Introduction
Brief overview of the importance of transport in India.
Transportation plays a crucial role in the development of any country, and India is no exception. A
brief overview of the importance of transport in India:
1. Economic Development: Transport infrastructure like roads, railways, ports, and airports
play a vital role in the economic development of a country. They facilitate the movement of
goods and services, stimulate trade and commerce, and contribute to industrial growth.
2. Connectivity: India is a vast country with diverse geographical features. Transport helps in
connecting different parts of the country, from remote rural areas to bustling urban centers.
It enables people to travel for work, education, healthcare, and other purposes.
3. Employment: The transport sector is a significant source of employment in India. It provides
jobs in areas like construction, maintenance, operations, and services.
4. Social Integration: Transport helps in the social integration of the country by connecting
different regions and communities. It promotes national unity and understanding among the
diverse cultures of India.
5. Access to Markets: Transport provides farmers and other producers access to local, national,
and international markets. It helps in the distribution of agricultural and industrial products,
thereby supporting the livelihoods of millions of people.
6. Tourism: India, with its rich cultural heritage and natural beauty, is a popular tourist
destination. Efficient transport systems facilitate tourism, which contributes significantly to
the economy.
Explanation of the different modes of transport (road, rail, water, and air):
7. Road Transport: This is the most common mode of transport and refers to the transport of
goods and passengers on road networks using vehicles like cars, trucks, buses, and bicycles.
It’s flexible and ideal for short distances and small quantities. It plays a crucial role in
connecting cities, towns, and villages in India.
8. Rail Transport: This involves the movement of goods and passengers along railways or
railroads. Trains are a cost-effective and efficient way to transport large quantities of goods
over long distances. In India, the railway network is extensive and plays a vital role in both
passenger and freight transport.
9. Water Transport: This involves the movement of goods and passengers by water. It can be
subdivided into sea transport (between countries) and inland water transport (within a
country). It’s a cost-effective way to transport large quantities of goods, but it’s slower than
road and rail transport.
10. Air Transport: This involves the transport of goods and passengers via airplanes. It’s the
fastest mode of transport and is ideal for long-distance travel and high-value goods.
However, it’s also the most expensive and is affected by weather conditions.
2. Development of Road Transport in India
History of road transport in India:
Road transportation has a long and rich history in India. The first evidence of road development in
the Indian subcontinent can be traced back to approximately around 2800 BC in the ancient cities of
Harrapan and Mohenjo-Daro of the Indus Valley civilization12. These cities had well-planned roads2.
Major empires such as the Mauryan and the Mughals helped establish longer roads connecting key
towns2. For instance, Chandragupta built a 2,400 km (about 1491.29 mi) long road from Pataliputra
(modern Patna) to Takshashila (now in Pakistan)3. Road development gained momentum during the
Gupta period (300-500 AD)3. Pathan and Mughal rulers made significant improvements to the roads
in India, with Sher Shah constructing the Grand Trunk Road.
Status of road transport, including statistics on road length, types of roads, and traffic:
Road transport plays a vital role in India’s infrastructure and economy. The current status of road
transport in India:
11. Road Network: India has about 66.71 lakh km of road network, which is the second largest
in the world1. The length of various categories of roads is as follows:
• National Highways: 1,46,145 km
• State Highways: 1,79,535 km
• Other Roads: 63,45,403 km1
12. National Highways: The National Highway (NH) network increased by approximately 60%
from 91,287 km in 2014 to 1,46,145 km in 20231. The average pace of NH construction
increased by 143% to 28.3 km/day from 20141.
13. Road Types: Only 20 percent of the national highway network (which carries 40 percent of
traffic) is four-lane2. One-third of the rural population lacks access to an all-weather road2.
14. Traffic: Presently, road transport accounts for 12% of India’s energy-related CO2 emissions
and is a key contributor to urban air pollution 3. As India seeks to meet the increasing
demand for private mobility and the transport of goods, energy use and CO2 emissions from
road transport could double by 2050 3.
15. Investment: It is estimated that the transport sector alone will require an investment of
nearly $500 billion (3.6 percent of GDP) over the next 10 years 2.
Major initiatives and projects for the development of road transport:
16. National Highway Development Project (NHDP): This is one of the largest highway
projects in the country. It includes the Golden Quadrilateral, North-South and East-West
Corridor, Port Connectivity, and others 12.
