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Future-ready connectivity needs planning that fuses technology, logistics and community impact.

India Must Build Integrated Corridors as Unified Economic Systems, Say Industry Leaders.                                                                                                                                        

At the ET Infra Leadership Summit 2025, industry leaders emphasised that India’s next generation of infrastructure corridors must be developed as unified economic systems rather than standalone transport projects. They argued that lowering logistics costs, improving project viability, and ensuring social acceptance depend on integrating highways, ports, airports, utilities and digital networks into a single, technology-enabled ecosystem. Vikas Goel of NICDC highlighted that corridor-led development has already reduced logistics costs from 14% of GDP to about 8–9%. Dassault Systèmes’ Aaditya Vidyarthi stressed the importance of digital-first planning, using simulations, virtual townships and digital twins to optimise routes and de-risk execution. On social acceptance, Noida International Airport’s Sidharath Kapur said displaced communities must be offered education, training and long-term opportunities—not just compensation. Panellists also underscored the need for blended financing models to address variable corridor economics. They concluded that India’s growth will hinge on corridors that unify technology, economics and community prosperity.