Cabinet Approves Integrated Transport and Logistics Authority

The Union Cabinet approved the establishment of the Integrated Transport and Logistics Authority (ITLA) on 6 October 2026. The authority will function as a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) for research, planning, appraisal, monitoring, and impact assessment in India’s transport and logistics sectors.

Integrated Transport Planning

ITLA is designed to address fragmented planning across transport-related ministries and agencies. It will prepare a National Transport Master Plan with a planning horizon of ten years or more.

The plan will cover roads, railways, ports, civil aviation, inland waterways, coastal shipping, urban mobility, and logistics. It will also examine short-term sectoral plans of about five years and annual plans for consistency with the master plan.

Project Appraisal and Governance

ITLA will undertake technical appraisal of Government of India infrastructure projects costing ₹500 crore or more. Financial appraisal will continue through existing financial appraisal mechanisms.

The authority will support coordination among ministries and agencies involved in transport infrastructure. It will also promote multimodal infrastructure development across transport sub-sectors.

Data Systems and Policy Support

ITLA will build a National Transport Data Repository for freight-flow and origin-destination analytics. The repository will integrate datasets from GSTN e-way bills, FASTag, Vahan, GPS-based systems, and urban traffic systems.

The authority will advise on the review and updation of the National Logistics Policy. It will also support capacity building, training, skilling, research, and innovation in transport and logistics.

Important Facts for Exams

• A Special Purpose Vehicle is a separate institutional structure created for a specific objective or project.
• Technical appraisal and financial appraisal are distinct stages in infrastructure project evaluation.
• FASTag is an electronic toll collection system used on Indian highways.
• Vahan is a national vehicle registration database used in India’s transport ecosystem.

Vision 2047 is linked with multimodal connectivity and lower logistics costs in India. The National Transport Master Plan will cover transport and logistics sectors with a horizon of ten years or more.