PM GatiShakti should be leveraged to benefit sectors beyond infrastructure: Piyush Goyal

New Delhi: Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal said that PM GatiShakti must be effectively leveraged using the area development approach to extend benefits to the nation beyond the infrastructure sector.

Goyal said this while chairing a meeting to review the progress of PM GatiShakti with the department for promotion of industry and internal trade (DPIIT) and eight concerned ministries.

The minister emphasised upon the participating ministries and departments to harness the full potential of the integrated platform to further accelerate India's infrastructure and economic growth.

Goyal further said that the agriculture sector can be supported by setting up common facilities on agricultural lands by cooperatives and startups using the integrated framework of PM GatiShakti and data from the National Master Plan (NMP).

He highlighted that the area development approach under PM GatiShakti can be used for engaging with aspirational districts of NITI Aayog.

Special secretary, DPIIT Sumita Dawra on the occasion, presented the progress of PM GatiShakti in terms of improving the data quality of the NMP, standardising data layers and establishing Quality Improvement Plan (QIP) mechanism for better planning.

To encourage usage of NMP for social sector planning, five new ministries are proposed to be on-boarded on PM GatiShakti, in addition to 14 social sector departments and ministries already onboard, to augment the socio-economic development in the country.

In addition to improving the domestic logistics ecosystem, DPIIT is progressively working towards improving the EXIM logistics. An EXIM Logistics Group has been formed with other concerned departments and ministries, it was informed.