Roads ministry seeks nod for Rs.22 trillion highway development plan

02 Jul 2024 CW Team

In a big push for infrastructure development, the road transport and highways ministry has sought Cabinet approval for Rs.22 trillion investments in a highway development plan covering around 30,600 km by 2031-32.

The plan, submitted to the finance ministry and shared with all key ministries last week, includes construction of 18,000 km of expressways and high-speed corridors, decongestion of 4,000 km national highways around cities and building of strategic and international roads.

Around 35 per cent of the investment will come from the private sector. The master plan for highway development has been proposed in two phases.

The Rs.22 trillion estimate is for projects to be taken up in the first phase. Once completed, the average travel speed of trucks on the national highway network will go up to 85 kmph from the current 47 kmph.

The average travel speed on highways is over 100 kmph in the US and 90 kmph in China. The government expects that increasing the average speed will help India achieve its target of reducing logistic costs to 9-10 percent of the GDP.

Infrastructure Urban

03 Nov 2025

Vice-President Backs Global Unity at IN-STEP 2025

Vice-President of India, Shri C. P. Radhakrishnan, addressed delegates at the 3rd edition of the International Strategic Engagement Programme (IN-STEP) held at the Vice-President’s Enclave in New Delhi. IN-STEP serves as a key dialogue platform for senior national security officers from India and friendly foreign nations. The current edition hosts 44 delegates, including 32 international participants representing 24 Global South countries. Commending the joint efforts of the National Defence College, National Security Council Secretariat, Ministry of External Affairs, and Ministry of Defen..

India to Host Global Maritime Events in Visakhapatnam

India will host three major international maritime events in February 2026 at Visakhapatnam — the International Fleet Review (IFR) 2026, Exercise MILAN 2026, and the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) Conclave of Chiefs. Scheduled from 15 to 25 February 2026, this marks the first time India will conduct all three significant maritime gatherings simultaneously. The events embody Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s MAHASAGAR vision — Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions — announced in 2025. The MAHASAGAR framework extends India’s SAGAR (Security and ..

Heavy Industries Ministry Frees 4.4 Million Sq Ft Under SCDPM 5.0

Inspired by the Prime Minister’s vision to institutionalise Swachhata and clear long-pending matters, the Ministry of Heavy Industries (MHI), along with its Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) and Autonomous Bodies (ABs), actively participated in the fifth consecutive year of the Special Campaign for Disposal of Pending Matters (SCDPM) 5.0, held from 2 to 31 October 2025. Throughout the campaign, MHI worked closely with the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances, reporting daily progress on a dedicated monitoring portal. Shri Bhupathi Raju Srinivasa Varma, Minister..