New Delhi [India], October 6 The Union Cabinet has approved the creation of an Integrated Transport & Logistics Authority (ITLA), a national apex body to bring state and central governments together under a unified transport planning framework, Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Tuesday.
In a Cabinet briefing, Vaishnaw said the move is aimed at future requirements. "Looking toward future needs, an Integrated Transport & Logistics Authority (ITLA) will be established," he said.
The focus of the authority will be coordination among infrastructure ministries and sectors. "A key focus will be ensuring that all major infrastructure ministries and sectors collaborate to create comprehensive, synergistic transport plans," the minister said, adding that it "will also conduct research into new modes of transportation, as well as energy-efficient and environmentally friendly methods."
Describing its structure, he said, "This will be a national apex institution that brings together the state and central governments to establish a unified transport planning framework for the country."
"The authority will be responsible for formulating long-term master plans—spanning 10, 15, or even 30 years—to provide a strategic perspective," he added.
The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Tuesday approved setting up of a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), namely, the Integrated Transport & Logistics Authority (ITLA), to strengthen research, planning, appraisal, monitoring and impact assessment within the broad domains of Transportation and Logistics, according to a release. 
The approval seeks to address the long-standing challenges arising from fragmented planning and implementation across multiple transport-related Ministries and agencies. By fostering greater coordination and multi-modal integration, ITLA is expected to enhance the efficiency, sustainability and effectiveness of transport infrastructure development in India. 
ITLA will build a unified transport data repository by obtaining relevant transport and logistics datasets from multiple sources, including GSTN e-way bill, FASTag, Vahan, GPS-based systems, urban traffic management systems and other relevant databases and carry out data analytics (e.g. Freight Flow/O-D analytics) for planning, monitoring and impact assessment.