With the intent to steadfast the implementation of the key projects in line, the PM Gati Shakti Portal may, now, be thrown open to the private sector firms. This would include giving limited access to them for sharing information on land availability and clearances required to head start the projects in the pipeline. Currently, this mega digital infrastructure tool is accessible only to government departments, state agencies, and public-private partnership (PPP) projects.

Talking about this recent decision, officials from the Union  Government said, “The PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan is currently designed to aid infrastructure planning. It has a centralised portal that united the infrastructural initiatives planned and initiated by 16 central ministries and departments, including railways, roads, and highways. Several private sector project proponents could also gain a lot from this initiative. So, certain changes in Gati Shakti architecture are being worked upon that would provide even pure private sector projects to get the advantages of planned infra development”.

He added, “The digital infrastructure developed by the Bhaskaracharya National Institute for Space Applications and Geo-informatics (BISAG-N) aims at assisting projects has over 2,000 layers of information. With GIS mapping being completed for the entire country, along with information on markets, demand centers, and transport logistics, the portal would enrich a project proponent’s experience and help in better planning of projects.”