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Category — GS Paper 2 ///Published — 2026-10-07 ///Exam — Both Prelims and Mains ///Tags — Transport and Logistics, Infrastructure, Government Policies & Interventions ///Category — GS Paper 2 ///Published — 2026-10-07 ///Exam — Both Prelims and Mains ///Tags — Transport and Logistics, Infrastructure, Government Policies & Interventions ///

News · GS Paper 2

Cabinet Approves Integrated Transport and Logistics Authority

The Union Cabinet has approved the Integrated Transport and Logistics Authority (ITLA) as a Special Purpose Vehicle to bring integrated planning across transport and logistics sectors. ITLA will prepare a National Transport Master Plan with a 10-year-plus horizon, appraise and monitor infrastructure projects above ₹500 crore, and build a National Transport Data Repository using GSTN e-way bills, FASTag, Vahan and GPS data. It complements PM GatiShakti and the National Logistics Policy, aiming to reduce logistics costs and improve multimodal connectivity.

2026-10-07

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Why in News?

The Union Cabinet has approved the setting up of the Integrated Transport and Logistics Authority (ITLA) as a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV).
It is intended to strengthen research, planning, project appraisal, monitoring and impact assessment across the transport and logistics sectors.

What is ITLA?

ITLA is a specialised apex institutional mechanism aimed at addressing fragmented planning across transport-related Ministries and agencies.
It will promote coordinated, multimodal and long-term infrastructure development through integrated planning, policy support, data analytics, project appraisal, monitoring and impact assessment.
It will complement existing initiatives such as PM GatiShakti National Master Plan and the National Logistics Policy.

Key Features

1. National Transport Master Plan

ITLA will prepare a comprehensive National Transport Master Plan with a planning horizon of 10 years or more.
It will cover roads, railways, ports and shipping, civil aviation, inland waterways, coastal shipping, urban mobility and logistics.

2. Integrated Planning

It will evaluate five-year sectoral plans and annual plans of transport Ministries to ensure alignment with the National Transport Master Plan.
It will promote multimodal infrastructure development.

3. Project Appraisal and Monitoring

ITLA will undertake technical appraisal of Government infrastructure projects costing ₹500 crore or more.
Financial appraisal will continue through existing mechanisms.
It will monitor projects above ₹500 crore and conduct post-implementation impact assessments.

4. National Transport Data Repository

ITLA will establish a unified National Transport Data Repository.
It will integrate datasets such as GSTN e-way bills, FASTag, Vahan, GPS-based systems and urban traffic management systems.
This will support freight-flow and origin-destination analysis.

5. Policy and Capacity Support

It will assist in reviewing and updating the National Logistics Policy.
It will support capacity building, training and skilling.
It will promote research and innovation in transport and logistics.

Significance

Improves inter-ministerial coordination.
Strengthens evidence-based planning.
Enhances multimodal connectivity and infrastructure efficiency.
Reduces logistics costs and supports India's global logistics competitiveness.
Supports India's Vision 2047.

Related Initiatives

PM GatiShakti National Master Plan: A digital platform for integrated infrastructure planning.
National Logistics Policy: Aims to reduce logistics costs and improve logistics efficiency.

Way Forward

Effective inter-ministerial coordination will be key to ITLA's success.
Data integration must address privacy, security and standardisation concerns.
Institutional capacity and skilled manpower will determine the quality of appraisal and monitoring.
ITLA can help shift infrastructure planning from silos to integrated multimodal development.