NHAI Ensures Smooth FASTag Payments

21 Feb 2025 CW Team

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has assured that highway users will not face disruptions due to the new FASTag transaction norms introduced by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI).

The NPCI’s circular, effective from February 17, aims to prevent delayed transactions caused by inactive FASTags at toll plazas. According to NHAI, this move will ensure that payments are settled in real time, reducing customer inconvenience.

"The circular has been issued by NPCI to facilitate resolution of disputes between acquirer bank and issuer bank on FASTag status while vehicle crosses toll plazas," NHAI stated.

All National Highway toll plazas operate on ICD 2.5 protocol, which provides real-time tag status, allowing users to recharge their FASTags anytime before crossing a toll booth. However, some state highway tolls still run on the older ICD 2.4 protocol, requiring periodic updates. NHAI plans to upgrade these toll plazas soon.

To avoid payment delays, FASTag users are encouraged to link their wallets to UPI, current, or savings accounts with auto-recharge enabled. Customers can also recharge via UPI, net banking, and other digital payment methods before reaching the toll plaza.

Infrastructure Urban

11 Mar 2026

India Expands Semiconductor Training To 500 Institutions

Under the Chips to Startups programme of the India Semiconductor Mission, the Union minister responsible for Railways, Information and Broadcasting, and Electronics and IT reported notable progress in talent development. He indicated that over the past four years substantial steps have been taken towards a 10-year target of training 85,000 engineers in semiconductor design. World-class EDA tools have been deployed in 315 academic institutions across the country to provide students with practical exposure to chip design. These EDA tools are supported by leading global firms and are accessible t..

Delhi Institutions Support India Semiconductor Mission

The Government of India has prioritised talent development through training, upskilling and workforce development under the Chips to Startups initiative of the India Semiconductor Mission, with officials noting progress in four years towards a 10-year target of training 85,000 engineers in semiconductor design. Electronic design automation tools provided by Synopsys, Cadence, Siemens, Renesas, Ansys and AMD have been deployed in 315 academic institutions, enabling students to gain practical chip design experience. Chips have been fabricated and tested at the Semiconductor Laboratory, Mohali, a..

NHA Announces Winners Of NHCX Hackathon At IIT Hyderabad

The National Health Authority (NHA) has concluded the NHCX Hackathon under the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) to stimulate innovation around the National Health Claims Exchange (NHCX). The winning teams presented their solutions at the NHCX Innovation Meet held at IIT Hyderabad during a two-day event in March 2026 that also served as the hackathon grand finale. The hackathon itself ran from 22 to 28 February 2026 and aimed to accelerate paperless, transparent claims processing across India. The event was organised with a range of ecosystem partners, including the Insurance Regulatory a..