142 Gati Shakti Cargo Terminals Operational, Attract ₹10,000 Crore Private Investment

Indian Railways’ ambitious effort of modernization of its multimodal logistics infrastructure (MMPI) has seen tremendous momentum as 142 Gati Shakti Multi-Modal Cargo Terminals (GCT) are up and running throughout the country. The plan aims to involve the private sector in significant numbers to enhance the overall freight carrying capability of the country, which has been achieved by incorporating railway connectivity in important manufacturing centres.

According to NBM&CW, Union Minister for Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw told Lok Sabha that efforts to attract private investment by implementing the Gati Shakti Cargo Terminal Policy have already succeeded in raising the Corpus nearly to ₹10,000 crore. Indian Railways has approved 142 terminals already and 310 more are on in-principle approval, in addition.

Adding more specifics, the IN Supply report said that they have 142 operational GCTs, generating an estimated freight handling capacity of 224 million tonnes per annum (MTPA). These terminals have been able to manage and dispatch exceeding 146 million tonnes of goods workload for a single financial year (2025-26) reflecting the growing importance of the role these terminals play in the Indian supply chain. The policy also enables the private sector to be handed the mandate to build and run privately operated cargo terminals directly linked to the main railway line where demand may be found. This will significantly decrease the time and cost of cement, coal, steel, fertilizer, food-grains etc. and the related last mile road transportation services.

As reported by CargoConnect, geographic deployment of GCTs varies across states based on regional industrial output. There are presently 12 operational GCTs in Odisha, 10 in Rajasthan and other four states (Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka). In addition to primary freight movement, these terminals provide engines of rural/regional growth by inducing investments along the way in adjacent cold stores, warehouses, and grain silos.