From engineering excellence and next-generation equipment to integrated mobility and quality materials, the RAHSTA Awards reflected how India’s road sector is evolving from rapid expansion to creating long-term value.There was a time when India’s roads sector measured success almost exclusively in kilometres constructed. Today, the conversation has evolved. The focus has shifted towards engineering excellence, technology, sustainability and lifecycle performance. Capturing this transition, the RAHSTA Awards 2026, organised by FIRST Construction Council and ASAPP Info Global Group at Jio World Convention Centre, Mumbai on July 8, celebrated the organisations and individuals shaping the next chapter of India's infrastructure story. Significantly, the event drew a packed audience despite the disruption caused by the heavy rains that had lashed Mumbai in the preceding days, underscoring the industry's commitment to recognising and advancing excellence.“We have moved from the phase of expansion to the phase of creating value,” observed Pratap Padode, Founder and President, FIRST Construction Council and Chairman, ASAPP Info Global Group, while welcoming the gathering. He noted that roads, bridges and tunnels are no longer merely engineering projects but national assets whose long-term performance will determine India's competitiveness in the years ahead.That sentiment echoed through every address during the evening.Chief Guest Ajay Tamta, Union Minister of State for Road Transport & Highways, spoke about how India's infrastructure ambitions are creating opportunities unlike ever before. Drawing from his experiences of visiting challenging tunnel projects in Uttarakhand, including Joshimath, Sonamarg and Silkyara, he described the engineering complexities of working across vastly different terrains, where conventional equipment often falls short and specialised technologies become indispensable. He pointed out that infrastructure development today depends not only on contractors but equally on equipment manufacturers, technology providers and material suppliers, making collaborative platforms such as RAHSTA increasingly relevant.The Minister also highlighted the scale at which the sector is expanding. With an annual road sector allocation of nearly Rs 3 trillion and an infrastructure pipeline valued at around Rs 15 trillion, he observed that Indian contractors have evolved into globally competitive organisations capable of executing some of the world's most demanding engineering projects. The next stage of growth, he said, would require continued investments in advanced machinery, innovation and underground as well as elevated transport systems.While Tamta spoke about the future of national infrastructure, Dr Sanjay Mukherjee, IAS, Metropolitan Commissioner of MMRDA, shifted the conversation towards the future of cities.Accepting a Special Recognition Award for his leadership in developing Mumbai’s underground tunnel network, Mukherjee reminded the audience that landmark infrastructure is always the result of collective effort. Thousands of engineers, planners, project managers and land acquisition teams work behind the scenes to make transformative projects possible. Mumbai’s infrastructure journey, he noted, has always been built on long-term thinking – from its underground water supply and sewerage systems developed over a century ago to today's coastal roads, metro corridors and tunnels.His message was equally significant. Future infrastructure cannot stop at building roads; it must seamlessly integrate metro systems, bus services and last-mile connectivity if cities are to remain liveable and economically competitive. The ongoing Orange Gate connectivity project, he explained, exemplifies this new generation of integrated urban mobility.The evening also marked another important milestone for the construction industry with the launch of the FIRST Construction Council’s TMT Bar Preliminary Report 2026.Released by the RAHSTA Awards jury members, the report is among the country’s few independent comparative assessments of leading TMT bar brands. Conducted by the Shriram Institute for Industrial Research, the study evaluated critical chemical parameters while verifying compliance with IS 1786:2008 standards. All samples successfully passed the mandatory bend and rebend tests, reaffirming the quality of products evaluated.Designed as an independent reference for engineers, developers, consultants and contractors, the report