Cabinet approves new authority to boost transport and logistics R&D
The Union Cabinet on Tuesday approved the establishment of an Integrated Transport & Logistics Authority (ITLA) to establish synergy in transport planning across the country. The new authority will strengthen research, planning, appraisal, monitoring and impact assessment across the transportation and logistics sectors, working towards harmonising planning, appraisal and monitoring of transport projects.
The ITLA will serve as the apex body for integrated transport and logistics planning in India, bringing policy research, project planning and appraisal, monitoring and evaluation, and data analytics under one roof. It will be responsible for appraising government infrastructure projects costing Rs 500 crore or more to ensure integrated multi-modal planning, while also monitoring such projects, coordinating issue resolution and assessing post-completion impact. The authority will prepare a long-term transport plan covering roads, railways, ports, aviation, inland waterways, coastal shipping, urban mobility and logistics. It will integrate GSTN e-way bill, FASTag, Vahan, GPS and urban traffic data, using freight-flow and origin-destination analytics for evidence-based project planning.
Additionally, the ITLA will advise on reviewing and updating the National Logistics Policy 2022, support training and capacity building across the logistics sector, and promote research and innovation. The government stated that the ITLA will play a pivotal role in realizing India's Vision 2047 by strengthening multimodal connectivity, improving infrastructure efficiency, reducing logistics costs and enhancing India's global logistics competitiveness.
