The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has received approval from the Securities and Exchange Board of India for its sponsored Raajmarg Infra Investment Trust (RIIT) to operate as a public Infrastructure Investment Trust (InvIT), marking a key milestone in its asset monetisation programme.

The public InvIT is aimed at unlocking value from national highway assets while creating a long-term investment instrument targeted primarily at retail and domestic investors. NHAI said the move would broaden public participation in India’s highway infrastructure growth story and support sustainable funding for network expansion.

Earlier, NHAI incorporated Raajmarg Infra Investment Managers  (RIIMPL) as the investment manager for RIIT. RIIMPL has been set up as a collaborative venture with equity participation from leading banks and financial institutions, including State Bank of India, Punjab National Bank, NaBFID, Axis Bank, Bajaj Finserv Ventures, HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, IDBI Bank, IndusInd Bank and Yes Bank. NRVVMK Rajendra Kumar, Member (Finance), NHAI, will serve as Managing Director and CEO (additional charge) of RIIMPL.

Commenting on the approval, Santosh Kumar Yadav, Chairman, NHAI, said the SEBI nod represents a significant step in expanding public participation in national highway infrastructure and advancing NHAI’s asset monetisation objectives.

NHAI said RIIT is expected to play a pivotal role in accelerating highway development by enabling domestic retail investors to participate directly in national infrastructure assets, while strengthening the country’s road network over the long term.