India is accelerating its highway development with a sharper focus on execution speed, private participation, and quality. Shri Ajay Tamta, Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways of India, in an exclusive interview with Pratap Padode, Editor-in-Chief, Construction World, shares the Ministry's priorities and reform strategies. Excerpts from the conversation:In recent years, MoRTH has missed its annual road construction targets. How does the Ministry plan to make up for the backlog in awarding contracts and project execution?In recent years, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has made unprecedented progress in expanding India’s national highway network. In the financial year 2024–25, against an annual construction target of 10,421 km, we achieved 10,660 km, surpassing the goal. For 2025–26, a target of 10,000 km has been set, out of which 1,994 km has already been constructed indicating that we are currently on track to meet our schedule targets.While construction targets were largely met, there was a shortfall in contract awards for FY 2024–25 due to the Model Code of Conduct during elections and procedural delays like land acquisition and environmental clearances. Despite this, the Ministry remains committed to clearing the backlog and accelerating project execution.For the current financial year, the Ministry has set an ambitious target of awarding road contracts worth Rs 3 trillion—among the highest in recent years. This push aims to offset the temporary slowdown and accelerate construction in the second half of the year, sustaining momentum into FY 2025–26.We are strengthening the project pipeline under flagship initiatives, focusing on economic corridors, expressways, and remote connectivity. The Ministry is streamlining approvals through better coordination with states on land acquisition, clearances, and utility shifting. Reforms in DPRs, contractor selection, and pre-construction processes are being implemented to minimise delays and boost project readiness.On the financing front, the government is exploring innovative funding models, including asset monetisation through TOT, infrastructure investment trusts (InvITs), and enhanced participation through PPP. For the financial year 2025–26, we plan to raise Rs 330 billion through asset monetisation and other structured financial instruments, as compared to Rs 287.24 billion mobilised during 2024–25. This approach will significantly bolster the pace of project execution without placing additional strain on the public exchequer.We are targeting the construction of over 10,000 km of highways in FY 2025–26, including key expressway corridors. While output may see a slight dip from peak years, improved contract awards and ongoing reforms are set to stabilise and boost execution. Strategic projects like the Bengaluru–Chennai and Delhi–Mumbai expressways, along with major highway upgrades, are being closely monitored with defined timelines. The Ministry remains firmly aligned with Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji’s vision, and through structured planning, financial innovation, and focused execution, we are confident of delivering a world-class road network for New India.Land acquisition continues to be a major obstacle, delaying most projects. Why doesn’t the Ministry mandate 100 per cent land acquisition before issuing tenders, to ensure smoother execution timelines?Land acquisition remains a key challenge in highway project execution, with delays often impacting timelines. While MoRTH acknowledges the issue, mandating 100 per cent land acquisition before tendering is rarely feasible due to complexities like multi-party ownership, inheritance disputes, and overlapping claims. Insisting on full acquisition upfront could delay the launch of large-scale corridor projects involving extensive land parcels.To manage this, the Ministry follows a pragmatic policy—securing at least 90 per cent of the land, both legally and physically, before tendering. Disputed or encumbered portions are addressed in parallel, allowing projects to move forward without compromising execution readiness.Effective June 1, 2025, MoRTH has mandated key pre-construction milestones before issuing Letters of Award (LoA) for National Highway projects. These include completing Section 3D notifications for over 90 per cent of the Right of Way (RoW), disbursing compensation under Section 3G of the National Highways Act, 1956, and securing physical possession of the land. For standalone Road Over Bridge (ROB) projects, 100 per cent RoW must be available for 1 km on either side. All statutory and technical clearances—such as environmental and forest approvals, utility shifting plans, and General Arrangement Drawings (GADs)—must also be in place to avoid delays in contractor mobilisation.To enhance environmental sensitivity and planning rigour, the Alignment Approval Committee now includes representatives from MoEF&CC and the Wildlife Institute of India to ensure that potential mitigation measures—and their cost implications—are considered at the alignment finalisation stage, including exploring options to bypass wildlife sanctuaries. For alignments through wildlife zones, this