NHAI borrowings rise as construction of roads speeds up
As RK Pandey, Member (Projects), National Highway Authority of India (NHAI), says, “NHAI is the source of funding for our budgetary support, toll collection and cess money; apart from that, we borrow money. However, it is not like we are borrowing for the completion of projects.”
The average cost of acquiring land has reportedly soared to Rs 25 million per hectare compared to Rs 8 million in 2012. The increased level of borrowing could be mainly owing to the spiralling cost of land acquisition and reduced fund flow from cess on fuel. However, reports suggest these hurdles have not stopped the highway authority from stepping up the pace of road construction. The average length of roads constructed per day between FY2012 and FY2014 was 10.9 km, while the same increased to 22 km between FY2016 and FY2018.
“For market borrowing, we have a number of ways,” adds Pandey. “It could be through bonds, masala bonds or banks, whichever is the cheapest.”
Last year, NHAI reportedly spent nearly Rs 950 billion laying new roads, of which a third went towards acquiring land. It is expected to pay back its lenders through earnings from toll revenue and by selling the rights to collect toll for already profitable roads.
- DIKSHA JAWLE
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..
Latest Updates
