What is PRAGATI?

PRAGATI stands for Pro-Active Governance And Timely Implementation. It is a unique, multi-purpose, and multi-modal platform launched in 2015 to fast-track government projects and address public grievances.

It is essentially a “super-app” for governance that brings the highest levels of the Indian government onto one screen.

Key Features of the Platform

• Three-Tier System: It connects the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), Union Government Secretaries, and the Chief Secretaries of all Indian States.

• PRAGATI Day: Held once every month (usually on the fourth Wednesday), where the Prime Minister directly interacts with top officials via video conferencing.

• Tech-Driven: It uses a combination of three technologies:

  1. Digital Data Management: For real-time progress reports.

  2. Video Conferencing: For face-to-face accountability.

  3. Geo-Spatial Technology: Using satellite imagery and drones to see the actual physical progress of roads, bridges, and dams on the ground.

Why it’s in the news now (PRAGATI @ 50)

As of January 2026, PRAGATI has reached a major milestone with its 50th meeting. Recent reports, including an external study by Oxford University, have highlighted its massive impact:

• Value of Projects: Over the last decade, it has monitored and accelerated over 3,300 projects worth more than $1 trillion (₹85 lakh crore).

• Sector Impact: It has been the primary reason for finishing long-delayed “mega projects” like the Chenab Bridge (the world’s highest rail bridge) and the Jal Jeevan Mission (providing tap water to millions).

• Resolution Rate: Approximately 90% of issues (like land acquisition or environmental clearances) flagged in these meetings are resolved, often within days.

• Power Sector Success: Just this week, it was reported that 237 power projects worth over ₹10 lakh crore were fast-tracked through this mechanism.

Other Major initiatives :

PM GatiShakti (National Master Plan)

Launched in 2021, this is the “big brother” of PRAGATI. While PRAGATI is a meeting-based review system, GatiShakti is a massive digital GIS (Geographic Information System) platform.

• Integrated Planning: It brings together 44 Central Ministries (like Railways, Roads, and Power) and all States on one digital map.

• The “Silo-Breaker”: Before this, the Road ministry might build a road, only for the Water ministry to dig it up for pipes a month later. GatiShakti allows all departments to see each other’s plans in real-time.

• Impact: It has reduced India’s logistics costs from ~14% of GDP down to approximately 8-9% as of 2026.

2. PMG (Project Monitoring Group):

The PMG is an institutional mechanism hosted on the Invest India portal.

• Purpose: It focuses specifically on large-scale private and public sector projects (usually above ₹500 crore) that are stuck due to regulatory hurdles.

• Bottleneck Removal: It allows developers to upload their issues (like forest clearance or land acquisition) which are then tracked until a solution is found by the relevant ministry.

• Connection: Issues that cannot be resolved at the PMG level are often “escalated” to the PM’s PRAGATI meetings for a final decision.

3. PARIVESH (Pro-Active and Responsive facilitation by Interactive, Virtuous and Environmental Single-window Hub):

If PRAGATI is for monitoring, PARIVESH is for approvals.

• Single Window: It is a web-based system for all Environmental, Forest, Wildlife, and Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) clearances.

• Speed: It has reduced the average time for environmental clearances from over 600 days to less than 70 days in many cases.

• Transparency: Applicants can track their application status online, similar to a pizza delivery, reducing corruption and “red tape.”

4. CPGRAMS (Centralised Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System):

While the others focus on big projects, CPGRAMS is for the common citizen.

• Direct Access: It is an online platform where any citizen can lodge a complaint against any central or state government department.

• PRAGATI Link: During monthly PRAGATI meetings, the Prime Minister often picks up specific, long-pending grievances from CPGRAMS to hold top officials accountable.

5. MyGov (Citizen Engagement)

• Crowdsourcing Ideas: Unlike the top-down PRAGATI meetings, MyGov is bottom-up. It allows the government to “crowdsource” ideas for things like the Union Budget 2026 or the name of a new scheme.

• Participatory Governance: It turns the public into partners in governance through polls, quizzes, and discussion forums.