Most Indians hail India's National Infrastructure: Ipsos MORI-GIIA Infrastructure Survey

59% Indians hail India’s National Infrastructure: Ipsos MORI-GIIAInfrastructure Survey

61% feel India needs momentum ininfrastructure development, more so in local areas

64% Indians endorse privatization in infrastructure development

According to a new global survey by Ipsos, a global market research agency, 59% Indians feel India has good national infrastructure of road, rail, air networks, utilities, such as energy and water and broadband and other communications. Only 14% were dissatisfied.Interestingly, India is placed 2nd in the pecking order after Saudi Arabia.

“This shows that humble Indians are quite happy with the infrastructure they’ve got, even if it is far inferior to many other countries in reality,” says Parijat Chakraborty, Country Service Lines Group Leader, Public Affairs, Customer Experience and Corporate Reputation, Ipsos India.
 Romania (5%) and Brazil (12%) had few batting for their country’s quality of overall infrastructure.

The findings come from the latest Global Infrastructure Index survey conducted by Ipsos MORI in partnership with the Global Infrastructure Investor Association (GIIA) in 29 countries across the world, including India.

“We’ve come a long way on energy and road. We are one of the best in broadband infrastructure. The positive feelings on these, is giving positive rub off on other areas, pushing up overall infrastructure as a whole,” added Chakraborty.

The survey delved deeper into consumer’s psyche to understand how each aspect of infrastructure is rated and collected ratings of 10 infrastructure sectors. Indians too have assessed all nuts and bolts of infrastructure.

Some aspects have got high scores and some need attention.

What Indians rate best?Airport Infrastructure; Digital Infrastructure; Rail Infrastructure (track and stations); Nuclear Infrastructure; Energy Generation; Motorways & Major Roads and New Housing Infrastructure/ Supply.

83% per cent Indians feel we have great Airportinfrastructure. It is 2nd in the pecking order amongst all 27 markets. Malaysia is at the top. Romanians (33%) and Hungarians (47%) have lowest satisfaction levels with their airport infrastructure.

70% Indians feel we have good Digitalinfrastructurecomprising of high speed broadband, full fibre network (FTTP), 5G. India is 2nd in pecking order after South Korea (78%), whose citizens have rated it high. Brazil (BRIC country) has only 31% rating its Digital infrastructure good.

66% Indians feel we have good Rail infrastructure (track and stations). Markets ahead of India, whose citizens have rated them high on this attribute are South Korea (71%) and Saudi Arabia (68%). Romania has only 8% satisfied with its rail infrastructure. And Serbia has only 13% vouching for its quality Rail of infrastructure.

66% Indians rate India high on Nuclearinfrastructure for generating energy, followed by the Czech Republic (61% have rated it good). Serbia (12%) and Poland (14%) have been rated lowest by their citizens on this attribute.

65% Indians, of those polled, rate India high on Energy Generation infrastructure. India is 2nd in satisfaction, below Saudi Arabia (69%), which has emerged at the top. Of late India has been hugely focusing on alternate sources of energy generation that are more environment friendly: solar energy, bio fuels, CNG etc.Only 24% Spanish people and 26% Romanians feel they have good energy generation infrastructure.

62% Indians feel we have good Motorways and Major Roads. And which country has the best ones? 77% of Saudis and 77% South Koreans feel their country has good motorways and major roads. On the flip side, only 5% Romanians think they have good motorways; and likewise, only 22% Brazilians and Czech are happy with their motorways. 

When we looked at New Housing Infrastructure/ Supply – at least 60 per cent Indians (of those polled) felt that we have good quality of New Housing Supply. Among all markets, India is ranked 2nd, after Saudi Arabia – 69% Saudis (those polled) felt their country has good new housing supply. Countries least happy with new housing supply were Brazil (20%) and Germany and Sweden, which were tied at 25%.

Not so good – Flood Defences; Water Supply and Sewerage and Local Roads

Only 40 per cent Indians feel that our infrastructure for Flood Defences is good. Most markets have got low ratings on this attribute; except for Saudi Arabia - 58% Saudis feel their country is good on this attribute. At the bottom of the heap are Italy and Romania – only 9% and 10% respectively, are happy with the quality of flood defences in their country.

 Only 47% of Indians polled feel we have good water supply and sewerage. Germany has 75% hailing its infrastructure for water supply and sewerage. Romanians are least happy. Only 25% are happy with the quality of water supply and handling of sewerage.

 Only half of Indians polled (52%) think we have good Local Road Network.

Saudi Arabia (71%) and South Korea (69%) have the majority batting for its quality of local roads. And only 12% Romanians think they have good quality of local roads.

Attitudes to Infrastructure

• 61% Indians feel as a country we are not doing enough to meet our infrastructure needs.
• 73% Indians agree that investing in infrastructure will be vital to India’s economic growth.
• Only 49% Indians feel their local area gets its fair share of India’s investment in infrastructure.
• 66% Indians want views of local communities to be factored in/ heard on plans for infrastructure, even if it leads to delays.
• 64% Indians endorse foreign investment in new infrastructure in India, if it means it sees expediency and gets built more quickly.
• 62% Indians agree that as a country we do not do enough to involve people in decision about which infrastructure to invest in.

Parijat Chakraborty, Country Service Lines Group Leader, Public Affairs, Customer Experience and Corporate Reputation, Ipsos India, “Indians are positive about how our highways, airports, rail infrastructure, telecom, energy generation have shaped up. It’s Flood Defences and the mechanism to cope with local disasters that needs attention. Further, it’s the quality of local roads, in cities and the hinterland that needs better focus and planning. More number of Indians are not too happy with the current phase of infrastructure development. They feel it needs expediency, in local areas and endorse local participation at the planning stage for better implementation.India’s role in renewable energy and work for International Solar Alliance has added to optimism among people for Energy Generation infrastructure.Interestingly, Indians feel that privatization route can hasten development and modernization.”

Data has been weighted to known country population profiles.