Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday called on the private sector to partner with the government in infrastructure development under the PM Gati Shakti, aimed at coordinated development of infrastructure with a view to lower logistics costs in line with developed countries. He also encouraged the private sector to use data available on the Gati Shakti portal, which offers 400 layers of geospatial data including information on existing and planned infrastructure, forest land, and industrial estates. “The Gati Shakti will ensure true public-private partnership in infrastructure creation from planning to development and utilisation stage,” Modi said, speaking at a webinar on PM Gati Shakti with industry, calling on both the government and the private sector to emphasise the use of modern technology in infrastructure projects. The Prime Minister noted that the Gati Shakti programme would lead to optimum utilisation of resources through complete information of infrastructure projects available to stakeholders. Citing the example of road projects, he noted how a lack of coordination has often led to a duplication of efforts in infrastructure creation. “Very often, it so happened that a road was built somewhere and the next day it was dug for laying water pipes. When the road was rebuilt, the sewer line personnel dug it again. This happens because different departments do not have clear information. Now, everyone will be able to make their plans with complete information in advance due to the PM Gati Shakti ,” he said. Modi also highlighted that the government had increased the central outlay for capital expenditure from Rs 1.75 lakh crore in 2013-14 to Rs 7.50 lakh crore in 2022-23, and that it had made provisions to set up a Unified Logistic Interface Platform (ULIP) to reduce logistics cost in the country. “Even today, the logistics cost in India is estimated to be 13 to 14 per cent of GDP. This is more than in comparison to other countries,” he said. The Prime Minister also highlighted that a provision of Rs 1 lakh crore to assist states would allow them to build multi-modal infrastructure and other productive assets.