17. Bharatmala Pariyojana: This is a centrally-sponsored and funded road and highways
project. The Bharatmala Pariyojana envisages the development of about 26,000 km length of
Economic Corridors, which along with Golden Quadrilateral (GQ) and North-South and East-
West (NS-EW) Corridors are expected to carry the majority of the Freight Traffic on roads1.
18. Pradhan Mantri Bharat Jodo Pariyojana (PMBJP): This initiative aims at linking major cities
to National Highways2.
19. Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY): This scheme aims at providing good all-
weather road connectivity to unconnected villages 2.
Challenges and future prospects:
Challenges:
- The road transport sector in India faces several challenges, including capacity constraints, financial
sustainability, safety, and environmental impact¹⁶.
- There is a glaring disparity between the urban rich and the rural poor, causing social unrest and
tension. Much of the disparity is because of a lack of communication, particularly roads¹⁹.
Future Prospects:
- The future prospects of road transport in India are promising, with the government's continued
emphasis on their development¹⁵.
- As infrastructure improves and incentives drive increased adoption, these roads are poised to play a
pivotal role in shaping the country's economic landscape¹⁵.
3. Development of Rail Transport in India
History of rail transport in India:
Rail transport in India began in the mid-19th century. The first railway proposals for India were made
in Madras in 18321. The first train in India ran from Red Hills to Chintadripet bridge in 1837 2.
However, it was not a commercial train. The first passenger train in India ran between Bombay (Bori
Bunder) and Thane on 16 April 1853 3. The train was hauled by three steam locomotives: Sahib, Sindh,
and Sultan3.
The Indian Railways was nationalized in 1951 and is today, the largest rail network in Asia 4. As of
March 2020, India has a route length of 67,368-kilometre (41,861 mi), making it the fourth-largest in
the world4. It is one of the busiest networks in the world, transporting more than 11 billion
passengers and 1.416 billion tons of freight annually4.
Despite beginning life as a by-product of British colonial rule, India’s railways have come to define
and shape the country over the course of the last century and a half 3. Tracks that were laid to boost a
regime and fill the coffers of foreign investors evolved to support the country itself, forming a
staggeringly vast network which you could call a jewel in the Indian crown 3.
Current status of rail transport, including statistics on railway length, types of
trains, and freight traffic:
In terms of freight, the Indian Railways transports various commodities and fuels over its freight
network, with bulk traffic accounting for most of the freight movement 1. The railways operate 9,146
freight trains daily1.
The Indian Railways has been making significant strides in modernizing its operations and services.
For instance, it has been increasing the electrification of its routes, with about 50% of the routes now
electrified with 25 KV AC electric traction, while 33% of them are double or multi-tracked1.
Major initiatives and projects for the development of rail transport:
20. National Rail Plan 2030: Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visionary plan aims to
revolutionize India’s railway infrastructure, with projects including the expansion of high-
speed trains, station redevelopment, and ambitious targets for freight transportation modal
share1.
21. Electrification of Railways: About 94% of the total Broad Gauge (BG) network of the Indian
Railways has been electrified2. There is a substantial jump in electrification from about 1.42
Km/day between 2004-14 to about 18 Km/day in 2022-232.
22. Replacement of Conventional Coaches by LHB Coaches: Since 2015, about 23000
conventional coaches have been replaced by Linke Hofmann Busch (LHB) coaches 2.
23. Commissioning of Kavach: Kavach has so far been deployed on 1465 Route km and 139
locomotives (including Electric Multiple Unit rakes) on South Central Railway 2.
24. Vision 2024: As part of the National Rail Plan, Vision 2024 has been launched for accelerated
implementation of certain critical projects by 2024 such as 100% electrification, multi-
tracking of congested routes, upgradation of speed to 160 kmph on Delhi-Howrah and
Delhi-Mumbai routes, upgradation of speed to 130kmph on all other Golden Quadrilateral-
Golden Diagonal (GQ/GD) routes and elimination of all Level Crossings on all GQ/GD route3.
Challenges and future prospects:
Challenges:
- Railways face a tough competition with road transport, as roads can deliver the goods at the
doorstep⁴.
- Indian railway is facing tremendous pressure of traffic with increasing population, urbanization, and
industrialization⁴.
- Unsafe due to poor maintenance-frequent accidents due to human error, terrorist attacks, and
faulty track repairs⁴.
