Govt overhauls highway projects’ org to establish a specialised cadre

23 Aug 2023 CW Team

The government is contemplating a significant overhaul of the organisations responsible for executing highway projects, aiming to establish a specialised cadre within these agencies. This shift would facilitate the promotion of in-house executives to top leadership positions, departing from the prevailing approach of appointing officers on deputation to key roles.

These proposed modifications are intended to reshape the functioning of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and the National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corp (NHIDCL), making them function more akin to Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs). This alteration would reduce the frequency of officer transfers from parent ministries, fostering a more stable operational environment.

Furthermore, these changes seek to eliminate the prevalent practice of having senior bureaucrats at the helm, thereby enabling cadre officers to ascend to the highest echelons of the organisational hierarchy.

A senior government official conveyed that there is a need to instil a sense of ownership among NHAI and NHIDCL officers. In line with this objective, plans are underway to revise the composition and structure of these central agencies.

Both NHAI and NHIDCL serve as the primary arms of the government for the execution of national highway projects.

As per official estimates, NHAI currently employs 905 regular staff members. Among them, 258 are officers on deputation from various state governments, Public Work Departments (PWDs), Military Engineering Services (MES), Border Roads Organisation, and the central government.

Within the Group A officer category, NHAI employs 557 officers as part of its core team, while 251 officers are on deputation. Notably, 84 officers hail from the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH).

Infrastructure Transport

01 Jun 2026

MMRDA advances 250 m on Orange Gate–Marine Drive tunnel

The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has completed 250 m of underground tunnelling for the Orange Gate–Marine Drive Urban Road Tunnel using India’s largest slurry shield tunnel boring machine (TBM) deployed for an urban road project.The project involves twin tunnels extending over 7 km beneath critical transport corridors, including Central Railway, Western Railway and Metro Line 3. The work requires high-precision engineering to navigate densely developed urban infrastructure.Once completed, the tunnel is expected to reduce travel time between Orange Gate and Marin..

Hindustan Zinc Pays Rs 188.46 Billion in FY26

Hindustan Zinc contributed Rs 188.46 billion to the public exchequer in FY 2025-26, according to its 9th Tax Transparency Report. The contribution, equivalent to 46 per cent of the company’s revenue, included direct and indirect taxes, government royalties, dividends to the Government of India, withholding taxes and other statutory levies.The company’s five-year cumulative contribution to the exchequer stood at Rs 915.72 billion. In FY26, Hindustan Zinc reported revenue of Rs 408.44 billion, EBITDA of Rs 221.62 billion and profit after tax of Rs 138.32 billion. It also achieved its highest..

World of Concrete India 2026 Opens in Mumbai

Informa Markets in India will host the 12th edition of World of Concrete India 2026 from 3–5 June 2026 at the Bombay Exhibition Centre, Mumbai. The specialised B2B exhibition will bring together manufacturers, suppliers, contractors, developers, architects, consultants, infrastructure companies, project leaders and government stakeholders.The event is expected to feature over 350 brands and more than 18,000 trade professionals. It will cover concrete and cement, dry mortar, precast technologies, formwork, construction chemicals, industrial and commercial flooring, scaffolding, safety solutio..