As nations grapple with how to implement ambitious infrastructure agendas amid rising costs and a complex regulatory environment, India has quietly pioneered an innovative solution. While much recent attention has been focused on the country’s technological advances in digital payment and identification systems, another digital transformation is revolutionizing how India manages its major infrastructure projects.
This week, Oxford University’s Said Business School, in collaboration with the Gates Foundation, launched a case study examining India’s Pragati platform — a digital initiative that has helped accelerate more than 340 major infrastructure projects worth about $205 billion. A study released earlier this week at the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore reveals how digital governance at the highest levels of political leadership can help nations overcome traditional barriers to infrastructure development.
Pragati (Active Governance and Timely Implementation) was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2015 and combines leadership with video conferencing, drone feeds, and data management to enable oversight of critical infrastructure. The impact of the platform has helped to complete long-delayed projects such as sections of National Highway 8 in Maharashtra, the Chenab Bridge in Jammu and Kashmir, which is now the world’s tallest rail bridge, and the Bogibeel Bridge in Assam, which was stalled for more than one year. A decade ahead of completion within the coming three years under review in progress.
Leveraging the influence of proactive leadership from the top makes progress remarkable. Based on SWAGAT, a digital platform launched by the then Chief Minister Modi in Gujarat to address public grievances, Pragati has enabled the Prime Minister to take an ongoing, direct role in overseeing complex infrastructure projects. In progress meetings, he joins senior aides, cabinet secretaries, all chief secretaries of states, and secretaries of Union ministries on dedicated video conference links. In these meetings, the Prime Minister asks detailed questions about problems and delays, sets specific deadlines and proposes solutions.
The value of this high-level engagement cannot be overstated. In a large country with a complex federal structure, it communicates the importance of infrastructure development as a national priority and injects a sense of urgency and accountability into the bureaucratic process. When executives know their decisions are trackable, they are motivated to move quickly to resolve obstacles. Top-level leadership also inspires renewed enthusiasm for collaboration among stakeholders. Bridging the political divide, Pragathi has proven equally valuable in accelerating complex infrastructure projects in all states, whether governed by one political party at the national level or another political party in a particular state.
Consider the construction of a bogie bridge spanning the wide Brahmaputra River, once seen as the “Unbridge”. By the time the project entered the progress system in 2015, at least a decade had passed in construction. Climatic challenges, the elimination of workers, and problems with land acquisition hindered progress. The platform’s intervention spurred regular site visits by officials from both state and central ministries and unprecedented collaboration between central and state agencies, thereby speeding up the lifeline work for the remote region of Dhemaji.
The success of Pragati has inspired the creation of complementary digital platforms. Launched in 2021, PM Gati Shakti provides sophisticated geospatial planning tools that help optimize infrastructure design and minimize adverse environmental impact. PARIVESH has streamlined environmental clearances, which has brought greater transparency and also reduced the approval time, from sometimes 600 days earlier to 70-75 days now. Together, these platforms form a digital ecosystem that is transforming India’s approach to infrastructure development.
The impact extends beyond physical infrastructure. Progress has also accelerated social development programs ranging from rural electrification to providing piped water connections to millions of households.
This digital transformation in infrastructure governance offers valuable lessons for other nations looking to build sustainable infrastructure for the future, especially in the developing world. First, technology alone is not enough – success requires sustained leadership from the top to execute. Second, digital platforms must be designed to collaborate across different levels of government while respecting local autonomy. Third, combining different technological tools—from video conferencing to drone surveillance—creates powerful synergies for project oversight.
The results speak for themselves. A study by the Reserve Bank of India estimated that for every rupee spent on infrastructure, the country would gain 2.5 to 3.5 rupees in GDP. With JP Morgan predicting that India will become the world’s third largest economy by 2027, the country’s digital approach to infrastructure governance could serve as a model for other emerging economies.
The current challenge is to build on this basis. As India works towards its goal of becoming a developed nation by 2047, platforms like Pragati will need to evolve to handle increasingly complex projects. But the key principle – using the right combination of technology and leadership to dramatically accelerate infrastructure development by driving cooperation, accountability and transparency – provides a powerful template for nations seeking to transform their approach to infrastructure development.
The platform’s approach could be particularly valuable for initiatives such as the African Union’s Program for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA), which aims to close the continent’s infrastructure gap through cross-border projects. Achievements of progress in managing complex multi-state infrastructure development
Offer a time-tested template for handling such collaborations.
As countries across the Global South modernize their infrastructure and support rapidly growing populations and urbanization, the combination of advanced digital innovation and high-level coordination provides a valuable model for accelerating development while ensuring accountability and efficient resource use.
Dutta is Dean and Professor of Management at the Saeed Business School at Oxford University. Iyer is the Executive Director for India at the World Bank. Views are personal