PM GatiShakti at five years: 58 Ministries, all 36 States and UTs on one map
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The PM GatiShakti National Master Plan turned five on 13 October 2026. A PIB backgrounder says the GIS platform now covers 58 Central Ministries and all 36 States and UTs. Its Network Planning Group has evaluated 396 projects worth about ₹18.66 lakh crore, and a new transport authority, ITLA, has been approved.
- Launched
- 13 Oct 2021
- Coverage
- 58 Ministries, 36 States/UTs
- Data layers
- 23,493+
- NPG-evaluated
- 396 projects
PM GatiShakti: what happened?
Before 2021 a highway, a rail line and a gas pipeline crossing the same district were usually planned by three ministries working from three different maps. Roads were dug up twice, land was acquired twice and clearances were sought twice. GatiShakti was set up to put all of it on one digital map before the first rupee is spent.
- A PIB backgrounder on 12 October 2026 reviewed five years of the PM GatiShakti National Master Plan (NMP), launched on 13 October 2021.
- The GIS-based platform now covers 58 Central Ministries and Departments and all 36 States and UTs, with over 23,493 data layers.
- As of 11 August 2026 the Network Planning Group had evaluated 396 infrastructure projects worth about ₹18.66 lakh crore; 256 were sanctioned and 198 were under implementation.
What are the six principles and seven engines?
| Six principles | Seven engines |
|---|---|
| Integrated development | Roads |
| Multimodal infrastructure | Railways |
| Last mile connectivity | Ports |
| Expedited land acquisition | Waterways |
| Minimised clearances | Airports |
| Reduced ecological impact | Mass transport; logistics infrastructure |
The plan also absorbs existing schemes such as Bharatmala, Sagarmala, inland waterways, dry and land ports, and UDAN.
Who runs GatiShakti?
- Empowered Group of Secretaries (EGoS), chaired by the Cabinet Secretary: oversees implementation and approves changes to the Master Plan.
- Network Planning Group (NPG): heads of network planning divisions of infrastructure ministries; examines proposals for integration and optimisation.
- Technical Support Unit (TSU): domain experts who help the Logistics Division, which acts as the PM GatiShakti Secretariat.
What is the new Integrated Transport and Logistics Authority (ITLA)?
- The Union Cabinet has approved ITLA to handle long-term transport planning and coordination alongside GatiShakti.
- It will prepare a National Transport Master Plan with a horizon of ten years or more, assess sectoral and annual transport plans, and appraise projects costing ₹500 crore or more.
- It will also build a National Transport Data Repository from sources such as FASTag, Vahan and GSTN e-way bills.
Where has GatiShakti made a visible difference?
| Project | What the platform changed |
|---|---|
| Pune-Bengaluru Expressway (699 km) | Alignment revised to cut forest land overlap by 19%; travel time expected to fall by 7 to 8 hours |
| Jogighopa Multimodal Logistics Park, Assam | Integrated planning for road, rail and waterway cargo on the north bank of the Brahmaputra |
| Dhubri-Phulbari bridge, Assam | Distance to fall from 205 km to 20 km |
| Green Energy Corridor, Ladakh to Haryana | 480 km HVDC line from Pang to Kaithal to evacuate 13 GW of renewable power; target FY2029-30 |
| Khagaria-Purnea corridor, Bihar | Planned to link five economic nodes and 11 logistics nodes |
How does a project pass through GatiShakti?
From proposal to monitoring
- Ministry or State proposes a project
- Checked on the NMP map against other networks, forests and Go/No-Go areas
- NPG examines it for integration
- Approval through the normal sanction process
- Progress tracked on the NMP dashboard and DUMS
Why does PM GatiShakti matter?
| Angle | What to note |
|---|---|
| Economy | Coordinated planning cuts delays and repeat work, which feeds into lower logistics cost. |
| Environment | Forest and ecological layers on the map let planners shift alignments early, as on the Pune-Bengaluru Expressway. |
| Federalism | All 36 States and UTs are on the platform, so State projects can be planned alongside Central ones. |
| Technology | Geospatial data from BISAG-N, satellite imagery and APIs; ULIP links 46 government systems across 12 Ministries through 142 APIs. |
| Capacity | Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya (2022) has trained more than 2.4 lakh officers on GatiShakti courses. |
What are the challenges in PM GatiShakti?
