India to have its first comprehensive infrastructure database

It will also include all the other phases of the project- project design and formulation, development, construction as well as operation.

Researchers from Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) -Madras and Bombay along with Harvard University are working jointly on infrastructural projects called Integrated Database on Infrastructure Projects (IDIP) by using big data to build India's first comprehensive database.

The mapping process will include the complete infrastructure projects along with all types of central, state projects and public-private partnership (PPP) ventures. It will also include all the other phases of the project- project design and formulation, development, construction as well as operation.

According to Thillai Rajan A, a professor at IIT Madras, "This is being envisaged in Integrated Database on Infrastructure Projects in India which is likely to be launched in a month's time."

National Highway Authority of India, state governments and private sector infrastructure developers are also the collaborators for the same."

He further added, "We are in the process of collaborating with government bodies to continuously update the data on operations of various projects, thus making it almost real-time."

He added, "Since the public sector will continue to play a significant role in infrastructure development, the database would help to achieve better social and economic returns on taxpayers' investment."

The development project is being headed by Rajan, IIT Madras, in collaboration with faculty members and research students of other institutes including IIT Bombay, CEPT University-Ahmedabad, Harvard Kennedy School and Harvard University.

Akara Research and Technologies and IIT Madras have also signed a Memorandum of Understanding for developing solutions for IDIP.