seeks to promote transparency and informed material selection in India’s infrastructure projects.Certificates of recognition were presented to SRMB Srijan, Maithan Steel & Power, Jaideep Ispat & Alloys, Electrotherm India, Shri Bajrang Power & Ispat and Jindal Steel, acknowledging their participation in this quality benchmarking initiative.Unlike many award programmes that focus primarily on project owners or contractors, the RAHSTA Awards celebrated contributions across the entire value chain. Developers, EPC contractors, equipment manufacturers, material companies and technology providers were recognised for advancing execution standards, innovation, and sustainability and engineering excellence.The credibility of the awards stemmed from a rigorous evaluation process. Before the winners were announced, nominations underwent detailed scrutiny by two independent virtual jury panels.The June 16 jury evaluated entries in the contractor and developer categories, while the June 17 jury assessed nominations in the construction equipment, materials and technology categories. Comprising senior industry leaders, infrastructure experts, consultants, financiers and technologists, the juries debated each nomination independently before arriving at the final winners.As the evening concluded, one message stood out clearly. India’s infrastructure ambitions are no longer defined solely by the pace of highway construction. They are increasingly shaped by engineering innovation, quality materials, modern equipment, integrated planning and the professionals working quietly behind every project.The packed auditorium, despite one of Mumbai’s wettest days of the season, perhaps captured that sentiment best. The RAHSTA Awards were not simply about celebrating completed projects – they celebrated an industry that is steadily raising the benchmark for how India builds its future.Winners of RAHSTA Awards 2026 Jury members For contractor & developer categories Anand Sundaresan, Director, Ammann IndiaMuraleemohan M, COO, Maple HighwaysPN Krishnakumar, CEO, XCMG IndiaAnkit Jain, COO, Cube HighwaysDr Harshavardhan Subbarao, CMD, Construma ConsultancyDr Zafar Khan, Joint CEO, VertisManish Mohan, EVP & National Head, Infrastructure Finance Group, HDFC BankVenesa Bar, GM – Corporate Communications, Shriram Finance For construction equipment, materials & technology categories Himanshu Agarwal, COO, Zydex GroupHS Mohan, Founder & Former CEO, Infrastructure Equipment Skill CouncilRatan Lal Kashyap, President – SCM, Dineshchandra R InfraconSameer Malhotra, MD & CEO, Shriram AutomallSatin Sachdeva, Founder & Secretary General, CERASP Rajan, VP & Head, Competency Centre, Roads, Bridges & Airports, L&TConstructionTR Rao, Director, PNC InfratechDr Satish Pandey, Head, Flexible Pavement Division, CSIR-CRRI Sponsors Presenting Partner – BKT TyresState Partner – Invest UPSilver Partner – J Kumar InfraprojectsEquipment Partner – Tata Hitachi Construction MachinerySteel Partner – SRMB SrijanInfrastructure Steel Partner – Shakambari GroupAssociate Partner – LiuGong IndiaBag Partner – Gulf Oil Dr Sanjay Mukherjee: Dr Sanjay Mukherjee (IAS), Metropolitan Commissioner, Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority, receiving the Special Recognition Award for exemplary leadership in advancing the underground tunnel network across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region from (left) Pratap Padode, Founder & President, First Construction Council; (2nd from left) Chief Guest Ajay Tamta, Union Minister of State for Roads and Highways; (2nd from right) Gyan Adukia, Director, AIC Iron Industries; and (right) Bidur Kant Jha, Director, New Technology for Highway Development, MoRTH, during the RAHSTA Awards. Dr Anilkumar Gaikwad: Vilas Kamble of the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) receiving the award on behalf of Dr Anilkumar Gaikwad, Managing Director, MSRDC. Dr Gaikwad won the Special Recognition Award for exemplary leadership in the successful completion of the Missing Link Project. Border Roads Organisation: Brigadier Sanjeet Singh, Chief Engineer, Project Vartak, receiving the Best Tunnel Execution award from (left) Pratap Padode, Founder & President, First Construction Council, and (middle) Chief Guest Ajay Tamta, Union Minister of State for Roads and Highways, during RAHSTA Awards. Alltech India: Nitesh Jangir, Country Head - Micro Surfacing; Rakesh Patel, Chairman, and Paresh Patel, Managing Director, Alltech India