- A map shows conflicts but cannot force ministries to agree; the NPG can examine and advise, while sanction still lies with each ministry.
- Data is only as good as its upkeep; over 23,493 layers need regular updating through DUMS, or the map goes stale.
- District and city bodies have less capacity to use GIS planning than Central ministries.
- Opening datasets to private users needs care over security; only non-sensitive datasets are shared.
What should be done next on PM GatiShakti?
- Make NMP checks a routine step before every large project appraisal, which ITLA’s ₹500-crore threshold begins to do.
- Train district planners so local roads and markets connect to national corridors.
- Publish outcome data (time and cost saved) project by project.
- Keep extending ecological layers so environmental review starts at the planning stage.
What can Prelims ask on PM GatiShakti?
- PM GatiShakti NMP launched 13 October 2021.
- Six principles; seven engines (roads, railways, ports, waterways, airports, mass transport, logistics infrastructure).
- EGoS is chaired by the Cabinet Secretary; NPG examines proposals; Logistics Division is the Secretariat.
- BISAG-N: Bhaskaracharya National Institute for Space Applications and Geo-informatics.
- ULIP: Unified Logistics Interface Platform; LDB tracks EXIM containers.
- Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya set up in 2022; National Logistics Policy (2022).
How to write about PM GatiShakti in Mains
Practice question (10 marks, 150 words): “PM GatiShakti is less about building infrastructure and more about planning it together.” Discuss, with examples, how integrated planning can cut cost and environmental damage. (150 words)
- Intro: NMP launched 2021; one GIS map for 58 Ministries and 36 States and UTs.
- Mechanism: EGoS, NPG, TSU; data layers; ULIP.
- Examples: Pune-Bengaluru forest overlap cut by 19%; Dhubri-Phulbari; Ladakh green corridor.
- Limits: advisory role, data upkeep, local capacity.
- Conclusion: ITLA and outcome data as the next step.
What should UPPCS aspirants note?
Image: Saiphani02, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
How to use this in Mains
If asked: How has PM GatiShakti changed infrastructure planning in India? Discuss. (GS-III)
Quote: “Roads were dug up twice, land was acquired twice and clearances were sought twice.”
Use it: Open with this problem statement, then show the 58 Ministries and 36 States on one map as the fix.
Exam angle
Prelims: launch date, institutions, BISAG-N, ULIP, ITLA. · Mains GS-III: infrastructure, logistics, planning and environment.
Practice MCQs
Original practice questions (not PYQs).
With reference to PM GatiShakti, consider the following statements:
1. The Empowered Group of Secretaries is chaired by the Cabinet Secretary.
2. The Network Planning Group sanctions infrastructure projects.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer (a) & explanation
PIB backgrounder, 12 Oct 2026: the NPG examines proposals; sanction is separate.
The GIS platform of PM GatiShakti and its private-sector query mechanism were developed by
Answer (b) & explanation
PIB backgrounder, 12 Oct 2026.
Questions students ask about this
When was PM GatiShakti launched?
The PM GatiShakti National Master Plan was launched on 13 October 2021.
How many Ministries and States use the GatiShakti platform?
58 Central Ministries and Departments and all 36 States and Union Territories.
Who chairs the Empowered Group of Secretaries under GatiShakti?
The Cabinet Secretary.
What is ITLA?
The Integrated Transport and Logistics Authority, approved by the Cabinet to prepare a National Transport Master Plan and appraise transport projects of ₹500 crore or more.
Can private firms use GatiShakti data?
Yes. Since October 2025, 230 approved non-sensitive datasets can be queried through a mechanism developed by BISAG-N.
Keep studying
Go deeper
Official source: PIB: Five Years of PM GatiShakti: Transforming India's Infrastructure Planning, 12 Oct 2026
facts from cited sources only; faculty review pending