For projects managed by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI), the Network Planning Group (NPG) believes it may save up to ₹15 crore per kilometer under the PM Gati Shakti plan for logistical efficiency.
The predicted savings stem from a reduction in road length achieved by the integration of multiple motorway corridors following alignment adjustments for NHAI projects, according to Sumita Dawra, leader of the NPG and special secretary of the Department for Development of Industry and Internal Commerce.
It has suggested $660 million worth of upgrades to more than 200 state logistics infrastructure projects. The NPG has created mechanisms for social sector planning, such as gap identification tools for constructing new hospitals and irrigation projects, opening new schools, and resolving road connection requirements, in addition to its concentration on roads and rail transportation. To lower logistical costs, the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan (NMP), which was introduced in 2021, intends to develop integrated and planned infrastructure.
According to Dawra, PMGS has created more than 75 use cases that are prepared for deployment. One of the NPG’s responsibilities is to supply extensive data to many ministries, including those in charge of education, railroads, road transportation and highways, health, power, and shipping. According to Dawra, this facilitates more rapid project planning and execution.
The official stated that the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has benefited from time and cost savings as well as a lower carbon footprint because of the quicker alignment finalization process, thanks to the use of PMGS for ground surveys, land records, and highway alignments.
Dawra also emphasized the improvements in other ministries’ efficiency. For example, by employing computerized technology, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG) can now provide reports for pipeline projects in a day, as opposed to the prior 6 to 9 months needed for human preparation.
As a result, there have been considerable cost reductions, including 169 crore in savings on the routing of five pipes beneath the Northeast gas system. In less than one month, the network planning group discovered 156 infrastructure gaps that provide last-mile connections to significant export-import gateways, as well as 192 railway connectivity projects valued at ₹5.26 trillion on NMP. In the current fiscal year, 100 of these projects have been approved.
According to Dawra, the NPG is essential for giving almost 26,000 communities without telecom service mobile connections. The NPG provides information on land availability for the building of telecom towers and power supply facilities.
