PRAGATI in Gujarat: Accelerating the growth engine via proactive governance

India’s journey towards efficient governance often highlights the challenge of implementation across a vast federal structure. The PRAGATI (Pro-Active Governance and Timely Implementation) initiative, established by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2015, has served as a powerful mechanism to cut through bureaucratic entanglement. While it fast-tracks national projects, its impact is perhaps most tangible at the state level, where specific regional projects critical for economic growth are monitored with precision. In Gujarat, PRAGATI reviews have systematically addressed bottlenecks in key infrastructure, energy and social welfare projects, demonstrating a robust model of cooperative federalism in action. 

PRAGATI has functioned not only as a review platform but also as anticipatory governance. Advanced circulation of agendas at the beginning of the month triggered focused engagement by concerned state departments, district administrations and implementing agencies. As a result of proactive follow-up, several issues were resolved before the scheduled PRAGATI meetings. Consequently, such agenda items were dropped from the final review, reflecting resolution at the state level prior to high-level intervention.

 

 

A digital synergy for state-specific acceleration

 

The core of PRAGATI’s success lies in its ability to bring the highest levels of state and central administration onto a single, accountability-driven digital platform. Every month, this interface allows for granular review of projects that might otherwise stall due to inter-departmental friction or land acquisition hurdles.

 

Cutting across departmental silos for strategic growth: Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC)

 

By placing the DMIC under direct prime ministerial review, PRAGATI ensured that issues involving the Dholera Special Investment Regional Development Authority, central ministries and private stakeholders were thrashed out in real time. This process accelerates decision-making, cuts through bureaucratic red tape, and provides clear, time-bound directions to all involved parties, thereby accelerating a project that is a cornerstone of India’s industrial future.

 

PRAGATI reviews have ensured timely infrastructure development of Dholera International Airport and the Ahmedabad-Dholera Expressway, which is a critical 109 km greenfield project designed to connect Ahmedabad with the Dholera Special Investment Region (SIR). With anchor project investment of Rs 91,000 crore for the semiconductor fabrication plant, the region is set to be the semiconductor hub of India to produce India’s first homegrown chips. Such high-value central projects operating within state boundaries are ideal candidates for the PRAGATI mechanism, ensuring alignment between state execution and national vision.

 

Catalysing Gujarat’s green energy revolution

 

Gujarat is a leader in renewable energy, and PRAGATI is playing a crucial role in operationalising its massive potential. Multiple large-scale solar and wind projects underscore this focus. The Khavda 1,200 MW solar PV project (Rs 6,284 crore) and Khavda 1,255 MW solar PV project (Rs 7,180 crore) are major components of this drive. The Bhuj 300 MW solar PV project (Rs 1,443 crore) and the associated transmission system for evacuating an additional 7 GW of power from the Khavda renewable energy park (Rs 4,231 crore) were also reviewed, cutting across energy, revenue, and forests and environment departments.

 

The platform’s structured monitoring ensures seamless coordination between state departments and central entities, which is vital for projects requiring complex land and environmental clearances.

 

Streamlining the Sardar Sarovar command area development

 

In the context of the Sardar Sarovar Project (SSP) and wider national irrigation projects, PRAGATI reviews by the Hon’ble Prime Minister have been a decisive factor in the transition from traditional flood irrigation to micro-irrigation systems. PRAGATI policy directives mandated micro-irrigation systems such as drip and sprinkler as the core requirement for project approval and funding. Simultaneously, the Sardar Sarovar Project, often called Gujarat’s lifeline due to its role in addressing water scarcity, adopted an underground pipeline (UGPL) system in response to PRAGATI reviews. This shift from traditional open canals aimed to improve efficiency and water delivery by conserving water, minimising land fragmentation and reducing construction time.

 

Beyond infrastructure: The social mandate

 

PRAGATI’s ambit extends far beyond physical infrastructure. It is equally effective in monitoring the implementation of flagship social welfare schemes, ensuring last-mile delivery.

 

• PM-Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM): This critical health initiative was monitored to ensure timely and effective coverage of the scheme. Key benefits for citizens include improved access to healthcare through upgraded Ayushman Arogya Mandirs (AAMs); enhanced quality of care; reduced financial burden; better pandemic preparedness and response through the development of an IT-enabled disease surveillance system and a network of laboratories; comprehensive primary care; and digital health integration.

 

• PM Schools for Rising India (PMSHRI): Progress of this scheme, vital for modernising school infrastructure, is reviewed through PRAGATI. As a result, 448 state-run schools in Gujarat are witnessing fast upgradation of school infrastructure.

 

• ‘Lakhpati Didi’ scheme: A key initiative aimed at women’s empowerment through rural development is also monitored on the PRAGATI platform. More than six lakh Lakhpati Didis in Gujarat are receiving sustainable income through various interventions of skill development, financial inclusion, digital literacy and market exposure.

 

By reviewing these schemes at the apex level, PRAGATI enforces accountability and ensures that the intended beneficiaries in Gujarat receive timely access to government services.

 

Empowering Gujarat: The transformative support of the Government of India via PRAGATI

 

Following the success of PRAGATI at the national level, the Gujarat government introduced SWAGAT 2.0 as an advanced system to manage grievances and projects. It has an auto escalation matrix, derived from PRAGATI’s structured escalation for critical bottlenecks. Inspired by PRAGATI’s project tracking, the modified SWAGAT now features dedicated monitoring and performance dashboards. These allow the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) to assess the efficiency of individual officials and identify districts with high volumes of unresolved grievances.

 

Like PRAGATI’s ability to drive systemic reform through project reviews, the new SWAGAT system uses dashboard data to identify recurring issues that require policy-level changes rather than only individual grievance resolution. With SWAGAT 2.0, the Chief Minister of Gujarat personally reviews complex cases monthly — such as housing projects and infrastructure delays — issuing strict, time-bound instructions for resolution, a practice central to PRAGATI’s ‘timely implementation’ mandate.

 

The remarkable development journey of Gujarat stands as a testament to the visionary support and collaborative leadership provided by the Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. Through the pioneering PRAGATI framework, the Central government has extended an invaluable hand to the state, offering the technological infrastructure and strategic guidance necessary to unlock its full potential.

 

The author is IAS (retd), chairman, GERC; former chief secretary, Gujarat 

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