GatiShakti at Five: Is India’s Infrastructure Finally Working as One?

By Harshita Rai

A road is useful when it takes people where they need to go. A railway line delivers greater value when it connects smoothly with highways, industrial hubs and freight terminals. And a new industrial corridor can fulfil its promise only when the supporting infrastructure is ready on time. These connections may sound obvious, but coordinating them across government departments has long been a challenge for India.

That is the problem PM GatiShakti was designed to address. Launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in October 2021, the National Master Plan has completed five years of work aimed at making infrastructure planning more connected, coordinated and efficient.

The numbers are impressive. The digital platform now brings together more than 1,800 data layers covering 58 Central Ministries and Departments and all 36 States and Union Territories. The Network Planning Group has evaluated more than 400 infrastructure projects worth approximately ₹20.23 lakh crore.

But the real story is not just about the scale of the platform or the value of the projects. It is about whether India can avoid the familiar problems of disconnected planning, repeated construction, delayed projects and poor last-mile connectivity.

For ordinary people, these problems are easy to recognise. A newly built road loses much of its value if it does not connect properly with a nearby market. A factory struggles when freight movement is slow or unpredictable. A village may have a school or health centre, but reaching it can remain difficult if the connecting road is poor. Infrastructure works best when every part of the network supports the other.

PM GatiShakti attempts to bring this bigger picture into the planning process. Its digital map allows departments to view infrastructure plans together, identify potential conflicts and consider how roads, railways, ports, logistics facilities and other networks can connect. Instead of looking at each project in isolation, the idea is to plan them as parts of a larger system.

This is a sensible shift for a country as large and diverse as India. Every poorly coordinated project can mean wasted public money, additional inconvenience and delays for businesses and citizens. Better planning cannot solve every problem, but it can help prevent some of them before construction begins.

The evaluation of more than 400 projects worth ₹20.23 lakh crore shows how widely the approach is being used. However, there is an important distinction between evaluating a project and completing it successfully. A project can be well planned on paper and still face delays because of land acquisition, funding constraints, environmental clearances or coordination failures.

That is why the next phase of GatiShakti must focus as much on implementation as on planning. The public should eventually be able to see whether projects are being completed faster, whether unnecessary duplication is declining and whether the movement of goods is becoming more reliable.

Another important development is the expansion of GatiShakti into district-level and social-sector planning. Infrastructure is not only about expressways, airports and major railway projects. It is also about the road that connects a farmer to a market, the route children take to school, the pipeline that brings water to a neighbourhood and the accessibility of a nearby hospital.

District-level planning could help local authorities identify these needs more clearly and decide how different public investments should fit together. For this to work, however, district administrations need reliable data, adequate funding and the authority to act on the plans. A digital map can show where a road or health facility is needed; it cannot, by itself, ensure that the project gets built.

The government has also expanded access to geospatial planning tools through the Public platform and Unified Geospatial Interface. Alongside tools for data management, knowledge sharing and project monitoring, these developments could make infrastructure planning more accessible and improve coordination. Their long-term value will depend on accurate, regularly updated data and responsible management of sensitive information.

The proposed Integrated Transport and Logistics Authority could be another important step. India’s transport networks often involve multiple agencies, each with its own priorities and timelines. Better coordination between roads, railways, ports and other transport systems could reduce unnecessary delays and make freight movement more efficient.

For businesses, even small improvements in logistics can matter. Delayed shipments, repeated handling and unreliable transit times increase costs and make planning difficult. Better connections between transport modes could help Indian manufacturers and exporters compete more effectively. But any reduction in logistics costs must be demonstrated through actual results, not simply assumed because a new planning mechanism exists.

India’s infrastructure ambitions are closely linked to its manufacturing growth, job creation and broader economic development. Companies need dependable roads, reliable freight networks and efficient access to markets. Smaller towns and less-developed regions need infrastructure that connects them to opportunities rather than leaving them on the margins of growth.

This is where GatiShakti’s success will ultimately be judged. The number of data layers integrated into a platform is useful, but it is not the final measure of progress. What matters is whether projects are completed on time, whether public money is used more efficiently, whether goods reach their destinations faster and whether people gain better access to essential services.

The government should make these outcomes easier to assess through regular public reporting. Clear indicators on project completion, delays, connectivity gaps and logistics performance would help establish what is working and where improvements are needed. Independent evaluation would add further credibility.

Five years after its launch, PM GatiShakti has created a common framework for planning infrastructure across departments and regions. That is a meaningful beginning. Yet a planning system proves its worth only when its benefits become visible beyond government dashboards and project reviews.

India does not merely need more infrastructure. It needs infrastructure that connects, works reliably and serves people well. GatiShakti has the framework to help achieve that goal. The challenge now is to turn better coordination into better roads, smoother freight movement, stronger local connectivity and public services that reach those who need them.

Ultimately, the success of GatiShakti will not be measured by how many projects appear on a map, but by how much difference those projects make to the lives of people and the everyday functioning of India’s economy.