administrations to plan holistically District plans will then feed upward into state and national plans, creating a bottom-up planning ecosystem.
Inclusivity – Social and Cultural Infrastructure: The scope of Gati Shakti is being widened beyond core economic infrastructure. As noted, five key social sector departments (Health, Education, Rural Development & Panchayati Raj, Women & Child Development, and Housing & Urban Affairs) are already onboard. There are proposals to even include others like the Ministry of Culture – for instance to plan connectivity around heritage sites and tourist circuits.
Private Sector Integration: A big future step is incorporating private sector data and plans. With guidelines for private access expected soon, companies might use the portal for their logistics planning. This public-private data integration will create a richer ecosystem for innovation in infrastructure.
National Logistics Policy (NLP) Synergy: The National Logistics Policy 2022 works in tandem with Gati Shakti. The future will see deeper integration between the Gati Shakti platform and initiatives under NLP like the Unified Logistics Interface Platform (ULIP) and Logistics Data Bank.
Sustainable and Green Infrastructure: Future phases of Gati Shakti will likely emphasize sustainability – encouraging green infrastructure alignments (e.g., aligning highways/rails alongside existing corridors to minimize environmental disruption).
Global Benchmarking: By streamlining project delivery, India aims to rank in the top 25 of the Logistics Performance Index by 2030. Gati Shakti is the vehicle to get there.
In summary, the future of PM Gati Shakti is one of deeper integration – across government levels, with the private sector, and with advanced technologies (IoT, AI for predictive analytics on the portal). If executed fully, it can become the digital backbone of India’s infrastructure development for decades, steering the country’s growth trajectory in a coordinated, efficient manner.
FAQ's
Q1: What is the PM Gati Shakti scheme?
A. It is India’s National Master Plan for coordinated multi-modal infrastructure connectivity, launched in 2021 to integrate 16+ ministries on one platform.
Q2: The gati shakti scheme is under which ministry?
A. PM Gati Shakti is spearheaded by DPIIT, Ministry of Commerce & Industry, with an Empowered Group of Secretaries to monitor implementation.
Q3: What is the PM Gati Shakti portal used for?
A. The PM Gati Shakti portal is a GIS-based digital platform mapping infrastructure and logistics data for integrated project planning, gap analysis, and real-time monitoring.
Q4: How does PM Gati Shakti improve logistics?
A. By synchronizing rail, road, port, and other projects, the Gati Shakti scheme reduces duplication and delays, cutting logistics costs (from ~14% to ~8% of GDP) and boosting supply chain efficiency.
Q5: Why is PM Gati Shakti important for UPSC prep?
A. It’s a flagship infrastructure reform – expect UPSC questions on its objectives, features (like the PM Gati Shakti portal), involved ministries, and its role in improving India’s logistics and economy.
UPSC Previous Year Questions
Prelims
Q1. With reference to ‘National Investment and Infrastructure Fund’, which of the following statements is/are correct? (2017)
It is an organ of NITI Aayog.
It has a corpus of `4,00,000 crore at present.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
Ans: (d)
Q2. In India, the term “Public Key Infrastructure” is used in the context of (2020)
(a) Digital security infrastructure
(b) Food security infrastructure
(c) Health care and education infrastructure
(d) Telecommunication and transportation infrastructure
Ans: (a)
Mains:
Q. “Investment in infrastructure is essential for more rapid and inclusive economic growth.” Discuss in the light of India’s experience. (2021)
Conclusion
In conclusion, PM Gati Shakti represents a paradigm shift in India’s infrastructure governance – moving from departmental silos to a synchronized, tech-enabled approach. For UPSC Prelims, aspirants should remember key facts: launch date (2021), nodal ministry (Commerce/DPIIT), the PM Gati Shakti portal and its GIS nature, the “16 ministries on one platform”, and associated schemes (Bharatmala, Sagarmala, etc.). Overall, PM Gati Shakti is a cornerstone of India’s drive towards modern infrastructure and inclusive growth, making it an essential topic for UPSC preparation. Aspirants should integrate this case study in GS answers related to infrastructure, economy, and governance reforms.
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