National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has entered a collaboration with the National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) to advance applied research on transportation and mobility nationally. The partnership will focus on evidence based planning, data analytics, technology adoption and policy support to inform highway development and multimodal integration. The arrangement seeks to align academic rigour with operational priorities to address capacity constraints and long term planning needs. The institutions have formalised the relationship through a memorandum of understanding that sets out collaborative research agendas, modes of engagement and mechanisms for sharing data and analytical tools. Work streams will include transport modelling, traffic management studies, resilience assessments and evaluation of technological interventions for safety and emissions reduction. The agreement will also support pilot projects and the development of practical toolkits for planners and operators. Officials from both organisations will coordinate on capacity building, training and dissemination of findings through workshops, technical papers and policy briefs. Shared datasets and modelling platforms will be developed to enable scenario analysis and performance monitoring of highway assets and urban transport corridors. The collaboration aims to strengthen evidence based decision making and prioritisation of investments while promoting safer and more sustainable mobility outcomes. Next steps will include the establishment of joint technical teams, timelines for initial studies and processes for stakeholder engagement across central and state agencies. Deliverables will encompass analytical reports, implementation roadmaps and capacity enhancement modules that can be adapted for regional contexts. Both bodies will maintain avenues for ongoing review and refinement of research priorities to support national transport policy and infrastructure delivery. The partnership represents a long term initiative to bridge research and practice and enhance the evidence base for future investments, and it will support informed prioritisation of projects across regions and help align funding with demonstrated needs and outcomes.