India’s transport sector has undergone a significant transformation over the past decade, driven by key policy initiatives like PM GatiShakti, Bharatmala, and the National Logistics Policy.
The focus has been on expanding national highways, boosting railway electrification, upgrading ports, and enhancing air connectivity under the UDAN scheme.
According to official reports, India’s national highway network has grown by 60%, increasing from 91,287 km to 1,46,204 km. The pace of highway construction has accelerated to 34 km per day, marking a 3x increase from 2014 levels. The Bharatmala project alone has awarded 26,425 km of road development, out of which 20,378 km has already been constructed.
Railways have also seen major improvements in electrification, with over 45,000 route kilometres electrified. Safety measures such as the Kavach system have been deployed on key railway routes to enhance operational security.
In aviation, the UDAN scheme has successfully improved connectivity, with 88 airports operationalised and over 1.51 crore passengers flown under regional connectivity. The Digi Yatra system has revolutionised travel at 24 airports, providing seamless digital access to over 5.22 crore users.
India’s ports have doubled their capacity to 2,762 MMTPA, reducing vessel turnaround time from 93 to 49 hours. Initiatives such as Sagarmala and Sagarmala 2.0 have streamlined maritime connectivity, while inland waterways cargo movement has increased by 710%, reaching 146 MMT. In line with sustainability goals, Green Hydrogen hubs are being developed at three major ports.
The government’s integrated approach, spearheaded by PM GatiShakti, has streamlined infrastructure planning across 44 ministries and 36 states/UTs using a GIS-based platform. With a vision for Viksit Bharat 2047, India continues to enhance economic growth and connectivity through strategic planning and execution of mega infrastructure projects.
