The India infrastructure growth story continued to strengthen as the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) reported robust progress across civil aviation, power, telecommunications, highways, railways and ports in its latest PAIMANA Performance Dashboard. The data underscores India’s accelerating investment in transport, energy and digital infrastructure to support long-term economic growth.
India infrastructure growth driven by aviation, telecom and transport
India recorded robust infrastructure growth across civil aviation, power, telecom, highways, railways and ports sectors, according to the quarterly update of the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) released on Thursday.
The quarterly update of the newly introduced PAIMANA (Project Assessment, Infrastructure Monitoring and Analytics for Nation-building) Performance Dashboard states that the civil aviation sector registered a strong growth in FY2026-27 (up to May) as passenger traffic reached 7.1 crore and cargo handled stood at 7.3 lakh tonnes, reflecting 10.6 per cent increase over the same period of the previous year.
The sector also facilitated 10.52 lakh foreign tourist arrivals during April–May FY 2026–27, reinforcing its role in boosting trade, tourism and global connectivity, the official statement said,
Power and telecom sectors continue to expand
In the power sector, the energy storage capacity is projected to increase significantly across both major technologies, with Pumped Storage Plant (PSP) and Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) capacities reaching 94 GW and 80 GW, respectively, by 2035–36. The sustained growth reflects India’s strategic focus on strengthening grid reliability and enabling higher renewable energy integration.
The telecommunications sector witnessed robust growth, with telecom infrastructure expanding 3.7 per cent year-on-year (YoY) to 8.55 lakh towers and 32.25 lakh Base Transceiver Stations (BTS), a 7.4 per cent increase YoY, while tele-density improved to 93.26 per cent in FY 2025–26, reflecting deeper digital connectivity, the statement said.
Highways, railways and ports record strong performance
In the Road Transport and Highways sector, digital tolling also strengthened, with electronic toll collection transactions rising by an impressive 39.7 per cent year-on-year to Rs 88 crore in FY 2026-27 (up to May), indicating wider adoption of cashless toll systems.
The Railways Sector has enhanced both freight efficiency and network capacity, with average freight load per wagon increasing to about 68 tonnes and the rail network expanding to over 1.37 lakh track kilometers in 2024–25.
The Ports, Shipping and Waterways sector recorded strong growth, with India’s fleet expanding to 1,592 vessels in 2025, reflecting a 3 per cent YoY growth, while sea-borne trade for India nearly doubled from 76 million tonnes in 2015 to 145 million tonnes in 2023, and the inland water vessel fleet stands at 10,623 in 2024-25.
The sector’s growth was further supported by the expansion of navigable waterways to 29,151.9 kms in FY2024–25, strengthening multimodal logistics and enhancing maritime and inland water connectivity across the country, the statement said.
PAIMANA dashboard to improve infrastructure monitoring
With the release of the quarterly update, the PAIMANA ‘Performance Monitoring Dashboard’ continues to represent a major step towards enhancing transparency, efficiency, and accountability in infrastructure monitoring.
Regular quarterly updates to the dashboard will continue to enhance transparency, facilitate evidence-based policymaking, and support informed decision-making for sustainable and inclusive infrastructure development, the statement added.
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