ensures early evaluation of mitigation measures, cost implications, and alternative routes—minimising displacement and easing acquisition.To tackle administrative bottlenecks, the Ministry has deployed non-technical consultants, including retired SDMs, to streamline land acquisition. Each Regional Office has a dedicated Land Acquisition (LA) Officer, and each PIU has an LA Support Officer to liaise with revenue authorities, support public outreach, and fast-track documentation and compensation.The Bhoomi Rashi portal is being upgraded for real-time tracking and faster resolution of land acquisition issues. Now integrated with the PFMS, it enables direct compensation transfers. The Ministry is also introducing e-KYC verification to support a fully digital, paperless process—enhancing transparency, minimising errors, and speeding up project execution.While the North-Eastern region has received substantial budgetary support, the pace of execution lags behind. Given the complex terrain, is the Ministry considering higher cost allowances or incentives to encourage faster and quality construction?The Ministry is fully aware of the unique challenges in executing highway projects in the North-Eastern Region (NER) and has taken several targeted steps to ensure both faster and high-quality construction. The total length of National Highways in the region is 16,207 km, out of which 11,316 km has been constructed over the last eleven years with an expenditure of Rs 1.27 lakh crore. Currently, 175 projects covering 3,541 km are under implementation at a cost of Rs 800.33 billion. The NH density in NER is significantly higher than the national average—35.37 km per lakh population and 61.50 km per 1,000 sq km—demonstrating the focused attention given to the region. The Ministry earmarks 10 per cent of its total annual budget for the NER and is implementing key programmes such as SARDP-NE, Bharatmala Pariyojana, and the Frontier Highway in Arunachal Pradesh to boost connectivity and strategic access.Given the region’s complex terrain, heavy rainfall, and inter-tribal land ownership patterns, project execution in the North-East often faces delays. The lack of proper revenue records further hampers land acquisition, while slope protection and hill stabilisation can raise construction costs by Rs 40–50 million per km. To address these issues, the Ministry has introduced several relaxations—such as extended construction timelines, higher permissible BoS ratios in hilly terrain, and customised modifications in the RFPs for North East Frontier Highway projects. These steps aim to enhance project viability, attract contractors, and ensure realistic planning in terms of timelines and budgets.The National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation (NHIDCL) has become a key executing agency for challenging terrain projects, including the North East Frontier Highway and strategic border roads. It has shown effective project management, transparent e-tendering, and digital tool use—achieving 41 per cent savings in Nagaland bids, amounting to Rs 40.66 billion across 28 projects.The Ministry adopts adaptive, region-specific planning with cost structures reflecting on-ground challenges. NHIDCL continues steady progress despite limited working windows and land complexities. Ongoing evaluation and calibrated financial tools aim to align infrastructure quality and pace in the North-East with national priorities and local conditions.Road safety remains a serious concern, and faulty Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) have been cited as a reason for poor road design. What actions is the Ministry taking to improve the DPR process and design quality?Road safety and design quality are top priorities for the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH). As acknowledged by Hon'ble Minister Nitin Gadkari ji, many issues—ranging from structural flaws and alignment errors to safety hazards and cost overruns—can be traced back to poor-quality DPRs. To address this, MoRTH is implementing a comprehensive strategy to enhance DPR integrity, consultant accountability, and safety integration at the planning stage.Road Safety Audits by third-party auditors are now mandatory at every stage—design, construction, operation, and maintenance. Road safety has been formally embedded in the DPR scope. A new DPR rating system is being introduced to objectively assess consultancy firms based on the quality, accuracy, and completeness of past work. These ratings will influence weighted selection in RFPs, with high-performing firms rewarded with repeat assignments and low performers penalised. Revised RFP norms—currently open for public feedback—also propose linking stronger bank guarantees to consultant selection.The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has established a Dedicated DPR Review Cell at its New Delhi headquarters. Staffed by around 40 domain experts—including geotechnical engineers, traffic planners, road safety specialists, and land acquisition professionals—this unit ensures consistent technical oversight and comprehensive review of DPRs before projects advance to the execution phase.In June 2025, MoRTH also announced the