Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (the ministry) a deadline of May to improve the quality of national highways across India. The directive follows mounting complaints about deteriorating road conditions during and after the monsoon season and seeks to establish stringent standard operating procedures to improve accountability and consistency in construction and maintenance. The prime minister asked for urgent measures to ensure safer and more reliable road infrastructure.

In a review of sector progress the prime minister instructed the ministry to take decisive action against underperforming contractors and those engaged in ongoing litigation to reinforce construction standards. The review identified inadequate supervision by government engineers and consulting firms as a factor aggravating project quality and stressed the need for stronger oversight. The ministry was directed to tighten evaluation criteria and apply penalties where necessary to deter substandard work.

The prime minister asked for mechanisms to prevent blacklisted contractors from participating, directly or indirectly, in future bidding and for lower ratings for firms that frequently resort to arbitration. The ministry was also tasked with conducting a comprehensive study into delays in land acquisition amid concerns about potential collusion between contractors and landowners. The findings are expected to guide corrective actions and streamline procedures to reduce avoidable hold ups. These measures aim to improve project delivery timelines and public confidence.

Ministry officials were asked to analyse obstacles preventing high speed corridors from achieving an operational speed of 70 kilometres per hour and to identify regulatory constraints that limit efficiency. Revisions to subcontracting norms were ordered to require prior approvals from relevant authorities before subcontractor involvement in new projects. The prime minister also urged a halt to routine conversion of state highways into national highways, noting that the national highway network has expanded from approximately 91,300 kilometres to 146,000 kilometres, representing growth of 60 per cent.