A study by Saïd Business School, University of Oxford, and the Gates Foundation highlights how India’s digital governance platform, PRAGATI (Pro-Active Governance and Timely Implementation), has transformed the country’s infrastructure development landscape. The study noted the platform, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has driven accountability, facilitated federal and regional collaboration, and accelerated the completion of long-delayed projects, worth a staggering $205 billion.

Key findings: Overcoming decades of delays

PRAGATI has proven instrumental in overcoming decades-long delays in over 340 infrastructure projects across India. The study, titled From Gridlock to Growth: How Leadership Enables India’s PRAGATI Ecosystem to Power Progress, notes that many of these projects were delayed for up to 20 years. Some projects had already completed physical work but were stalled at the final stages, while others had seen no construction progress.

PRAGATI features a digital dashboard for real-time project monitoring and facilitates video-conference review meetings chaired by PM Modi. These reviews have helped streamline decision-making, cut red tape, and ensure that projects are completed swiftly, the news study has found. The platform’s success has significantly reduced project delays, cutting timelines from decades to mere months, it said.

PRAGATI’s impact: Empowering leadership and driving collaboration

A notable aspect of PRAGATI is the direct involvement of India’s top leadership in monitoring infrastructure projects. PM Modi’s personal accountability and regular oversight have provided an essential layer of governance, ensuring that projects are not left to languish due to bureaucracy or lack of political will, the study found. The platform has facilitated unprecedented levels of cooperation between central and state authorities, ensuring that both levels of government work together to overcome obstacles and expedite projects, it added.

PRAGATI: A governance game-changer

According to Soumitra Dutta, Peter Moores Dean and Professor of Management at Oxford Saïd, PRAGATI offers a unique opportunity for developing countries to revolutionize their infrastructure development approaches. He stated, “Building on PRAGATI’s experiences, other developing countries have a valuable opportunity also to revolutionize their approach to infrastructure development.” Dutta emphasized that PRAGATI’s success lies in its ability to foster collaboration across various stakeholders and to leverage technology for real-time monitoring and accountability.

Cultivating an environment of leadership and accountability

Professor Dutta underscored the importance of top leadership in using technology to foster cross-collaboration and maintain regular reviews of infrastructure projects. “PRAGATI shows us it is essential for nations to cultivate an environment where top leadership is using technology to drive cross-collaboration and regular accountability reviews,” he explained.

Key findings unveiled at IIM Bengaluru symposium

The findings were unveiled today at a symposium organized by the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Bengaluru, which brought together experts from academia, government, and the private sector to discuss the transformative potential of digital governance in infrastructure development.

Notable projects accelerated by PRAGATI

Several key infrastructure projects have benefited from PRAGATI’s intervention, including:

The Chenab Bridge (Jammu and Kashmir): Once stalled for a decade, this bridge is now the world’s highest rail bridge. It is part of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link, which connects Kashmir with the rest of India by rail. The PRAGATI platform’s review, the snew study said, helped fast-track the bridge’s construction, ensuring that it became a vital socio-political and economic link.

The Bogibeel Bridge (Assam): This crucial bridge over the Brahmaputra River faced over a decade of delays before being included in PRAGATI’s review process in 2015. The intervention prompted regular site visits and cooperation between central and state ministries, enabling the bridge’s completion in 2018, greatly improving connectivity for the Dhemaji region.

The Jal Jeevan Mission (Nationwide): Aiming to provide indoor tap water connections to every rural household in India, this ambitious initiative has made significant strides due to PRAGATI’s oversight. A review in 2021 led to a 20% increase in tap connections in water-scarce regions over six months. From just 17% of Indian households with running water in 2019, this figure has reached 79% by November 2024, the study noted.