PM GatiShakti completes 5 years, next phase focuses on multimodal connectivity: Piyush Goyal

The PM GatiShakti initiative is crucial for addressing India's high logistics cost, which is often cited as a major bottleneck for the manufacturing sector and export competitiveness. By integrating seven key infrastructure engines—roads, railways, ports, waterways, airports, mass transport, and logistics infrastructure—the plan aims to create a seamless multimodal transport network. This integration incorporates major existing schemes like Bharatmala (roads), Sagarmala (ports), and UDAN (aviation). For UPSC aspirants, understanding the economic impact of efficient infrastructure is key; it not only reduces the cost of doing business but also attracts Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and boosts the Make in India initiative by ensuring faster movement of goods and raw materials.

From a governance perspective, PM GatiShakti represents a paradigm shift towards a Whole-of-Government approach. Traditionally, infrastructure development in India suffered from siloed working where different departments (e.g., roads, railways, telecom) worked independently, often leading to repeated digging of roads or delays due to a lack of coordination. The use of a central Geographic Information System (GIS) platform, currently hosting over 23,000 data layers from 58 Central Ministries and all 36 States/UTs, ensures data-driven decision-making and inter-ministerial coordination. This approach aligns with the principles of e-governance and good governance, emphasizing transparency, efficiency, and minimised clearances, which are critical areas in GS Paper 2.

The use of spatial technology and Geographic Information System (GIS) in PM GatiShakti is a significant geographical intervention in infrastructure planning. The platform utilizes spatial data—incorporating geographical features, existing infrastructure networks, and economic zones—to optimize site suitability analysis and infrastructure alignment planning. This geospatial approach helps in mitigating geographical challenges, ensuring last-mile connectivity, and reducing ecological impact by planning routes that avoid sensitive environmental zones. For the UPSC exam, the application of space technology and geospatial data in governance and developmental planning is an important theme under GS Paper 3 (Science & Technology and Disaster Management/Environment).