PM GatiShakti: 208 major infra projects worth over Rs 15 lakh crore recommended for approval

A total of 208 large-scale infrastructure projects from various ministries, including roads and railways, valued at Rs 15.39 lakh crore, have been recommended for approval under the PM GatiShakti initiative, a top government official said on Saturday.

The Network Planning Group (NPG), established under the initiative launched in October 2021, has assessed these projects to accelerate the development of integrated infrastructure across India, according to Amardeep Singh Bhatia, Secretary of the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT).

“So far, 208 projects have been assessed under the initiative worth Rs 15.39 lakh crore,” Bhatia told reporters. Of the recommended projects, 101 are focused on road development, 73 on railways, 12 on urban development, and four from the oil and gas sector.

The inter-ministerial NPG, which meets every two weeks, evaluates projects to promote multi-modal connectivity and ensure comprehensive development. The initiative aims to cut logistics costs and streamline infrastructure investments. Projects with investments exceeding Rs 500 crore are first reviewed by the NPG before being sent to the Public Investment Board (PIB) or the Department of Expenditure under the finance ministry for final approval.

The National Master Plan (NMP), a key component of the GatiShakti initiative, features over 1,600 layers of geospatial data, including land records, physical, and social infrastructure, designed to speed up planning and improve the design process. Additionally, 156 critical infrastructure gaps—related to ports and the movement of bulk commodities such as coal, cement, and foodgrains—have been identified for intervention under the initiative.

The DPIIT is collaborating with states to integrate updated land record data into the system. Bhatia added that Nepal and Sri Lanka have expressed interest in adopting the GatiShakti initiative, with discussions already underway with Sri Lanka. The initiative is expected to expand to the district level within the next two months, according to Bhatia.