India has seen significant growth in its road network over the last five years, as the government has given priority to this sector. For the financial year 2021-22, the Central budget allocated more than Rs 1.18 trillion to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH).
India currently has one of the largest road networks in the world, spanning over 5.8 million km. Of this, around 2% are National Highways, 3% are State Highways and the rest are part of the district and rural road network. Over 64.5% of all goods and 90% of passenger traffic move by road.
The government has identified various economic corridors help transform India’s economy. The importance attached to the sector is also evinced by the fact that it accounts for approximately 18% of the National Infrastructure Pipeline. Various state governments are also developing critical road corridors as a catalyst of economic development.
The government has taken measures to revive languishing projects, solve operational issues to ensure timely completion of projects, provide time bound dispute resolution, expedite land acquisition, put enhanced focus on road safety and adopt technology enabled solutions.
Lately the focus has been on road safety, green initiatives, digital transformation and augmentation of funding sources.
See also:
Gadkari lays foundation stones for 8 National Highway Projects
NHAI seeks bids for Punjab’s Memmadpur-Banur-Kharar Corridor