THEBUSINESSBYTES BUREAU

NEW DELHI, OCTOBER 6, 2026

The Union Cabinet on Tuesday approved setting up of the Integrated Transport & Logistics Authority (ITLA), a Special Purpose Vehicle aimed at strengthening integrated planning, research, project appraisal and monitoring across India’s transportation and logistics sectors.

Chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Cabinet approved the proposed authority to address long-standing challenges stemming from fragmented planning and implementation among various transport ministries and agencies.

The ITLA will function as a national apex institution for integrated transport and logistics planning, policy support, research, project appraisal, monitoring and data analytics. The move is expected to foster greater coordination across transport modes and improve the efficiency, sustainability and effectiveness of infrastructure development.

A key mandate of ITLA will be preparation of a comprehensive National Transport Master Plan with a planning horizon of 10 years or more. The plan will cover roads, railways, ports and shipping, civil aviation, inland waterways, coastal shipping, urban mobility and logistics, providing an overarching framework for coordinated infrastructure development.

The authority will also evaluate short-term, sector-specific plans of around five years and annual plans of transport ministries to ensure their alignment with the National Transport Master Plan and encourage development of multimodal infrastructure.

ITLA will undertake technical appraisal of Government of India infrastructure projects costing Rs 500 crore or more, while financial appraisal will continue to be carried out through existing financial appraisal mechanisms.

The authority will monitor the implementation of transport and infrastructure projects above Rs 500 crore and provide a coordinated mechanism for resolving issues that may arise during execution. It will also conduct post-implementation impact assessments to evaluate the effectiveness and outcomes of major projects.

In a significant data-driven initiative, ITLA will establish a National Transport Data Repository by integrating relevant transport and logistics datasets from multiple sources, including GSTN e-way bills, FASTag, Vahan, GPS-based systems and urban traffic management systems.

The repository is expected to enable advanced analytics, including freight-flow and origin-destination analysis, to support transport planning, project monitoring and impact assessment.

The authority will also advise and assist in reviewing and updating the National Logistics Policy, 2022, besides undertaking capacity building, training and skilling initiatives in the logistics sector.

Promoting research and innovation in transportation and logistics will form another key area of ITLA’s mandate, with the authority expected to support the adoption of international best practices and strengthen institutional capabilities.

The government said the establishment of ITLA will play a pivotal role in advancing India’s Vision 2047 by strengthening multimodal connectivity, improving infrastructure efficiency, lowering logistics costs and enhancing the country’s competitiveness in the global logistics landscape.

The proposed institution is also expected to create stronger capabilities in research, long-term transport planning, big-data integration, project monitoring and evaluation, providing an integrated institutional framework for India’s rapidly expanding transport and logistics ecosystem.