Project delays and inefficiencies continue to bedevil the progress of India’s National Highways network. A multi-pronged reform agenda is needed to inject greater transparency and accountability at every stage – from planning and procurement to execution, maintenance and oversight. This article offers key recommendations and reform strategies that government stakeholders – from the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH) and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to state agencies and oversight bodies – should pursue to put highway development on a better track.

Large organisations often suffer from overcentralisation, leading to slow decision cycles and opacity. Reforms should empower field offices to take more decisions on the spot while ensuring transparency...