Introduction
Infrastructure is critical for the country's economic growth and poverty reduction. Adequate infrastructure in the form of roads and railways, ports, power, and airports, as well as their efficient operation, are required for the Indian economy to integrate with other economies around the world.
A country's infrastructure has a direct impact on its economic and social growth. Many developed countries have made significant progress as a result of massive expansion of economic and social infrastructures. India has put major thrust on having a robust infrastructure since independence depending on need of the time. Because of globalisation and the digital revolution, the concept of infrastructure has become more complex in modern times.
There is a lack of investment and cross-sector synergy. The government has stepped in and established a national infrastructure pipeline to absorb the full potential of today and tomorrow. It aims to bring together the private and public sectors.
Need
Even as more people move to cities, infrastructure development and upgrade will play a significant role in propelling India to a USD 5-trillion economy by 2025. This is especially significant given that the number of metropolitan cities in India is expected to rise from 46 to 68 by 2030. The National Infrastructure Pipeline programme aims to fill infrastructure gaps and smooth the urbanisation process by promoting ease of living and facilitating economic activity.
India is transitioning from an agrarian to a service sector economy, which is accelerating urbanisation and necessitating the development of robust infrastructure.
In order to reach its GDP target of $5 trillion by 2024-25,India will need to spend approximately US$1.4 trillion on infrastructure.
A developing country's primary growth constraint is frequently identified as a lack of robust infrastructure. In India, the government is increasingly looking to the private sector to form partnerships through effective models of public-private partnership.
The National Infrastructure Pipeline is an important step in this direction. Strong infrastructure growth is required to achieve seamless working and productivity in other business sectors, as well as India's ambitious goal of becoming a USD 5 trillion economy by 2025.
The success of India's manufacturing sector, in particular, and the emphasis on "Make in India," are directly influenced by the strength of India's infrastructure.
There is an ongoing need for government intervention, solid funding, and project monitoring.
Growing urbanisation, an increasing working-age population, a shift to a services-based economy, and climate change are just a few of the factors that will necessitate a further boost to India's infrastructure sector, highlighting the need for the National Infrastructure Pipeline.
Advantages
More supply-side reforms are required to achieve the target of a $5 trillion economy by 2025. Creating new infrastructure and upgrading existing infrastructure will be critical to increasing India's competitiveness and meeting this target. It will be especially important for the success of the Make in India initiative, as manufacturing competitiveness is heavily reliant on infrastructure.Infrastructure construction also absorbs labour, which increases employment and income generation in the economy and boosts domestic demand. Improved infrastructure capacities generate efficiency gains through improved logistics and networks, which boosts the economy's competitiveness. This can help to initiate a virtuous cycle of increased investment, growth, and job creation in the economy.
NIP encourages collaborations and joint ventures with strong global infrastructure developers in order to build domestic capacity and improve execution by private sector participants. Infrastructure projects under the NIP will receive an equal share of capital expenditure contributions from the Centre and States of 39 percent each, with the private sector contributing 22 percent.
The national infrastructure pipeline aims to boost the economy by increasing job opportunities in various sectors, improving infrastructure in all sectors, making life easier for citizens, and making growth more inclusive. As a result of increased investor confidence, the pipeline will enable better project preparation, reduce aggressive bids/failure in project delivery, and ensure improved access to sources of finance.
Infrastructure funding has historically been difficult to come by. The national infrastructure pipeline aims to boost investor confidence by actively monitoring projects, implementing necessary reforms, and resolving any potential issues.
According to a report by the task force established by the National Infrastructure Pipeline under Atanu Chakraborty, the NIP program's key objectives are as follows:
At all three levels of government, a positive and enabling environment for significant private investment in infrastructure must be created.
Design, build, and maintain public infrastructure projects in order to achieve efficiency, equity, and inclusiveness goals.
To meet objective of disaster-resilience, public infrastructure must be designed, built, and maintained.
To create a fast-track institutional, regulatory, and infrastructure implementation framework.
To compare the performance of infrastructure to global best practises and standards.
Using technology to improve service standards, efficiency, and safety.