The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on October 6, 2026 approved the creation of a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) called the Integrated Transport & Logistics Authority (ITLA). The authority will focus on strengthening research, planning, appraisal, monitoring and impact assessment across India’s transport and logistics sectors.
The approval is aimed at addressing fragmented planning and implementation across transport ministries and agencies. By strengthening coordination and multimodal integration, ITLA is intended to make transport infrastructure development more efficient, sustainable and effective.
What ITLA will do
Apex body
ITLA will serve as the national apex institution for integrated transport and logistics planning, research, project appraisal, monitoring, policy support and data analytics.
National Transport Master Plan
The authority will prepare a National Transport Master Plan with a horizon of ten years or more. The plan will cover roads, railways, ports and shipping, civil aviation, inland waterways, coastal shipping, urban mobility and logistics.
Alignment of plans
ITLA will evaluate short-term sectoral plans of transport ministries, covering approximately five years, as well as their annual plans against the National Transport Master Plan. It will also promote multimodal infrastructure development.
Technical appraisal
The authority will undertake technical appraisal of Government of India infrastructure projects costing Rs 500 crore or more. Financial appraisal will continue to be handled through existing mechanisms.
Monitoring
ITLA will monitor projects above Rs 500 crore, provide a coordinated mechanism for resolving implementation issues and assess project impacts after completion.
National Transport Data Repository
The authority will develop a National Transport Data Repository using data sources including GSTN e-way bills, FASTag, Vahan, GPS-based systems and urban traffic management systems.
The repository will support analytics such as freight-flow analysis and origin-destination studies to improve transport planning and decision-making.
Other roles
ITLA will advise on the review and updating of the National Logistics Policy 2022, support capacity building and skilling in logistics, and promote research and innovation across the sector.
Stated aim
The government said ITLA will support the objectives of Vision 2047 by strengthening multimodal connectivity, improving infrastructure efficiency, reducing logistics costs and enhancing India’s global logistics competitiveness.
The proposed institution is also intended to build institutional capacity for research, integrated planning and large-scale data management while facilitating the adoption of international best practices.
Details yet to be specified
The government release does not provide details on the budget, staffing or legal structure of ITLA, or a timeline for establishing the SPV.
It also does not specify which ministry will house the authority or how its project appraisal and monitoring functions will interact with existing mechanisms such as the Network Planning Group.
