PM Gati Shakti: how it plans to equip India with seamless multimodal transport network

The National Master Plan (NMP) actually combines all the existing initiatives of 16 ministries and gets them together on a centralized Geographic Information System (GIS) digital platform. Hence, they will now be able to visualize, review & monitor the progress of these projects incomprehensively. PM Gati Shakti NMP basically promotes the integrated planning and systematic implementation that gives Gati (speed) and Shakti (power) to the infrastructural connectivity projects for the industrial cluster and the economic zones.

 

Infrastructure development has become more of a necessity than just an indication of progress, in this day & age. Addressing this increasing need for connectivity, importance is being given to this by the govt. Under the NMP, the Ministry of Roads, Transport and Highways (MoRTH) have already announced plans to develop 22 greenfield expressways, 23 other key infrastructure projects, including other highway projects, as well as 35 Multi-Modal Logistics Parks (MMLPs), the Ministry of Roads, Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has announced.

 

The Delhi–Mumbai expressway, Ahmedabad-Dholera expressway, and Delhi-Amritsar-Katra expressway are already under construction. The Plan also acknowledges the North-East which had remained cut off from the rest of India by bad roads, connecting all capital cities of the 7 sisters through 4-lane highways. The aim of this investment is to add 1 lakh kilometers of the road network to double India’s national highways network to 2 lakh km by the next 4 years!

 

Recently, Nitin Gadkari tweeted saying that the Ministry is committed to expanding the NH network across the country with the aim of constructing 18,000 km of NHS in 2022-23 at a record speed of 50 km per day.

In India, 64% of freight is transported by road which isn’t advisable with oil, and natural gas prices rising every day. Hence, optimum use of railways, waterways, and airways for seamless movement of people, goods, and services need to be definitely enabled. This will give manufacturers across India, quicker access to local & global markets.

 

But this impressive master plan isn’t just limited to the road transport network. The PM has promised over 200 airports, helipads, and water aerodromes in the next 5 years. 101 projects have been identified by the Ministry of Ports under the NMP, to strengthen connectivity, along with the Sagarmala Bharatmala project to lay a grid of highways across the country. The railways' Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC) is also being developed. 

 

However, when considering that 64% of freight is transported by roads, the trucking sector will be prominent in the NMP. The use of technology does wonders including enhancing the performance, generating bigger revenues, and helping customers know consignment status and location in real-time so they know when to expect the delivery. Data analytics is capable of improving the supply chain and logistics operations to maximize ROI.

 

The PM Gati Shakti aims to create roads linked to railway lines that will further feed into major and minor ports, leading to the efficient movement of goods, especially from the frontiers.

 

Hence, the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan is vital to the Prime Minister's 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' dream. The plan is expected to propel 21st-century India toward a $5 trillion economy by 2024-25.