Nitin Gadkari: National Highways grow 59% in 9 years

29 Jun 2023 CW Team

During the conference, Gadkari highlighted the remarkable growth of the National Highways in India over the past nine years. He mentioned that the total length of the National Highways has increased by approximately 59% during this period, making India the country with the second largest road network globally, following the United States.

Gadkari mentioned that in 2013-14, the total length of the National Highways was 91,287 km, which has now grown to 1,45,240 km in 2022-23. He also noted that the length of 4 lane National Highways has doubled over the past nine years, reaching 44,654 km from 18,371 km in 2013-14.

Anurag Jain, the Secretary of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), and Shri Santosh Kumar Yadav, the Chairman of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), were also present at the press conference.

The introduction of FASTag, a digital toll collection system, has significantly increased the revenue from tolls, as mentioned by Gadkari. He informed that the toll collection revenue has risen from Rs 47.70 billion in 2013-14 to Rs 410.342 billion in 2022-23. The government aims to further increase the toll revenue to Rs 1.3 trillion by 2030.

Gadkari also highlighted the reduction in waiting time at toll plazas as a result of these developments. He mentioned that the waiting time at toll plazas has decreased from 734 seconds in 2014 to 47 seconds in 2023. The Minister expressed hope that this waiting time will be further reduced to 30 seconds in the near future.

Speaking about the positive impact of FASTag on travel experiences, Gadkari mentioned that it has revolutionized toll payments by eliminating the need for cash transactions. He cited research stating that this breakthrough has saved approximately Rs 700 billion in wasted fuel expenses caused by waiting at toll plazas.

In conclusion, Gadkari emphasised the special focus on expanding the road highway network in the North East region and highlighted the ongoing projects worth more than Rs 2 lakh crore in that area. Additionally, he mentioned the development of 670 road side facilities to enhance the overall travel experience along the National Highways.

Nitin Gadkari, Union Road Transport and Highways Minister, stated that there has been a significant focus on expanding the road highway network in the North East region. He mentioned that projects worth more than Rs 2 trillion are currently underway in that area. This information was shared during a press conference held in New Delhi, where Gadkari emphasised the importance of road infrastructure development. During the conference, Gadkari highlighted the remarkable growth of the National Highways in India over the past nine years. He mentioned that the total length of the National Highways has increased by approximately 59% during this period, making India the country with the second largest road network globally, following the United States. Gadkari mentioned that in 2013-14, the total length of the National Highways was 91,287 km, which has now grown to 1,45,240 km in 2022-23. He also noted that the length of 4 lane National Highways has doubled over the past nine years, reaching 44,654 km from 18,371 km in 2013-14. Anurag Jain, the Secretary of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), and Shri Santosh Kumar Yadav, the Chairman of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), were also present at the press conference. The introduction of FASTag, a digital toll collection system, has significantly increased the revenue from tolls, as mentioned by Gadkari. He informed that the toll collection revenue has risen from Rs 47.70 billion in 2013-14 to Rs 410.342 billion in 2022-23. The government aims to further increase the toll revenue to Rs 1.3 trillion by 2030. Gadkari also highlighted the reduction in waiting time at toll plazas as a result of these developments. He mentioned that the waiting time at toll plazas has decreased from 734 seconds in 2014 to 47 seconds in 2023. The Minister expressed hope that this waiting time will be further reduced to 30 seconds in the near future. Speaking about the positive impact of FASTag on travel experiences, Gadkari mentioned that it has revolutionized toll payments by eliminating the need for cash transactions. He cited research stating that this breakthrough has saved approximately Rs 700 billion in wasted fuel expenses caused by waiting at toll plazas. In conclusion, Gadkari emphasised the special focus on expanding the road highway network in the North East region and highlighted the ongoing projects worth more than Rs 2 lakh crore in that area. Additionally, he mentioned the development of 670 road side facilities to enhance the overall travel experience along the National Highways.

Infrastructure Energy

23 Oct 2025

GAIL to Set Up Bengaluru CBG Plant Under New Concession Pact

GAIL (India) Limited has signed a 20-year concession agreement with the Bengaluru City Municipal Corporation (BBMP) to set up a compressed biogas (CBG) plant in the city. The project, expected to produce around 10 tonnes of CBG daily, will utilise municipal solid waste as feedstock, contributing to clean energy generation and efficient waste management. The CBG produced will be used in GAIL’s City Gas Distribution network to promote cleaner fuel usage. The initiative aligns with the government’s Sustainable Alternative Towards Affordable Transportation (SATAT) scheme and GAIL’s broader ..

Infrastructure Energy

23 Oct 2025

Uttarakhand HC Lifts 31-Year Ban on ONGC’s Contractual Hiring

The Uttarakhand High Court has lifted a 31-year-old ban on the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) from hiring contractual workers, a restriction imposed in 1993. The decision enables ONGC’s Dehradun establishment to employ personnel on a contractual basis to meet operational requirements. The long-standing prohibition had limited ONGC’s ability to fill vacancies in its technical and administrative departments, often leading to project delays and higher dependence on outsourcing. With the court’s directive, the public sector enterprise can now proceed with temporary recruitments whil..

Infrastructure Energy

23 Oct 2025

JSW Energy’s Utkal Unit Bags 400 MW, 25-Year Power Supply Deal

JSW Energy Limited announced that its subsidiary, JSW Energy (Utkal) Limited, has secured a Letter of Award (LoA) from Karnataka’s Power Company of Karnataka Limited (PCKL) for the supply of 400 MW of electricity for 25 years. The agreement is part of a competitive bidding process for long-term procurement of power to meet the state’s growing energy demand. The 400 MW capacity will be supplied from JSW Energy’s upcoming thermal power project in Odisha. This development strengthens JSW Energy’s presence in the southern market and aligns with its strategy to enhance long-term contracte..