PM Gati Shakti expands reach to 112 aspirational districts for inclusive growth, says Piyush Goyal

New Delhi [India], October 13 (ANI): Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal, while addressing the gathering at the 4th anniversary of PM Gati Shakti at Bharat Mandapam, said that the launch of the PM Gati Shakti district masterplan for 112 aspirational districts marks a new step in India's infrastructure planning and inclusive development.
Speaking at the event, Goyal said the initiative would help map and plan development needs of aspirational districts on a single database, enabling more coordinated and holistic growth. "The PM Gati Shakti District Master Plan for 112 aspirational districts will help us look at these districts in totality, very holistically," he said.
Goyal added that the Prime Minister's vision behind PM Gati Shakti was to bridge macro planning with micro implementation. "It is a framework, a tool that is helpful for all of us in whatever activity we take up," he said, highlighting that the platform encompasses every sector, including defense and health.
The Minister emphasized that PM Gati Shakti has changed how infrastructure is planned and executed in India. Earlier, projects often faced delays and cost overruns due to fragmented planning. "PM Gati Shakti has a very deep meaning and has emerged out of honorable Prime Minister Modi's vision and his own work. Prime Minister Modi believes in holistic planning and timely implementation. He has always stressed that infrastructure development and social progress must go hand in hand," Goyal noted.
He recounted how, before such integrated planning, industries often suffered due to poor connectivity. "There was a time when there was an industrial area but no road to reach it. An industry would suffer, jobs could be lost, and competitiveness would fall," he said, citing his own experience in Mumbai in the 1980s and 1990s.
Goyal also spoke about the government's use of space technology and data integration through BISAG (Bhaskaracharya National Institute for Space Applications and Geo-informatics), which has enabled more accurate planning. He said this vision, first implemented in Gujarat, now supports nationwide development.
As India aims for "Viksit Bharat" by 2047, Goyal said that PM Gati Shakti will continue to be central to achieving the goal of a developed nation. "It acts as a bridge between macro planning and micro implementation," he said, reiterating the government's focus on efficiency, inclusivity, and time-bound execution of projects. (ANI)