Narendra Modi changes India's infrastructure planning from piecemeal to systemic
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Narendra Modi shifted the way the Indian government plans and delivers infrastructure over his 25 years in public office, beginning during his time as chief minister of Gujarat.
He moved the national strategy away from individual projects managed by separate departments toward an integrated system that views roads, railways, ports, and power as a single interconnected network. The author argues that this shift focuses on the experience of citizens and businesses rather than the specific assets owned by different agencies.
Under this approach, the government identifies interdependencies between projects while they are still on the drawing board to avoid conflicts and optimize costs. This method aims to reduce logistics costs to help Indian businesses compete in global markets and supply chains. The government uses the Gati Shakti initiative to institutionalize this planning and the PRAGATI platform to resolve implementation bottlenecks like land acquisition and statutory clearances.
These tools allow the state to manage the wider system while addressing specific issues that can delay individual projects. The author states that these changes have resulted in a doubled airport network, modernized railways, and expanded national highways.
