New Delhi, Oct 06 (KNS) ; The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved the establishment of a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) — the Integrated Transport & Logistics Authority (ITLA) — to strengthen institutional mechanisms for research, strategic planning, technical appraisal, monitoring and impact evaluation in the transport and logistics sectors.
The decision comes amid persistent challenges arising from fragmented and uncoordinated planning among various transport-related Ministries, departments and agencies. The proposed authority is expected to facilitate greater inter-sectoral coordination and multimodal integration, improving the efficiency, sustainability and effectiveness of India's transport infrastructure.
ITLA will serve as the national-level apex institution responsible for integrated transport and logistics planning, policy support, research, project appraisal, monitoring and advanced data analytics.
It will formulate a comprehensive National Transport Master Plan with a planning horizon extending to ten years or beyond, encompassing roads, railways, ports and shipping, civil aviation, inland waterways, coastal shipping, urban transportation and logistics infrastructure.
The authority will scrutinise short-term sectoral plans and annual programmes of various transport Ministries to ensure their conformity with the long-term master plan — a move aimed at encouraging coordinated development of multimodal transport infrastructure.
ITLA will undertake technical evaluation of Central Government infrastructure projects valued at ?500 crore or above. Financial appraisal, however, will continue through existing institutional mechanisms.
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It will also monitor implementation of transport and infrastructure projects costing ?500 crore or more, facilitate coordinated resolution of implementation-related issues, and conduct post-implementation impact assessments to determine the effectiveness and outcomes of completed projects.
The authority will establish a National Transport Data Repository (NTDR) by consolidating transport and logistics information from diverse sources, including GSTN e-way bills, FASTag, VAHAN, GPS-enabled systems and urban traffic-management platforms. Advanced data analytics, including freight-flow and origin-destination analysis, will be used for planning and monitoring.
ITLA will provide technical advice and assistance for the review and periodic revision of the National Logistics Policy, 2022. It will also promote training, capacity building and professional skilling to strengthen India's logistics ecosystem, besides encouraging research, technological innovation and adoption of international best practices.
The establishment of ITLA is expected to play a strategic role in achieving India's Vision 2047 by promoting multimodal connectivity, optimising infrastructure utilisation, reducing logistics costs and enhancing India's position in the global logistics ecosystem.
By creating institutional capacity for long-term planning, integrated data management, technical evaluation, project monitoring and outcome assessment, ITLA is expected to bring greater coherence and efficiency to India's transport and logistics infrastructure development. (KNS)
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