A growing highway network is vital for a growing economy - not just for moving people and goods, but also for spurring local development and job creation. Since 2014, India's highway network has expanded by 60%, growing from 91,287 km to 146,195 km by 2024. However, progress hasn't come without hurdles. As Nitin Gadkari informed parliament last December, more than 44% of major infrastructure projects, including national highways (NH), are facing delays. Reasons range from land acquisition bottlenecks and delays in statutory clearances to encroachment issues, law and order concerns, poor contractor performance, and unforeseen events.
To address these roadblocks and accelerate the pace of NH construction, ministry of road transport and highways has announced a new approach. Instead of assigning projects to states, it will now offer multiple highway projects to each identified state and let them prioritise the ones they wish to take up first. The rationale is simple: states are better equipped to manage land acquisition, rehabilitation of affected communities and the required clearances. By giving states more control, the ministry hopes projects can be rolled out faster - especially those where much of the groundwork is already done. GoI has set a target of constructing 10,000 km of highways in 2025-26, slightly lower than the 10,421 km target for 2024-25.
This new model could work well - if states rise to the occasion. They know their regional priorities best, but must ensure balanced development and avoid letting politics dictate project choices. If implemented in the right spirit, this shift could pave the way for faster, fairer infrastructure growth, which will not just benefit the states concerned but also the nation as a whole.
To address these roadblocks and accelerate the pace of NH construction, ministry of road transport and highways has announced a new approach. Instead of assigning projects to states, it will now offer multiple highway projects to each identified state and let them prioritise the ones they wish to take up first. The rationale is simple: states are better equipped to manage land acquisition, rehabilitation of affected communities and the required clearances. By giving states more control, the ministry hopes projects can be rolled out faster - especially those where much of the groundwork is already done. GoI has set a target of constructing 10,000 km of highways in 2025-26, slightly lower than the 10,421 km target for 2024-25.
This new model could work well - if states rise to the occasion. They know their regional priorities best, but must ensure balanced development and avoid letting politics dictate project choices. If implemented in the right spirit, this shift could pave the way for faster, fairer infrastructure growth, which will not just benefit the states concerned but also the nation as a whole.