creation of three new Project Implementation Units (PIUs). These units are tasked with preparing DPRs for 4/6-lane high-speed corridors and managing key pre-construction activities such as land acquisition, utility shifting, and environmental clearances. They will play a crucial role in on-ground verification and supervision of DPRs before final submission.During a recent visit to IIT Delhi, I took part in a joint session hosted by IIT, SPA, and an industry partner. The session highlighted innovations in road safety, planning methodologies, and design tools with the potential to transform infrastructure development. The Ministry is keen to incorporate such physical planning approaches at the project initiation stage to enable context-specific, safety-focused, and future-ready designs that align land-use strategies with real-world needs.Together, these reforms—technology-led planning, expert-driven reviews, incentivised ratings, and institutional capacity-building—are aimed at enhancing design quality, eliminating black spots, and improving road safety. They underscore MoRTH’s commitment to transparency, technical excellence, and sustainable infrastructure development.Now that project sizes and complexity have grown, is there a move to attract international contractors into Indian highway projects to bring in global best practices and advanced capabilities?As projects grow in scale and complexity, MoRTH is encouraging international participation to harness global expertise and technology. Current Ministry of Finance guidelines permit 100 per cent FDI in road, bridge, tunnel, and related infrastructure projects, enabling foreign firms to operate independently or through joint ventures with Indian partners.To support international participation, MoRTH’s revised RFP guidelines now allow foreign firms to bid directly or in consortia, provided they meet qualification norms. The criteria align with global standards, emphasising experience in high-speed corridors, seismic zones, and tunnel construction, while encouraging advanced methods like GPS-enabled AIMC, slope stabilisation, and steel-intensive bridge designs.Performance assurance is being strengthened through integrity pacts, rigorous evaluations, and financial guarantees. Alongside liberal FDI norms, MoRTH is adopting global tendering, international benchmarks, and performance-linked procurement to raise quality, speed, and safety.While inviting global expertise, the Ministry remains committed to nurturing domestic contractors and building a resilient ecosystem of world-class Indian firms.The quality of road construction is under scrutiny, with frequent reports of bridge collapses, road cave-ins, and poor material use. How is the Ministry enforcing stricter quality standards and accountability?Road safety and construction quality are non-negotiable priorities for the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways. Recognising the serious concerns around bridge collapses, road cave-ins, and substandard materials, MoRTH and its implementing agencies NHAI and NHIDCL have instituted a robust set of reforms and accountability mechanisms.The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has introduced a Performance Rating System for contractors and concessionaires based on objective road-condition metrics such as the Pavement Condition Index (PCI). The PCI evaluates parameters including surface roughness, rut depth, potholes, cracking, gravelling, and patchwork, along with compliance in digital defect reporting through the NHAI One App. Contractors scoring below the prescribed threshold—typically in the range of 60 to 70 out of 100—are declared as non-performers until measurable improvements are made. These ratings are updated biannually and published in the public domain to promote transparency and accountability, while also serving as a deterrent against poor performance.MoRTH is leveraging data from Network Survey Vehicles (NSVs) and the Drone Analytics Management System (DAMS) to assess road conditions and identify terrain-related risks. While NSVs provide real-time data on pavement, geometry, and environmental factors, DAMS offers high-resolution aerial imagery and geospatial insights.This data-driven approach enables timely detection of distress, targeted interventions, and the integration of condition-based design features during planning. The result: safer, more resilient, and performance-optimised highway infrastructure.Periodic, need-based audits by Independent Quality Auditors (IQA) are conducted by inspection teams comprising retired Chief Engineers and domain experts. These teams evaluate contract documents, review construction practices, verify compliance with specifications, and carry out follow-up inspections every 2–3 months in areas where deficiencies were previously identified. Identified discrepancies may result in penalties or mandatory corrective measures. All audit findings are recorded on a digital platform, ensuring transparent tracking, accountability, and data-driven quality management.As a result, quality testing has also become more proactive. In response to premature rutting on the Mumbai–Delhi expressway (Sohna–Dausa section), NHAI ordered immediate