The Chhattisgarh government has signed two key agreements aimed at strengthening implementation of the PM GatiShakti programme, with a focus on using geospatial technology and logistics data to improve infrastructure planning and identify connectivity gaps across the State. The Memorandums of Understanding were signed with the Bhaskaracharya National Institute for Space Applications and Geo-informatics (BISAG-N) and National Logistics Data Services Ltd (NLDSL) during a regional PM GatiShakti and LEADS 2025 Dissemination Workshop in Raipur on Friday.
The workshop was jointly organised by Chhattisgarh's Department of Commerce and Industries and the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT). Officials from Bihar, Odisha, Maharashtra, Goa, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand also participated, giving the event an inter-State dimension as governments look to make greater use of integrated digital planning for infrastructure and logistics.
Geospatial planning gets boost
The agreement with BISAG-N is intended to strengthen the State's use of geospatial technology. Such data can allow departments to examine proposed roads, industrial areas, utilities and other infrastructure against existing assets and geographical constraints before projects move into implementation. The objective is to reduce fragmented planning and give different departments access to a common information base.
The second agreement, with NLDSL, will strengthen the use of logistics information and analytics. Bringing logistics data into infrastructure planning can help the government identify bottlenecks in the movement of goods, assess connectivity to industrial centres and make investment decisions based on actual gaps in the network rather than planning projects in isolation. The two agreements together are aimed at improving the quality of data available to policymakers.
Over 600 data layers mapped
Chhattisgarh has already brought more than 35 government departments onto the PM GatiShakti platform. The State has mapped all 41 mandatory data layers as well as more than 600 additional layers, creating a substantial digital database for infrastructure planning. It has also developed 45 use cases and 30 analytical tools under the initiative.
The scale of integration is important because the central idea behind PM GatiShakti is to allow government departments responsible for different kinds of infrastructure to plan using shared information. Traditionally, roads, railways, industrial facilities, power networks and other assets can be developed through separate administrative processes, sometimes resulting in duplication, delays or missing last-mile connections.
A common digital platform can potentially allow planners to spot such problems earlier. It can, for instance, help determine whether a proposed industrial cluster has adequate road and rail connectivity or whether planned infrastructure overlaps with existing utilities and other assets.
Focus on investment, connectivity
Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai said the initiative was helping Chhattisgarh strengthen data-driven decision-making, plan infrastructure more effectively and identify gaps in connectivity and logistics. Better coordination, he said, could also help align infrastructure creation with industrial development and improve conditions for investment and sustainable economic growth.
For a mineral-rich State with substantial industrial potential, logistics remains particularly important. Efficient connections between production centres, processing facilities and markets can influence both the cost and competitiveness of industry. Integrating logistics information with infrastructure planning could therefore help Chhattisgarh prioritise projects that address specific bottlenecks rather than simply expanding infrastructure in numerical terms.
From data to delivery
The signing of the MoUs marks the next stage of Chhattisgarh's use of the GatiShakti framework, but their impact will ultimately depend on how effectively the information is used by departments while conceiving and approving projects. Building hundreds of data layers creates the foundation; translating those layers into better project selection, coordination and execution remains the larger task.
The agreements with BISAG-N and NLDSL seek to bridge that gap by combining geospatial intelligence with logistics analytics. If successfully integrated into routine government decision-making, the approach could allow infrastructure requirements to be identified earlier, reduce planning conflicts and better connect industrial development with transport networks.
For Chhattisgarh, the objective is consequently broader than digitising maps. The State is attempting to make a common pool of infrastructure and logistics information part of the planning process itself — moving PM GatiShakti from a data platform towards a tool for deciding where, when and how infrastructure should be built.