Future Prospects:
- The future prospects of rail transport in India are promising, with the government's continued
emphasis on their development¹.
- As infrastructure improves and incentives drive increased adoption, these railways are poised to
play a pivotal role in shaping the country's economic landscape¹.
4. Development of Water Transport in India
History of water transport in India:
25. Ancient Times: The history of inland waterways in India can be traced back to the Indus
Valley Civilization, which developed around the Indus River 1. The ancient Indians were skilled
in building water transport systems, and they used boats made of reed, bamboo, and other
natural materials to transport goods and people 1. Indian maritime trade flourished in ancient
times with Indian boats and ships sailing in the Indian Ocean for the last 4,000 years, taking
merchandise to the Middle East2.
26. Post-Independence: Since 1947, India has made great progress in shipping and gradually
became the second largest shipping country in Asia and sixth largest in the world 3. India has
a 6,100 kilometers (3,790 mi)-long coastline with only twelve major ports 3.
Current statistics on navigable waterways, types of vessels, and cargo and passenger traffic:
Navigable Waterways: India has an extensive network of inland waterways in the form of rivers,
canals, backwaters, and creeks. The total navigable length is 14,500 km, out of which about 5,200
km of the river and 4,000 km of canals can be used by mechanized crafts 1. However, there is only
3,700 km length of flat base which is navigable by mechanically operated ferries, of which only
2,000 km is presently being used for navigation 2.
Types of Vessels: The most common commercial fishing vessels are trawler, gillnetters, liners,
seiners, and combination fishing vessels 3. As of April 2024, the Indian Navy possesses two aircraft
carriers, one amphibious transport dock, four tank landing ships, 12 destroyers, 12 frigates, two
nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines, 16 conventionally powered attack submarines, 18
corvettes, eight landing craft utilities, ten large offshore patrol vessels, five fleet tankers as well as
various auxiliary vessels and small patrol boats 4.
Cargo and Passenger Traffic: India’s road network is one of the busiest in the world, transporting
8.225 billion passengers and over 980 million tons of cargo annually, as of 20155. The passenger
traffic at major Indian ports was a mere 710 thousand, in comparison to around 22.6 trillion
passengers per kilometer on roads and over eight billion in railways6. The volume of cargo
handled across the Indian ports in the financial year 2021 was around 1.25 billion metric tons6.
Major initiatives and projects for the development of water transport:
27. National Waterways Act, 2016: This act proposed 106 additional National Waterways,
which has the potential to greatly reduce the cost of transportation and lower the nation’s
carbon footprint by moving traffic from surface roads and railroads to waterways 12.
28. Development of National Waterway 1 (NW1): The Government of India is reviving the
Ganga watercourse, known as NW1, to ferry cargo from the eastern seaport of Haldia to
Varanasi, some 1,360 km inland3. The World Bank is financing the development of the Ganga
waterway with a loan of $375 million3. The project will help establish six multi-modal freight
terminals at Varanasi, Ghazipur, Kalughat, Sahibgunj, Triveni, and Haldia 3.
Challenges and future prospects:
Challenges:
- Major challenges for the development of National Waterways include the varying and limited
depths during the lean season due to the excessive upstream withdrawal/utilization of water¹³.
- Lack of cargo earmarked for IWT, non-mechanized navigation lock systems, insufficient unloading
facility at terminals, horizontal and vertical clearance issues due to cross structures, first & last mile
connectivity, lack of vessel financing options and apprehension of logistics and shipping market to
shift in absence of policy support hinder the use of IWT by shippers¹³.
Future Prospects:
- The future prospects of inland waterways in India are promising, with the government's continued
emphasis on their development¹¹.
- As infrastructure improves and incentives drive increased adoption, these waterways are poised to
play a pivotal role in shaping the country's economic landscape¹¹.
5.Development of Air Transport in India
History of air transport in India:
29. Early Beginnings (1911-1932): The first commercial aviation flight in India took place on 18
February 1911, when Henri Pequet flew a Humber biplane carrying 6,500 pieces of mail from
Allahabad to Naini, a distance of 9.7 kilometers 1. In December 1912, the Indian State Air
services along with the Imperial Airways introduced a London - Delhi flight, the first
international flight to India1.