India, receiving the Most Sustainable Road Construction Equipment award. Ceigall India: Ayyalusamy Saravanan, CEO, Ceigall India Ltd, receiving the Excellence in Project Execution – Timely Delivery award. Ghaziabad-Aligarh Expressway, a SPV of Cube Highways: Dr CS Bhagavan Raju, COO, Cube Highways, receiving the Excellence in Highway Asset Management award. BORDER ROADS ORGANISATION: Major Ashutosh Sharma, Officer Commanding, BRO, receiving the Best Road Safety Technology award. Dineshchandra R. Agrawal Infracon: Hemant Mishra, Chief Business Officer, Dineshchandra R. Agrawal Infracon, receiving the Best Highway Project – BOT, HAM or PPP. Escorts Kubota: Nikhil Ghate, Area Sales Manager, Escorts Kubota, receiving the Best Equipment for Productivity Enhancement award. FRED India: Dadasaheb Dhokale, Engineering Head, and Soumitra Wagholikar, Product Marketing Manager & Channel Development, FRED India, formerly Dynapac Road Construction Equipment, receiving the Best Compaction Equipment award. GHV Infra Projects: Ajay Hans, Managing Director, GHV Infra Projects, receiving the Emerging Contractor of the Year award. Haryana Public Works Department: Harpal Singh, Chief Engineer; Varun Gupta, Executive Engineer; Yogesh Mehra, Engineer-In-Chief (Roads); Romit Chugh, Superintending Engineer; and Ms. Shelly; receiving the Outstanding Contribution to Road Infrastructure award. Interise: Pushkar Priyadarshi, SBU Head, and Jay Nandan Mishra, Project Head, receiving the Green Highway Developer of the Year award. J. Kumar Infraprojects: Kamal Gupta, Managing Director, and Rachit Gupta, J. Kumar Infraprojects, receiving the Excellence in Highway Construction award. L&T Transportation Infrastructure IC: Avinash Y Mahendrakar, GM and Head EDRC Mumbai; Sanjay Minglani, GM and Cluster Head; and Vineet R Tripathi, Lead Engineering Manager, L&T Transportation Infrastructure IC; receiving the Most Sustainable Road Construction Equipment award. Powerscreen: Indrabhushan Gokhale, Sales Director, and Visharad Kulkarni, Senior Manager - Sales, Powerscreen, receiving the Most Innovative Road Construction Equipment award. Rajpath Infracon: CA Manish Bansal, CFO; Rakesh Sharma, Senior VP - Procurement & Operations; and R S Boyal, GM - Plant & Machinery, Rajpath Infracon; receiving the Excellence in Highway Construction award.]'41 Ramuka Global and CSIR-CRRI: Dr Satish Pandey, Head, Flexible Pavement Division, CSIR-CRRI; Dr Deepak Ramuka, Partner, Ramuka Global; and Parul Ramuka, Partner, Ramuka Global Services; receiving the Most Innovative Road Construction Material award. Roadstar Investment Managers Ltd: (Right) Milind Gandhi, CFO, and Sachin Joshi, Associate VP, Roadstar Investment Managers Ltd, receiving the Jury Award for Excellence in Highway Asset Management. Subtronics India: Manish Poudwal, Chairman and MD; and Vrushali Poudwal, Director; receiving the Best Road Safety Technology award. Tata Hitachi Construction Machinery: Siddharth Chaturvedi, General Manager – Marketing; Shripad Kanavikar, Head - Brand Marketing and Communications; and Milind Anjankar, COO, Autobahn Trucking; receiving the Best Earthmoving Equipment for Road Projects award. Tata Steel Ltd Industrial By-Products Management Division: V Satish, Chief Financial Planning, and Abhishek Kumar Singh, Area Manager Sales, receiving the Best Sustainable/Low-Carbon Material for Roads award. Welspun Enterprises: Sibashish Mukherjee, Project Head, ASRP, Welspun Enterprises, receiving the Best Bridge Execution award. Zen Microsystems: Ashish Samant, Chief Executive, Zen Microsystems, receiving the Best Smart Highway/ Intelligent Transport Solution award. Zydex Industries: Himanshu Agarwal, COO - Roads & Infrastructure, Zydex Group, receiving the Most Innovative Road Construction Material award. Salaipudhur Madurai Tollway, a SPV of Cube Highways: Dr CS Bhagavan Raju, COO, Cube Highways, receiving the Best Smart Highway/Intelligent Transport Solution award. Ramuka This award has been conferred for ECOFIX, which is an innovative ready-to-use cold mix road repair material developed through technical collaboration between Ramuka Global and CSIR-Central Road Research Institute (CSIR-CRRI). The material utilises processed steel slag aggregates and a specially engineered binder system to provide rapid, durable and all-weather pothole repairs. Zydex Industries Zydex wins this award for organosilane-enabled pavement technology suite, which includes TerraSil and ZycoBond for stabilisation, ZycoTherm