India’s high growth imperative in 2023 and beyond will significantly be driven by major strides in key sectors with infrastructure development being a critical force aiding the progress.
Infrastructure is a key enabler in helping India become a US$ 26 trillion economy. Investments in building and upgrading physical infrastructure, especially in synergy with the ease of doing business initiatives, remain pivotal to increase efficiency and costs. Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi also recently reiterated that infrastructure is a crucial pillar to ensure good governance across sectors.
The government’s focus on building infrastructure of the future has been evident given the slew of initiatives launched recently. The US$ 1.3 trillion national master plan for infrastructure, Gati Shakti, has been a forerunner to bring about systemic and effective reforms in the sector, and has already shown a significant headway.
Infrastructure support to the nation’s manufacturers also remains one of the top agendas as it will significantly transform goods and exports movement making freight delivery effective and economical.
The "Smart Cities Mission" and "Housing for All" programmes have benefited from these initiatives. Saudi Arabia seeks to spend up to US$ 100 billion in India in energy, petrochemicals, refinery, infrastructure, agriculture, minerals, and mining.
The infrastructure sector is a key driver of the Indian economy. The sector is highly responsible for propelling India’s overall development and enjoys intense focus from the Government for initiating policies that would ensure the time-bound creation of world-class infrastructure in the country. The infrastructure sector includes power, bridges, dams, roads, and urban infrastructure development. In other words, the infrastructure sector acts as a catalyst for India’s economic growth as it drives the growth of the allied sectors like townships, housing, built-up infrastructure, and construction development projects.
To meet India’s aim of reaching a US$ 5 trillion economy by 2025, infrastructure development is the need of the hour. The government has launched the National Infrastructure Pipeline (NIP) combined with other initiatives such as ‘Make in India’ and the Production-Linked Incentives (PLI) scheme to augment the growth of the infrastructure sector. Historically, more than 80% of the country's infrastructure spending has gone toward funding for transportation, electricity, and water, and irrigation.
While these sectors still remain the key focus, the government has also started to focus on other sectors as India's environment and demographics are evolving. There is a compelling need for enhanced and improved delivery across the whole infrastructure spectrum, from housing provision to water and sanitation services to digital and transportation demands, which will assure economic growth, increase quality of life, and boost sectoral competitiveness.
(Source: https://www.ibef.org/industry/infrastructure-sector-india)