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In line with the announcement made in the Union Budget 2025–26, the Finance Ministry has put together a three-year public–private partnership (PPP) project pipeline aimed at strengthening infrastructure development across the country. The pipeline, prepared by the Department of Economic Affairs, brings together 852 proposed projects from central infrastructure ministries as well as states and Union Territories, with a combined estimated project cost of more than Rs 17 lakh crore.

Officials said the pipeline is intended to provide early visibility of upcoming PPP opportunities to investors, developers and other stakeholders, enabling better planning and informed investment decisions over the next three years.

The three-year PPP pipeline includes projects proposed by central infrastructure ministries along with state governments and Union Territories.

A total of 852 projects have been lined up so far, together carrying an estimated investment of over Rs 17 lakh crore. Spread across a wide range of infrastructure sectors, the list underlines the government’s intent to keep public spending going while drawing in private capital in a bigger way.

This pipeline takes forward a promise made in the Union Budget 2025–26, where the government said it would focus on better project planning and expand the use of public-private partnerships in building infrastructure. Instead of rolling out projects in bits and pieces, the idea now is to offer a clear, multi-year roadmap that gives the market a better sense of what lies ahead.

Officials say one of the main advantages of publishing the pipeline early is that it gives investors, developers and lenders time to study projects well before bids are invited. With more notice, companies can prepare better, assess risks more clearly and participate more competitively, including those from overseas.

Going forward, sector-wise details, timelines and project readiness assessments are expected to be shared by the concerned ministries and states. Stakeholders will closely track how many of these projects move from planning to tendering over the next three years. The government has signalled that rebuilding trust in the PPP model will hinge on fixing long-standing issues in how projects are designed and how risks are shared between the public and private sectors.

Ankit Kumar is a Senior Sub Editor at Zee Business, where he writes and edits across economy, international affairs, politics, climate policy, financial markets, business, perso