for warm mix asphalt, TerraPrime for prime coat and NanoTac for tack coat applications. Tata Steel Ltd Tata Dureco is a flagship ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS), produced through the processing of blast furnace slag generated during iron and steelmaking. Manufactured with a premium Blaine fineness and high glass content, Tata Dureco is widely used in National Highway projects, PMGSY roads, bridges, power plants and large-scale infrastructure developments across India. Subtronics India Subtronics India is receiving this award for Alco-Booth™ ABP-03, which is an advanced, fully automated breath alcohol analyser system designed for industrial entry points, logistics hubs, manufacturing plants, ports, mines, warehouses and other high-risk operational environments. Border Roads Organisation The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has constructed India's first high-altitude cut-and-cover tunnel system on the strategically important Darbuk–Shyok–Daulat Beg Oldie (DS–DBO) Road in Ladakh. Built to overcome persistent challenges of landslides, snowmelt erosion, slope instability and Shyok River washouts, the project comprises two tunnels of 520 m and 400 m length connected by a 25-m permanent RCC bridge. Zen Microsystems Zen Microsystems receives this award for the LiDAR Model E1X, powered by Seyond’s SIMPL-Highway platform. This is an advanced intelligent transportation solution designed to enhance highway safety, traffic monitoring and operational efficiency through high-performance image-grade LiDAR technology. Salaipudhur Madurai Tollway, an SPV of Cube Highways Cube Highways’ Salaipudhur Madurai Tollways Ltd (SMTL) has implemented a comprehensive intelligent highway operations ecosystem across the 63.5-km Madurai-Kanyakumari corridor, integrating digital maintenance management, real-time vehicle tracking, smart tolling, dashboard camera surveillance and an advanced traffic management system (ATMS). Haryana Public Works Department Haryana PWD receives this award for its Mhari Sadak Application, which is a pioneering digital governance initiative revolutionising road infrastructure monitoring, maintenance, and grievance redressal across the state. Covering over 30,000 km of road network, the platform empowers citizens, engineers, contractors and government officials to collaborate in maintaining road assets through real-time reporting, geo-tagged inspections and transparent grievance management. L&T Transportation Infrastructure IC L&T Transportation Infrastructure IC’s Ganga River Major Bridge at Chainage 66+850 on the Meerut-Prayagraj Greenfield Expressway represents a breakthrough in precast bridge engineering and accelerated construction technology. The 960-m-long bridge introduced a pioneering precast extended pier wing structural system, enabling economical construction of 60-m spans using PSC I-girders while eliminating the need for launching girders, extensive staging and large-scale in-situ construction. Escorts Kubota Escorts Kubota receives this award for its flagship, high-end, pick-and-carry crane, F23-4WD. Designed to deliver superior performance, safety and operator comfort, the crane enhances customer economics and ease of operation. It combines a high-performance powertrain, heavy-duty axle configuration and advanced safety systems to provide higher lifting capability and faster cycle times in demanding construction and infrastructure applications. Alltech India Alltech India receives this award for its UNISURFACE microsurfacing paver, which is India’s first indigenously manufactured microsurfacing machine, developed to deliver sustainable, cost-effective pavement preservation through advanced cold-mix technology. Unlike conventional resurfacing methods that require energy-intensive heating of aggregates, UNISURFACE restores pavement performance without hot-mix production, significantly reducing fuel consumption, carbon emissions and material usage. Powerscreen The company receives this award for the Powerscreen Premiertrak 410 TE, which is a hybrid jaw crusher that combines electric crushing technology with diesel-powered mobility, offering a more sustainable and cost-efficient solution for aggregate production in road construction projects. FRED India FRED India receives this award for its Dynapac CA405D high-performance soil compactor, which is designed and manufactured in India for road, highway, expressway and infrastructure projects. The machine is designed to