+
Government Announces Cost Escalation Relief For National Highways
ECONOMY & POLICY

Government Announces Cost Escalation Relief For National Highways

The Government of India (GoI) has announced measures to address rising fuel and material costs affecting National Highway projects. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (Ministry) said the measures aim to provide relief to contractors and concessionaires while ensuring uninterrupted construction and maintenance across the country. The provisions will be applicable for a period of three months from the first of April to the thirtieth of June 2026, or until further review depending on global economic conditions. The initiative is presented as a temporary liquidity support.

As part of the relief, provisions for engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) projects and hybrid annuity model (HAM) projects have been relaxed to permit monthly payments to contractors and concessionaires for work executed in compliance with prescribed quality standards and specifications. Price adjustment payments under EPC contracts will be released along with monthly payments to improve cash flow. In HAM projects price escalation calculated using the Price Index Multiple (PIM) may also be released monthly.

The mechanism for price adjustment under EPC contracts has been modified to reflect prevailing market conditions by adopting a nearer reference period. The Wholesale Price Index (WPI) for key components such as construction machinery, Ordinary Portland Cement, mild steel and other commodities will now be taken for one month prior to the relevant Interim Payment Certificate (IPC) month instead of the earlier three months. For bitumen the official retail price applicable on the first day of the month one month prior to the IPC month will be used for adjustment.

The Ministry said the changes are intended to improve liquidity and cash flow for contractors and concessionaires and to maintain momentum in infrastructure development. The government presented the initiative as a proactive measure to ensure financial stability and operational continuity of National Highway projects. Implementation will be monitored and reviewed as required.

The Government of India (GoI) has announced measures to address rising fuel and material costs affecting National Highway projects. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (Ministry) said the measures aim to provide relief to contractors and concessionaires while ensuring uninterrupted construction and maintenance across the country. The provisions will be applicable for a period of three months from the first of April to the thirtieth of June 2026, or until further review depending on global economic conditions. The initiative is presented as a temporary liquidity support. As part of the relief, provisions for engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) projects and hybrid annuity model (HAM) projects have been relaxed to permit monthly payments to contractors and concessionaires for work executed in compliance with prescribed quality standards and specifications. Price adjustment payments under EPC contracts will be released along with monthly payments to improve cash flow. In HAM projects price escalation calculated using the Price Index Multiple (PIM) may also be released monthly. The mechanism for price adjustment under EPC contracts has been modified to reflect prevailing market conditions by adopting a nearer reference period. The Wholesale Price Index (WPI) for key components such as construction machinery, Ordinary Portland Cement, mild steel and other commodities will now be taken for one month prior to the relevant Interim Payment Certificate (IPC) month instead of the earlier three months. For bitumen the official retail price applicable on the first day of the month one month prior to the IPC month will be used for adjustment. The Ministry said the changes are intended to improve liquidity and cash flow for contractors and concessionaires and to maintain momentum in infrastructure development. The government presented the initiative as a proactive measure to ensure financial stability and operational continuity of National Highway projects. Implementation will be monitored and reviewed as required.

Related Stories

Gold Stories

Next Story
Infrastructure Transport

Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train’s Surat-Vapi Section Set for 2027

The first section of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train corridor, linking Surat and Vapi, is targeted to begin services in 2027. Construction is expected to be completed by December 2026, while Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has indicated that an inauguration could take place around the middle of 2027. The National High Speed Rail Corporation (NHSRCL) said the train being manufactured in India is expected to reach the tracks around April or May 2027. The train will undergo extensive testing before the section is opened for passenger services. The project began construction in 2021 and includ..

Next Story
Infrastructure Transport

Indian Railways Approves Four Projects Worth Rs. 7.36 bn Across Four States

Indian Railways has approved four projects with a combined value of Rs. 7.36 bn across Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat. The programme covers train protection, signalling, electric traction supply and a road overbridge, with each project assigned to a different railway zone. In Uttar Pradesh, Rs. 2.52 bn has been approved to extend the Kavach 4.0 automatic train protection system across 607.7 km in the Lucknow Division of North Eastern Railway. The system monitors train movements and can apply the brakes if a driver fails to observe a signal or exceeds a safe speed. The w..

Next Story
Infrastructure Urban

Chandru Raheja Sells 1.49% Stake in Mindspace REIT for Rs. 5 bn

Billionaire Chandru Lachmandas Raheja has sold a 1.49 per cent holding in Mindspace Business Parks REIT for Rs. 5 bn through a bulk deal on the BSE. The transaction involved 9.9 mn units and was executed at an average price of Rs. 505 per unit, according to exchange data. Following the sale, units of Mindspace Business Parks REIT were trading 0.18 per cent lower at Rs. 504.05 on Tuesday. Exchange data did not identify the buyers involved in the transaction. Raheja is the chairman of real estate company K Raheja Corp. The sale involved 99,00,990 units, representing 1.49 per cent of the Mumbai-b..

Advertisement

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Get daily newsletters around different themes from Construction world.

STAY CONNECTED

Advertisement

SPECIAL OFFER
QR Code