30. Tata Air Services (1932-1947): Tata Sons started a regular airmail service between Karachi
and Madras in 19151. On 15 October 1932, Indian aviator J. R. D. Tata flew a Puss Moth
aircraft carrying mail from Karachi to Juhu aerodrome, Bombay; and the aircraft continued to
Madras, marking the beginning of Tata Airlines which later became Air India, the flag carrier
in 19461.
31. Post-Independence (1947-1953): In 1947, following Indian independence, Tata Airways was
renamed Air India, and the government took a 49% stake in the airline 2. The airline began
flying its first international flights the next year, flying from Mumbai to London on a
Lockheed Constellation2.
Current statistics on airports, airlines, and passenger and freight traffic:
Airlines: The Indian aviation industry has grown significantly since the first airplane flew in February
19113. The Tata airline, established by J.R.D. Tata in 1932, was later acquired by the government of
India and rechristened as Air India in the post-independence era3. As of 2022, Air India had a fleet of
over a hundred aircraft3. In October 2021, Air India was sold back to the Tata Group 3. As of 2023,
IndiGo and SpiceJet are among the most successful airlines in the country 4.
Passenger Traffic: India’s domestic air travel has continued to grow robustly and as of February
2024, it was a mere 2.2 per cent shy of reaching pre-pandemic levels measured by passenger
revenue kilometers (PRK)5. The total number of passengers traveling from and to India in the
financial year 2023 was 105.4 million4. The number of passengers handled at airports in India from
the financial year 2014 to 2023 was in the millions4.
Freight Traffic: Freight traffic in India has also seen significant growth. The total freight traffic
originating in India was reported at 139.160 million tons in May 20246. This records an increase
from the previous number of 128.290 million tons for April 2024 6. The data reached an all-time high
of 157.071 million tons in March 20246.
Major initiatives and projects for the development of air transport:
32. National Civil Aviation Policy: This policy has been instrumental in shaping the future of
the aviation sector in India1.
33. Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik (UDAN): This initiative aims to improve air connectivity to
underserved regions. As of 2024, 545 routes have been operationalised under UDAN.
34. Digi Yatra Initiative: This biometric-focused initiative uses facial recognition at airports to
provide a digital-first, contactless passenger experience4.
35.
Major Airport Projects: There are several major airport projects currently underway in India,
worth over $15 billion. These include the country’s new largest airport and expansions for
many of its busiest existing sites.
Challenges and future prospects:
Challenges:
- India imports carrier aircrafts and has not the domestic base⁹.
- The taxes related to Air Turbine Fuel are very high in India⁹.
- The maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) industry is not well developed in India⁹.
- Less people prefer air transport than other means of transport⁹.
- Aviation sector is highly capital intensive⁹.
Future Prospects:
- The future prospects of air transport in India are promising, with the government's continued emphasis on their
development[^10^].
- As infrastructure improves and incentives drive increased adoption, these airways are poised to play a pivotal role in
shaping the country's economic landscape.
Conclusion
Summary:
Discussion on the implications of these findings for transport policy in India:
36. Promotion of Inland Water Transport (IWT): Given the vast network of navigable
waterways in India, there is a significant potential for the development of IWT. It is a cost-
effective and eco-friendly mode of transport, especially for bulk goods.
37. Improving Air Connectivity: With the increasing number of passengers and freight traffic, it
is crucial to improve air connectivity, especially in the remote and hilly regions of the country.
Policies could focus on improving infrastructure, increasing the number of operational
airports, and promoting regional airlines.
38. Enhancing Road and Rail Networks: Given the high passenger and freight traffic on roads
and railways, policies should aim at enhancing the capacity and efficiency of these networks.
This could include widening of roads, introduction of more trains, and improvement in
facilities.
39. Sustainable Transport: With the growing concern over environmental pollution, there is a
need to promote sustainable modes of transport. Policies could encourage the use of electric
vehicles, bicycles, and public transport.
40. Safety Measures: Safety is a major concern in all modes of transport. Policies should ensure
strict adherence to safety norms and regular inspections.
41. Technological Advancements: The use of technology can greatly enhance the efficiency
and convenience of transport. Policies could promote the use of technologies like GPS for
navigation, RFID for toll collection, and mobile apps for ticket booking.
42. Private Sector Participation: Given the huge investment required in the transport sector,
there is a need to encourage private sector participation. Policies could provide incentives for
private investment in the form of tax benefits, low-interest loans, etc.