achieve target density in fewer passes, enabling contractors to reduce project time, fuel consumption and operating costs while maintaining superior compaction quality. Tata Hitachi Construction Machinery Tata Hitachi receives this award for its 20-tonne excavator range, which is one of the most widely used equipment categories for India's roads and highways construction sector. Designed specifically for Indian operating conditions, the range has supported infrastructure development for over three decades, offering an optimal balance of productivity, fuel efficiency, durability, mobility and low operating costs. Roadstar Investment Managers Ltd Roadstar receives this award for its 121-km Moradabad-Bareilly Expressway (NH-24), which is a four-lane BOT highway developed under NHDP Phase 3, providing a vital link between Delhi and Lucknow while connecting key industrial hubs in Uttar Pradesh. Operated and maintained by Roadstar InvIT for over a decade, the project combines digital technologies with sustainable asset management practices to deliver enhanced road safety, improved ride quality and efficient corridor operations. Ghaziabad-Aligarh Expressway, an SPV of Cube Highways The Ghaziabad-Aligarh Expressway is a 126.3-km four/six-lane BOT corridor connecting the industrial districts of Ghaziabad, Gautam Budh Nagar, Bulandshahr and Aligarh. The project showcases technology-driven highway asset management through integrated lighting control, solar-powered advanced traffic management systems (ATMS), intelligent surveillance and predictive maintenance, delivering improved operational efficiency, road safety, energy savings and asset reliability. INTERISE INTERISE receives this award for the Gomati Chauraha-Udaipur corridor, which is a sustainable highway project that integrates renewable energy, water conservation, green landscaping and smart safety technologies into its operations. The project combines environmental stewardship with efficient highway management, delivering improved travel experience, lower operating costs and enhanced road safety while supporting regional tourism and economic growth. Dineshchandra R. Agrawal Infracon Dineshchandra R. Agrawal Infracon Pvt Ltd (DRAIPL) receives this award for Package 1 (DND-Jaitpur Corridor) and Packages 2 & 3 (Faridabad-Ballabhgarh Bypass). The company has delivered three major Bharatmala highway packages across Delhi and Haryana with a combined project value exceeding Rs 5,100 crore. GHV Infra Projects GHV Infra Projects Ltd has rapidly emerged as a leading EPC contractor, driven by strong execution capabilities, a diversified project portfolio and a growing international presence. The company has established operations across Asia, Africa and North America, delivering infrastructure, industrial, renewable energy, marine and integrated EPC projects. Ceigall India Ceigall India receives this award for four-laning of the Malout-Abohar-Sadhuwali Highway in Punjab, which was developed under the Bharatmala Pariyojana on HAM. This project was finished 214 days ahead of the scheduled commercial operation date (SCOD), earning the company a bonus of Rs 15.75 crore from NHAI. J. Kumar Infraprojects J. Kumar receives this award for Dwarka Expressway Package I & II, which is one of India's most advanced urban expressway projects, developed as a fully access-controlled, eight-lane corridor with service roads, multi-level interchanges and grade-separated traffic movement. Rajpath Infracon Rajpath Infracon set a new global benchmark in highway construction by achieving four Guinness World Records during the execution of Package 2 & 3 of the Greenfield 6-Lane Bengaluru-Vijayawada Economic Corridor (NH-544G) near Puttaparthi, Andhra Pradesh. Welspun Enterprises Welspun receives this award for its Aunta-Simaria Ganga Bridge Project in Bihar, executed under HAM for NHAI. It is a landmark highway infrastructure project comprising an 8.15 km four/six-lane corridor, including a 1.865-km, six-lane, extra-dosed cable-stayed bridge across the River Ganga. Border Roads Organisation Border Roads Organisation receives this award for the Sela Tunnel Project, executed under Project Vartak. The Sela Tunnel is one of India's most strategically significant tunnel infrastructure projects. Constructed at an altitude of approximately 13,000 ft, the project provides all-weather connectivity between Assam and Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh, eliminating dependence on the snow-bound Sela Pass.