Infra overhaul: Centre to replace Gati Shakti’s Network Planning Group with new authority; five- and ten-year transport plans on agenda

The central government is set to overhaul the PM Gati Shakti governance structure by winding up the existing Network Planning Group (NPG) and replacing it with a new, centralised institution to coordinate India’s transport infrastructure strategy.The proposed body, tentatively named the GatiShakti Transport Planning and Research Organisation (GTPRO), will operate under the Cabinet Secretariat and prepare medium- and long-term roadmaps for all key transport ministries, including roads, railways, shipping and aviation.A senior government official was quoted by ET as saying that the new framework aims to bring greater integration and long-term vision into transport planning. “Integrated five-year and ten-year plans will be put in place for each transport ministry, linking into the larger vision of the government to develop a world-class infrastructure in the country as India aspires to be a developed nation by 2047,” the official said.According to the report, the move will effectively mark the end of the NPG, which officials said was not functioning as efficiently as intended. Ministries often bypassed the NPG, leading to delays in project evaluations. The department for promotion of industry and internal trade (DPIIT), under the ministry of commerce and industry, is expected to seek Cabinet approval soon for establishing the new authority.The government plans to make GTPRO operational by the next financial year. The new entity will be led by a secretary-level officer, unlike the NPG, which was managed by a joint secretary-level official.Apart from preparing comprehensive transport plans, the authority will evaluate projects above Rs 500 crore, monitor progress, and analyse their overall impact. The aim, as reported by ET, is to establish a structured framework for coordinated master planning, supported by a centralised data repository to guide future policy decisions.Modelled on similar institutions in the US, UK, and Germany, GTPRO will focus on promoting multimodal transport corridors, cutting costs, improving efficiency, and reducing duplication across ministries, a step the government believes will help dismantle silos and speed up India’s infrastructure development.