Infrastructure needs huge capital investment. China perfected the art of getting it. India is on its way.
Infrastructure is the fundamental requirement for any model of development. It refers to the systems, facilities and structures that facilitate the proper growth of the total economy of a country or a region. It includes facilities like proper roads and bridges, power supply, adequate quantity of clean drinking water, irrigation facilities, communication systems and transport, fertilizers, seeds, social infrastructure etc.
In short, Infrastructure = Skeleton of economy.
The various infrastructure categories can be Industrial, Transportation, Financial, Social, Administrative, Judicial, Educational, etc. In such a categorization, we assume a certain end-use and define the category. Each will have many components within. Thus, educational infrastructure will be made up of schools, colleges, universities, research institutions, regulatory bodies, etc.
In a modern society, every citizen requires infrastructural facilities for daily survival. Just imagine a day without any or all of the facilities that we are accustomed to in our everyday life. The panic that sets in if we are deprived of them even for a short time is all too well-known! Recall the moments when electricity suddenly disappeared, leaving a deep silence and darkness behind. We experience a totally different live in those hours. What happens when the city transport system goes on strike, and we need to urgently reach somewhere far away? Infrastructural facilities are the key to our modern existence. They bring a certain dignity to our lives that we have now started taking for granted.
The amazing Kathipara junction, Chennai
Unfortunately, infrastructure is not easy to develop. Neither is it cheap, nor does it allow quick ramping up always. It requires a lot of human effort, planning and investment. It needs patience coupled with vision. It calls for an integrated approach.
On this front, India has made a lot of progress during the past seven decades. Today we are the fastest growing economy in the world (by GDP growth rate measure), and also one of the most attractive investment destinations. But the fact remains that we have not been able to attract the kind of investment that is really needed. China ramped up aggressively post 1979, attracting huge volumes of American investments, and developed its manufacturing base to a staggeringly high level. Our entire policy regime has not been consistent enough over the decades to allow for such unhindered flows of FDI, though there have been very optimistic periods.
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We have experienced the state of infrastructure in our leading cities and towns. During Monsoons, life can come to a near standstill for many days. Even in the national capital Delhi, or the commercial capital Mumbai or the important southern IT cities like Bangalore, Chennai and Hyderabad, the situation is not rosy. The rural and semi-urban areas have even more pressing challenges before them.
It is no doubt important to rapidly develop infrastructure, but the manner in which we plan our development keeping a long-term perspective in mind is even more crucial. There is no dearth of examples when various infrastructure development activities were undertaken and then demolished later, to give way to some other idea. It is nothing short of a colossal national waste. From design to execution, we need a seamless approach, of course allowing for minor tweaks here and there.
India is ready for a leap into the future. A big part of this national rejuvenation will surely be a major thrust on infrastructure development. Every big idea, be it the AMRUT or the Housing for All, the UJALA scheme or Sagarmala, needs to be holistically thought through for best return on investment.
Some of the most ambitious infra-projects of India are (a small list) :
(click open to read)
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- Agra Lucknow Expressway ($2.2bn)
- This 302 km long expressway is built with an investment of more than Rs.15,000 crores. Its multiple goals include reducing heavy traffic congestion on a major highway, cutting down on commuting time, reducing pollution and carbon-footprints. It was inaugurated in November 2016.
- Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor ($90bn)
- It aims to create seven smart cities distributed along a dedicated freight corridor between the capital Delhi and Mumbai. Will generate 30,00,000 job opportunities in manufacturing/processing sectors.
- Navi Mumbai International Airport ($2.4bn)
- The airport PPP project has been delayed by land acquisition and environmental issues but pre-development works started in March 2015. The project is expected to complete in 2019.
- Mumbai's Eastern Freeway ($220m)
- Built to reduce travel time between South Mumbai and the Eastern suburbs, the Eastern Freeway connects P D'Mello Road to the Eastern Express Highway at Ghatkopar. Built by Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), it covers a distance of 16.8 km.
- Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport ($364m)
- The integrated terminal can handle 2.5 crore passengers annually, a leap from its previous capacity of 48 lacs a year. In addition to the 195,000-sq. metre, five-level integrated passenger terminal building, the new facility also offers modern taxiways and extension of a runway.
- Banihal-Qazigund tunnel ($282m)
- The Banihal-Qazigund section includes the 11.2 km Pir Panjal tunnel and offers reduced travel distances between the two towns, from the current 35km by road. The section connects the Jammu region to the 119 km Kashmir Valley line between Qazigund, Srinagar and Baramula.
- Yamuna Expressway ($1.9bn)
- A 165 km long, controlled-access expressway, 6-lane (extendable to 8 lanes), connecting Greater Noida with Agra in Uttar Pradesh. It is India's longest six-lane controlled-access expressway stretch!
- Charanka Solar Park ($280m)
- A 2,000-hectare plot of land near Charanka village in Patan district (Guj) hosts about 19 different projects by different developers. The world's second largest photovoltaic power station. Once complete, the Charanka Solar Park will host 500 MW of solar power capacity. The park is expected to save around 900,000 tonnes of natural gas annually.
- Chenab River Railway Bridge ($92m)
- To be completed by 2019, will be the highest railway bridge in the world, over river Chenab, 359 meters above the river bed in Katra, Jammu-Kashmir. The 1.3km-long bridge is a part of the 73km-long Katra-Dharam section of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project.
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In many more Bodhis, we will look at the interconnection between these interesting ideas. Stay tuned! And do share your views in the Comments thread below. It gives us motivation to see that readers have benefited, and further adds value to this Bodhi.
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- Bodhi Links (for deeper study; Caution: some may be external links, some large PDFs)
- ##chevron-right## Useful Glossary of infrastructure terms here ##chevron-right## List of all multilateral global and regional banks here ##chevron-right## Finance Ministry document on N.I.I.F. pdf here ##chevron-right## GoI parent site for all infrastructure projects information here ##chevron-right## Complete infrastructure projects list India here ##chevron-right## An innovative project - PURA pdf here ##chevron-right## Agra Lucknow Expressway here
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