Context:

Recently, an Oxford study highlighted PRAGATI’s role in Accelerating India’s Key Projects.

More on the News

The report titled ‘From Gridlock to Growth: How Leadership Enables India’s PRAGATI Ecosystem to Power Progress’, was released by Oxford’s Saïd Business School, in collaboration with the Gates Foundation at the Indian Institute of Management Bengaluru.

• Saïd Business School is the business school of the University of Oxford founded in 1996.

The Study highlighted the Pro-Active Governance and Timely Implementation (PRAGATI) as a gamechanger in India’s digital governance landscape.

Key Highlights of the Study

Accelerating Infrastructure Development: By June 2023, the PRAGATI platform fast-tracked 340 projects worth ₹17.05 lakh crore ($205 billion), since its inception in 2015, showcasing India's use of digital tools and government collaboration as a model for emerging economies. 

Leadership from the Top: The Prime Minister of India himself leading from the top and active involvement has driven PRAGATI’s success.

• E.g: The Pakri-Barwadih Coal Mine in Jharkhand, delayed since 2006, saw swift progress after PM Modi’s intervention in 2016.
• E.g: The Prime Minister of India directed the Ministry of Railways in 2017 which led to the creation electronic drawing approval system in 2020.

Driving Accountability and Resolving Roadblocks: As per the report, PRAGATI also promotes a sense of driving accountability and resolving roadblocks. The looming possibility of inclusion in the Prime Minister’s monthly review often motivates stakeholders to address delays. 

Digital Governance Ecosystem: The study highlights India’s remarkable digital transformation, showcasing how platforms like PRAGATI, PM Gati Shakti, PARIVESH, and the Project Monitoring Group (PMG) portal have revolutionised governance and infrastructure development.

• PARIVESH (Pro-Active and Responsive facilitation by Interactive, Virtuous, and Environmental Single Window Hub) is a single window clearance system developed by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change through the National Informatics Center.
• PM Gati Shakti is a digital platform to bring 16 Ministries including Railways and Roadways together for integrated planning and coordinated implementation of infrastructure connectivity projects.

PRAGATI in the Social Sector: PRAGATI has been instrumental in accelerating social sector schemes, by bringing key programs under the Prime Minister’s purview.

• A prime example is the Jal Jeevan Mission which saw significant progress through PRAGATI reviews, increasing rural coverage from 17% in 2019 to 74% in 2024. 

Pro-Active Governance and Timely Implementation (PRAGATI) 

It is a robust multi-purpose and multi-modal platform launched in 2015 for bringing e-transparency and e-accountability with real-time presence and exchange among the key stakeholders. 

This platform uniquely bundles three latest technologies: 

• Digital data management 
• Video-conferencing 
• Geo-spatial technology

The Prime Minister of India holds a monthly programme where he interacts with the Government of India Secretaries, and Stae Chief Secretaries through Video-conferencing enabled by data and geo-informatics visuals. 

PRAGATI represents a significant advancement in how India manages complex infrastructure projects.