India’s Connectivity Infrastructure: One of the crucial components that drive and sustain economic growth in a country is its infrastructure, which is critical for achieving manufacturing competitiveness.

Key challenges obstructing progress in India’s infrastructure sector are its complicated land acquisition policies, implementation delays, and the risk of project overruns due to bureaucratic quagmire. To address these, the Central Government has implemented policies to minimize delays, simplify compliance procedures, and improve transparency.

Policies to increase the pace of infrastructure projects include simplification of land acquisitions, faster clearance/approvals from relevant authorities, using technologies, such as On-line Computerized Monitoring System (OCMS) and Pro Active Governance and Timely Implementation (PRAGATI) to improve project monitoring, and creating cost committees at the federal level to monitor cost overruns. Infrastructure spending and development are key focus areas of the Union Budget 2022-23.

Industrial and freight corridor projects: The government launched the National Infrastructure Pipeline (NIP) for FY 2019-25, under which projects have been identified to construct, refurbish, strengthen, and expand roads networks, housing, urban development, railways, conventional power, renewable energy, and irrigation. Key programs will focus on highways and railways.

The Industrial Corridor Projects, part of the National Industrial Corridor program, is an example, and aligns with the development of industrial cities and improving inter-city connectivity so that they can compete with top global investment destinations. In addition, the government has also established a Special Purpose Vehicle for construction, operation, and maintenance of dedicated freight corridors under the Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC) program that aims to decongest the existing rail network by constructing dedicated tracks for goods trains. Currently, the construction work for both projects is in full swing.

To track available infrastructure investment and development opportunities, some useful resources include the India Investment Grid platform and the India Industrial Land Bank portal set up by the Central Government.