testing of the Stone Mastic Asphalt (SMA) materials, issued show-cause notices to contractors and supervising engineers, and mandated corrective relaying under expert guidance.MoRTH now conducts mandatory highway audits six months before the end of the Defect Liability Period (DLP). Only when contractors fully rectify identified defects are they granted final certification and dues. This policy shift strengthens accountability during the critical handover phase and prevents premature exit by concessionaires without fulfilling maintenance obligations.Following recent bridge collapse incidents, various state-level governments are exploring asset-safety surveillance authorities to monitor structures in real time. Although such bodies are local initiatives, they align with MoRTH’s vision for structural health monitoring and enforce discipline in maintenance governance.The Ministry is reinforcing its quality regime through independent testing labs, regular audits, punitive accountability for both contractors and supervising officers, performance-based blacklisting, digital defect tracking, and public transparency. These reforms aim to create a culture of technical excellence, proactive oversight, and zero tolerance for substandard work, ensuring safer, longer-lasting highways for all users.What is the current status and plan for the balance Bharatmala Pariyojana projects that are yet to be taken up? Are there funding or policy hurdles delaying progress?Bharatmala Pariyojana was approved by the Government of India in 2017, covering a length of 34,800 km to improve connectivity and reduce logistics costs in the country. Phase-I, originally envisioned to construct approximately 34,800 km of national highways by 2022, has witnessed notable progress, with 26,425 km (around 76%) awarded for execution. Of this, approximately 20,770 km (around 78 per cent of the awarded length) has been constructed as of 30th June 2025.No new projects are currently being taken up under Bharatmala. The government has now transitioned to a corridor-based approach, prioritising individual road projects rather than overarching flagship programmes. This strategy seeks to contain cost overruns, simplify oversight, and enhance deliverability for future highway initiatives.The Ministry had announced an ambitious Access-Controlled Highways programme. What is the current progress on this initiative, and how will it impact freight movement and road safety?India’s bold Access-Controlled Highways programme, announced in past Union Budgets, aims to significantly augment logistics efficiency, road safety, and high-speed mobility. Under Bharatmala Pariyojana Phase I, the government planned 22 expressways and access-controlled greenfield national highways totalling roughly 8,000 km, at an estimated cost of Rs 3.26 trillion. These initiatives were outlined to provide dedicated, grade-separated corridors with limited entry and exit points to manage traffic flow and enhance safety standards.As of June 2025, the Ministry has sanctioned 8,391 km of High-Speed Corridors (HSCs), of which 5,109 km (including 2,242 km of expressways) is already constructed. Roughly 2,000 km more is likely to be constructed in FY 2025–26. Notable projects include the Delhi–Meerut Expressway, Eastern Peripheral Expressway, Ahmedabad–Vadodara Expressway, and Delhi–Dehradun Expressway (210 km), which is expected to be completed by the end of 2025. Once operational, the Delhi–Dehradun Expressway will reduce travel time from Delhi to Dehradun to approximately 2.5 hours—a transformative corridor in terms of speed, safety, and regional connectivity.Similarly, the Bandikui–Jaipur Expressway (66.9 km) has recently begun a toll-free trial run, reducing travel time from Jaipur to Delhi from 5–6 hours to just 2.5–3 hours, with a design speed of 120 km/h and multiple grade-separated interchanges to ensure smoother traffic flow and enhanced commuter safety.One of the most transformative upcoming corridors is the Raxaul–Haldia Expressway, along with the Gorakhpur–Siliguri corridor, which will soon be sent to PPPAC for approval. Other major expressways in the pipeline include Nagpur–Hyderabad, Varanasi–Kolkata, Chennai–Trichy, and Madurai–Kollam. These corridors are projected to significantly reduce freight transit times, particularly enhancing trade efficiency between Bihar, Jharkhand, and Haldia Port, while alleviating perennial traffic congestion and redefining connectivity in South India.These expressways are designed as fully controlled-access corridors, helping boost exports, reduce logistics costs, and improve road safety through better infrastructure and streamlined traffic flow.In terms of impact, these access-controlled roads have proven to significantly reduce accident rates by eliminating cross-traffic, uncontrolled access points, and at-grade intersections. They also enable efficient freight movement by reducing delays, transit distances, and travel time, supporting steady long-distance heavy vehicle travel at higher average speeds. These expressways align with IRC’s new guidelines and MoRTH’s corridor-based approach, offering seamless last-mile access and integration with economic zones and multimodal logistics hubs.