The Gati Shakti Breakthrough

THE MELLOW AFTERNOON of October 13 was much like any other uneventful Sunday for officials at the commerce ministry until they received word that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would visit Bharat Mandapam to inspect the new Anubhuti Kendra (ex­periential centre) that showcases the Gati Shakti multi-modal connectivity project. The ministry had just a little over two hours to get things ready rather than two weeks that might be more typically needed to prepare a venue or project site for a prime ministerial visit. As officials scrambled to ensure the centre was functioning without glitches, Modi reached the complex and took his time walking through the centre and absorbing its 3D displays and animated infographics that set out the design and execution of the Gati Shakti enterprise.

It was three years ago that Modi had launched the Gati Shakti programme at the still-under-construction Bharat Mandapam. One large hall had been readied with a few hundred seats and a large stage for the prime minister and officials. Bharat Mandapam had a makeshift air about it that seemed to convey the sense of urgency behind the PM Gati Shakti initiative that was marked by soaring ambition. Its objective was to fundamentally change the way infrastruc­ture would be built in India with the use of Geographic Information System (GIS)-based technology on a scale not previously con­ceived. The technological aspects were just one part of the idea. A bigger tectonic shift lay in getting ministries and departments to work together in a manner alien to business-as-usual. His experience as Gujarat chief minister and as prime minister convinced Modi of the need to do away with the ten­dency of government to function in silos. A platform that integrates project conception, design and implementation and gives mid-level officials a greater role would be transformative.

A few days after Modi’s visit to Bharat Mandapam, meetings at the PMO confirmed that the Gati Shakti programme will be a top priority of Modi 3.0 as a means to step up infrastructure and move the wheels of the economy faster with consequential benefits by way of revenues and employment. The national master plan has onboarded most Central ministries and all states and Union territories. The programme is now set to be extended to plan­ning in districts, the third tier of governance, where decisions impact the daily lives of citizens. “A start is being made with 27 aspirational districts. The Gati Shakti platform will make a difference to the quality of decision-making,” Surendra Ahirwar, joint secretary in the commerce minis­try looking after the Gati Shakti National Master Plan and National Logistics Policy, told Open. A key reason the applica­tion of the initiative at the district level is being well received echoes Modi’s view that decision-making should involve younger officers keen to use data and are familiar with the technology. Though conceived as a connectivity project, Gati Shakti is finding utility in social welfare too. “The informa­tion on the portal helps identify unserved areas and plan anganwadis, schools and health facilities,” says Ahirwar.

An in-principle decision has been taken to permit the pri­vate sector to use the Gati Shakti system, too, though there will be some caveats and restrictions. The government will keep in mind the security aspects of information relating to government facilities, a concern heightened by the threat of systems being hacked by a malignant state or even a non-state actor. Access to the system which has around 1,500 layers will help private sector infrastructure projects by cutting down planning and implementation timelines drastically. Ahirwar says the qual­ity of available data has improved over the past three years and in some cases, the planning process has been reduced from six months to a few weeks, and even days. The system mandates ministries and departments involved in a particular project to sit together and sort out issues, a mecha­nism that breaks down communication barriers and fosters cooperation. Thousands of kilometres of roads and railways have been planned, optimum routes for fuel movements have been charted out and best alignments for non-renewable energy plants configured for green corridors. The in-depth GIS data on the NMP portal helps states plan disaster manage­ment and mitigation more effectively with land features, local buildings and street plans available in considerable detail. The specific uses of buildings and offices and their plot dimen­sions are also accessible at many locations, greatly aiding planners and administrators.

Just as in the case of India’s digital payments system, the Gati Shakti model is being shared with interested countries which, like India, are racing to build infrastructure and modernise their economies. At present, the European Union utilises a similar approach to large projects that span more than one nation, but the applications are not as extensive as in India where the scheme is being extended to the lowest rung of planning in the districts. The methods of capturing data are improving as India’s satellite network expands with more specialised devices designed for specific purposes. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is a crucial partner and there are remote sensing centres in all states and regions now. Recognising the utility of the Gati Shakti platform’s resources, most states have cells or departments to coordinate infrastruc­ture commissioning with the active use of GIS data. The need for physical inspections cannot be done away with altogether but the time spent on repeated site visits, use of consultants who prepared project reports, and coordination between Cen­tral departments and states has been significantly curtailed. “The planning process can be set out in polygons that are interlinked and enable a two-way flow of information,” says Ahirwar, and the design can be seen at the Anubhuti Kendra at Bharat Mandapam.

Successive Budgets have set aside rising allocations for cap­ital expenditure with the 2024-25 spending set at `11,11,111 crore, or almost 3.5 per cent of GDP. The Gati Shakti platform is an essential part of a massive effort to ensure the budgets get used and frictions in planning are replaced by a high degree of efficiency and transparency. The productive use of capital is a critical requirement for a country with limited means and where decisions to allocate resources need to be accurate as mistakes are not only costly but can set the clock back. Launched about a year after the Gati Shakti plan, the National Logistics Policy is a natural corollary as India needs to reduce costs and improve its ranking in the Logistic Performance Index where it was ranked 38 among 139 nations. These ef­forts mesh with other institutions like the Capacity Building Commission that prepares training modules for Central and state officials and prepares them for the use of new and emerg­ing technologies and administrative methodologies that are changing the way public services are delivered.

Gati Shakti programmeIndian economyinfrastructureModi 3.0Narendra ModiPrime Minister