How Has India Transformed Its Transport Infrastructure in the Last Decade?

New Delhi, June 11 (NationPress) India has experienced a remarkable transformation in its infrastructure development over the last ten years, propelled by a cohesive and integrated strategy under major national initiatives such as PRAGATI, PM GatiShakti, the National Logistics Policy, Bharatmala, Sagarmala, and UDAN, according to an official report published on Wednesday.

The report encapsulates the swift evolution that has occurred in the nation's transport infrastructure, spanning the highways, railways, maritime, and civil aviation sectors, thanks to significant investments made by the Central government over the past decade.

It emphasizes that PM GatiShakti has facilitated unified planning across 44 ministries and 36 states/UTs on a GIS-based platform. Launched in 2021, this national master plan aims to enhance multimodal infrastructure connectivity across India's economic zones. An impressive Rs 100 lakh crore is being effectively utilized through this integrated approach. It is anchored on seven vital sectors—railways, roads, ports, waterways, airports, mass transport, and logistics infrastructure—promoting synchronized development among ministries and state administrations.

Over the last decade, the length of India's national highways network has expanded by 60% from 91,287 km to 1,46,204 km, with the rate of highway construction accelerating to 34 km/day from 11.6 km/day in 2014. The Centre's investment in road infrastructure has increased by 6.4 times between 2013-14 and 2024-25, with the road transport and highway budget soaring by 570% from 2014 to 2023-24.

The budget for Indian Railways has surged by more than nine times since 2014, reflected in the launch of new Vande Bharat semi-high-speed trains covering 24 states/UTs and 333 districts. Currently, 68 Vande Bharat trains are operational in the country, with plans to manufacture an additional 400 world-class trains.

Since 2014, more than 31,000 km of new tracks have been laid, and over 45,000 km of tracks have been renewed. The pace of track electrification has skyrocketed from 5,188 route km between 2004-14 to over 45,000 route km being electrified in 2014-25, enabling annual savings of Rs 2,960 crore for railways (up to February 2025) and enhancing financial efficiency, the report states.

Furthermore, the nation's port capacity has doubled to 2,762 MMTPA in the past decade, with the overall turnaround time for ships improving from 93 to 49 hours. A total of 277 projects have been accomplished under Sagarmala to boost port infrastructure.

The report also outlines significant projects completed in the ports sector, including the Vizhinjam International Deepwater Multipurpose Seaport. Inaugurated on May 2, 2025, by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, this Rs 8,800 crore project is India’s first dedicated container transshipment port. Strategically positioned near international shipping routes, it can accommodate the world's largest cargo vessels, significantly reducing India's dependence on foreign ports while boosting economic activity in Kerala.

The New Dry Dock (NDD) at Cochin Shipyard Limited has been constructed at a cost of Rs 1,800 crore, measuring 310 meters in length and 13 meters in depth. It can handle aircraft carriers weighing up to 70,000 tons, and an international Ship Repair Facility has also been established in Cochin.

India’s inland waterways cargo has surged by 710% (from 18 MMT to 146 MMT) over the last decade. A Rs 5,370 crore investment has been approved to enhance the capacity of National Waterway-1 (Haldia to Varanasi), a crucial inland navigation initiative that promotes cargo movement on the Ganga River, the report highlights.

Additionally, the report indicates that new routes and airports have been integrated into the civil aviation landscape of the country. The number of operational airports in India has increased from 74 in 2014 to 160 in 2025. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved the revival and development of unserved and underserved airports at a total cost of Rs 4,500 crore. Moreover, the Expenditure Finance Committee has sanctioned Rs 1,000 crore for the development of 50 more airports, heliports, and water aerodromes under the UDAN scheme. Launched in June 2016, this flagship initiative aims to create affordable, economically viable, and profitable air travel on regional routes, resulting in over 1.51 crore passengers flying on these regional flights, the report concludes.