Department of Economic Affairs (DEA) Unveils ₹17.15 Lakh Crore PPP Pipeline to Scale India’s Infrastructure
SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure | SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities | SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals
Ministry of Finance | Department of Economic Affairs (DEA) | Ministry of Road Transport and Highways | Ministry of Power
In alignment with the Union Budget 2025-26, the Department of Economic Affairs (DEA) has officially unveiled a comprehensive three-year Public-Private Partnership (PPP) project pipeline. The initiative identifies 852 projects with a massive cumulative investment outlay of approximately ₹17.15 lakh crore, scheduled to commence from FY2025-26. This medium-term roadmap is designed to provide institutional investors and global developers with early visibility into India’s infrastructure priorities, fostering a more competitive and organized bidding environment.
The pipeline follows a dual-layered implementation strategy:
Central Initiatives: Central ministries will undertake 232 projects valued at ₹13.15 lakh crore, with the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways leading (108 projects, ₹8.76 lakh crore), followed by the Ministry of Power (46 projects, ₹3.4 lakh crore).
State & UT Initiatives: 20 States and Union Territories have identified 620 projects worth ₹3.84 lakh crore. Andhra Pradesh leads the state-level share with 270 projects (₹1.16 lakh crore), followed by Tamil Nadu (₹87,640 crore) and Madhya Pradesh (₹65,496 crore).
Sectoral Reach: Beyond roads and power, the pipeline includes significant projects in Railways (₹30,904 crore), Water Resources (₹12,254 crore), and Civil Aviation (₹2,262 crore).
What is an ‘Infrastructure Project Pipeline’? It is a strategic procurement tool that provides a forward-looking list of planned projects to the private sector well before the formal tendering process begins. By disclosing the location, estimated cost, and timeline of 852 projects, the DEA reduces “information asymmetry,” allowing developers to align their long-term financial planning and technical consortiums with the government’s national growth objectives.
Policy Relevance
The unveiling of this pipeline is a cornerstone for achieving the Viksit Bharat @2047 vision, transitioning infrastructure from a government-funded model to a collaborative private-investment model. It addresses the historical challenge of “stop-and-go” project announcements by providing a predictable medium-term investment horizon.
Strategic Impact for India:
Crowding-in Capital: The pipeline is specifically timed to attract large-scale Pension Funds and Sovereign Wealth Funds that require a multi-year view of high-value assets to commit capital to the Indian market.
Balanced Regional Development: By integrating 620 state-level projects, the policy ensures that infrastructure growth is not confined to national highways but extends to regional hubs in states like Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
Institutionalizing PPPs: The structured list facilitates the use of the VGF (Viability Gap Funding) scheme, ensuring that socially essential but commercially marginal projects in sectors like water and aviation become bankable.
Relevant Question for Policy Stakeholders: How will the DEA ensure that the ‘state-level pipeline’ projects maintain the same standard of regulatory ease and ‘Single Window’ clearances as central projects to prevent regional bottlenecks from deterring international developers?
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