History provides eloquent evidence – if any were needed – that empires grow, thrive and falter and that connectivity and logistics have always provided part of the explanation for the same, if not all. Chandragupta Maurya and Ashoka built highways along an ancient route called the Uttarapatha in the 3rd century BCE. Sher Shah Suri expanded this network in the 16th century and rebuilt this ancient route of commerce.
190 years of British colonial rule has its own story. Yes, they built railways, ports and bridges, but mainly to withdraw and remit money from India England Or export raw cotton and import cloth made in the mills of Lancashire and Manchester. The British left behind a chaotic patchwork of bureaucratic silos, the rail system they built provides a good example. Their organizations were geared towards imperialist exploitation of India rather than synergistic nation-building.
Under Congress rule, this fragmented style of policy-making and execution would stunt India’s economic growth, leading to unequal distribution of wealth and opportunities. The development of new infrastructure was less than extensive, and even then was executed in a chaotic manner. We have become used to signboards that say “work in progress, go slow”, as various government departments will work without coordination – for example, digging new roads to lay utility and optical fiber cables. .
Prime Minister’s Gati Shakti Yojana is a bold step towards changing the progress status of the nation from “go slow” to “go fast”. Over the past seven years, our government has made great strides in simplifying and integrating different policies and procedures to accelerate growth.
GST simplified the taxation of goods and services whereas Jan Dhan-AadhaarBrought instant direct benefit transfer to Mudra bank accounts. The Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, UDAN, Jal Marg Vikas, Industrial and Freight Corridors, Bharatmala and Sagarmala projects have given a major boost to the country’s infrastructure and industrial prowess.
even during COVID-19 pandemic, we rolled one nation one ration Card, Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission and Atmanirbhar Bharat Mission. We have been able to prepare, mass produce, transport, administer and follow up 1 billion doses of a temperature-sensitive novel vaccine.
Indian consumers today enjoy same day or next day delivery on e-commerce platforms and it is time for the government to meet these standards. The Indian logistics sector, which is already a $200 billion market, is poised to grow at a CAGR of over 10 percent to reach $330 billion in the next five years and power a $5 trillion economy. However, Indian logistics costs remain high at 13-14 per cent of GDP compared to developed countries, where they are at 8-10 per cent.
India’s modal mix is heavily skewed towards roads, with 60-65 per cent of transport being via road as compared to 25-30 per cent in developed countries, indicating higher costs. The rail freight business is heavily dependent on coal and domestic waterways face many challenges, due to the high cost of the first and last mile, non-availability of return loads in most cases, high travel costs for specialized vessels, and the need for domestic containers. High restoration costs, among others.
PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan will usher in a new era of infrastructure development and multi-modal logistics. We will coordinate infrastructure development projects of several ministries under one masterplan. We will be able to optimize different modes of logistics to reduce freight costs and increase competitiveness, increase investment and create millions of jobs. We will leverage technology and geospatial mapping to create an online dashboard, which will enable central and state agencies, departments and PSUs as well as private players to have a bird’s eye view of each other’s planned developments across the country. Will get
We have come a long way in seven years. Highway construction per day in India increased by nearly 300 percent from 12 km/day in 2014-15 to 33.7 km/day in 2020-21. With the PM Gati Shakti masterplan, we will expand India’s highway network by 2 lakh km and make provision for utility corridors for nearby power and optical fiber cabling, which will be a life saver in times of natural calamities.
Under the NDA government, India spent an unprecedented scale of infrastructure development of around Rs 11.5 lakh crore in seven years, compared to Rs 1.5 lakh crore spent in 10 years between 2004 and 2014. The metro rail network has been expanded to 721. In 2014, 250 km of metro lines in 18 cities and a network of 1,058 km in 27 cities are under construction. The masterplan will further enhance the development of urban infrastructure by streamlining planning and approvals and integrating civic amenities.
We are working hard to increase the share of natural gas in the country’s energy mix from the current 7 per cent to 15 per cent, as natural gas is not only a clean source of energy but also efficiently transported through pipelines. Since 2014, India has increased the length of its gas pipeline network from 14,700 km to 18,500 km, supplying 29 mmscmd of gas to thermal and steel plants and 44 mmscmd of gas to fertilizer plants. Under PM Gati Shakti, an additional 15,000 km of gas pipelines will be integrated.
It is difficult to fully envision the sheer scale of development and investment planned under the PM Gati Shakti Masterplan. This will be a turning point in the history of our country. It will transform Indian infrastructure and logistics to compete with the world’s leading economies. The generations to come will look back and comment on the India before and after the PM Gati Shakti Masterplan.
The author is Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, and Housing and Urban Affairs
.