India Expands Infrastructure Monitoring Dashboard to 165 Indicators

The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation has released the latest quarterly update of the PAIMANA Performance Monitoring Dashboard, expanding the platform to cover 165 indicators across six major infrastructure sectors.

PAIMANA, short for Project Assessment, Infrastructure Monitoring and Analytics for Nation-building, was launched on April 16, 2026 to strengthen evidence-based monitoring and provide policymakers, researchers and the public with a unified view of India’s infrastructure performance. The July update adds 44 indicators and introduces sector-wise narratives to make official data easier to understand.

The dashboard now tracks civil aviation through 31 indicators, roads through eight, power through 14, ports, shipping and waterways through 62, telecommunications through 13 and railways through 37. Performance is assessed across five broad dimensions: access, quality, fiscal cost and revenue, utilisation and affordability.

Aviation Cargo and Passenger Traffic Rise

India’s civil aviation sector recorded strong growth in both cargo and passenger movement.

Cargo carried during April 2026 reached 98,920 tonnes, representing an 11.8 per cent increase over April 2025. The number of aerodromes has risen to 165, an increase of 81 since 2014.

During the first two months of FY 2026–27, passenger traffic reached 7.1 crore, while cargo handling stood at 7.3 lakh tonnes, marking year-on-year growth of 10.6 per cent. India also received 10.52 lakh foreign tourist arrivals during April and May.

Mobile Data Use Reaches 2.85 Lakh Petabytes

India’s telecommunications sector continued its rapid expansion during FY 2025–26.

Wireless and mobile data consumption reached 2,85,376 petabytes, an increase of 24.7 per cent from the previous year. The total number of telephone subscribers rose from 120.17 crore in FY 2024–25 to 133.06 crore in FY 2025–26.

The number of telecom towers increased to 8.55 lakh, while Base Transceiver Stations expanded to 32.25 lakh. National tele-density improved to 93.26 per cent, reflecting deeper access to communication services.

National Highway Construction Reaches 9,360 Kilometres

The road transport and highways sector constructed 9,360 kilometres of National Highways during FY 2025–26.

The dashboard also highlighted continued growth in electronic toll collection. Transactions recorded during FY 2026–27 up to May were reported at ₹88 crore, representing year-on-year growth of 39.7 per cent.

Rail Freight Capacity and Passenger Movement Improve

Indian Railways recorded improvements in both freight efficiency and passenger traffic.

The average carrying capacity of broad-gauge wagons rose to 64 tonnes per wagon in 2024–25, compared with 60.8 tonnes in 2015–16. The average quantity of freight carried per wagon also reached approximately 68 tonnes.

The railway network expanded to more than 1.37 lakh track kilometres, while average daily passenger movement reached 19.98 million in 2024–25, an increase of 5.8 per cent over the previous year.

Energy Storage Requirement Could Rise Tenfold

The power sector is expected to see major expansion in energy storage as India integrates more renewable electricity into the grid.

National storage requirements are projected to rise from 87 GWh in 2027–28 to 888 GWh by 2035–36. By that time, pumped-storage capacity is expected to reach 94 GW, while Battery Energy Storage System capacity could rise to 80 GW.

The projected growth reflects India’s effort to strengthen grid reliability and ensure that solar and wind electricity can be stored and supplied when generation falls or demand rises.

Maritime Trade and Inland Waterways Expand

The ports, shipping and waterways sector also recorded steady growth.

Passenger traffic at non-major ports reached 2.06 crore during FY 2024–25. Coastal cargo handling rose to 196.8 million tonnes at major ports and 142.2 million tonnes at non-major ports.

India’s merchant fleet expanded to 1,592 vessels in 2025, growing by 3 per cent over the previous year. Sea-borne trade nearly doubled from 76 million tonnes in 2015 to 145 million tonnes in 2023.

The inland water vessel fleet reached 10,623 vessels during 2024–25, while the length of navigable waterways expanded to 29,151.9 kilometres.

A Unified Platform for Infrastructure Data

The PAIMANA dashboard brings information from multiple ministries and departments into a single digital platform with interactive visualisation and time-series analysis.

Its quarterly updates are intended to improve transparency, allow faster identification of infrastructure gaps and support better planning across transport, power and digital connectivity.

The next dashboard update is scheduled for October 16, 2026.

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Source: PIB

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