PPPs accelerate road growth “Over the past decade, India’s road sector has experienced a significant transformation, fuelled by strong government backing and a surge in private-sector investment,” according to Anshumali Srivastava, Chief General Manager – Tech, NHAI. Speaking about evolution of the sector since 2014, Srivastava highlighted how the shift from solely budgetary support to PPP models has been a gamechanger. Despite increased government spending, he said the sector still has an appetite for further investment, with private players stepping in to fill the gap. The reason for road accidents is faster roads “While India’s road infrastructure has significantly improved with high-quality construction and advanced geometric designs, there has been an unintended rise in accidents,” said Dr Tom V Mathew, Professor and Head of Civil Engineering, IIT Bombay. He emphasised that the new roads offer smoother driving conditions and higher speeds. But this increase in speed has led to a surge in accidents, not due to construction or design flaws but because drivers are unused to improved infrastructure. “The issue lies in driving behaviour and habits, which haven’t adapted to higher speeds enabled by new roads.” Leveraging technology for ambitious targets “As India’s infrastructure projects grow more ambitious, meeting tight construction deadlines has become increasingly critical,” said Nirmalaya Chatterjee, Country Vice President (Indian Subcontinent) Nemetschek Group. “We cannot double our workforce or contractors to match these targets. The solution is how effectively we can leverage technology to enhance efficiency and productivity,” he added, highlighting the vital role of digital tools in meeting India’s infrastructure demands. Cement targets net zero, doubling production “India’s cement and concrete production is set to double or even triple by 2070,” Kaustubh Phadke, India Head, Global Cement & Concrete Association (GCCA), said, emphasising the industry’s commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by that same year. “As India’s demand for construction materials continues to surge, GCCA is aligning with the country’s ambitious sustainability goals.” He added, “We are striving to reach net-zero emissions in concrete production by 2050, while also supporting India’s broader net-zero target by 2070 and the vision of a Viksit Bharat by 2047.” “We are here as builders to introduce all the technologies given by all the members of the dais,” said Aniruddha Nakhawa, Structural Consultants and Project Engineers, Builders Association of India (BAI). “One of our builders from Gujarat has set a world record for construction of a 100-km road in 100 hours.” The way ahead The discussion emphasised how these innovations are driving smarter, more sustainable road development across India, aligning with the country’s broader ambitions for economic growth and infrastructure modernisation.