Satellite Tolling to Go Live Nationwide by 2026

22 Dec 2025 CW Team

Satellite-based toll collection will be rolled out across India by the end of 2026, eliminating waiting time at toll plazas and increasing government revenues, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari informed the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.

Replying to supplementary questions during Question Hour, the Minister for Road Transport and Highways said the new system will be based on satellite technology and artificial intelligence, allowing commuters to pass through toll points without stopping. He said the move is expected to save fuel worth about Rs 15 billion annually and add nearly Rs 60 billion to government revenues, while delivering zero waiting time at toll plazas.

“Our attempt is to reduce waiting time to zero minutes,” Gadkari said, adding that the system will use satellite-enabled number plate recognition integrated with AI and FASTag. “By the end of 2026, we will complete this work 100 per cent,” he told the House.

Addressing concerns over malpractices by contractors, the minister said strict action would be taken against violations. Contractors found not performing adequately will be debarred for two years and barred from bidding for future tenders, he said.

The new framework enables barrier-less tolling through a combination of Automatic Number Plate Recognition supported by AI analytics and RFID-based electronic toll collection. Gadkari said the system would significantly improve user convenience by ensuring faster and seamless travel, while also delivering economic benefits through cost savings, higher operational efficiency, environmental gains and improved productivity.

He added that removing physical toll booths and barriers would substantially reduce operational and maintenance costs, leading to lower expenditure on infrastructure upkeep and manpower.

Real Estate

02 Apr 2026

Indian real estate attracts USD 1.4 bn institutional investments in Q1 2026: Vestian

Institutional investments in India’s real estate sector touched USD 1.4 billion in Q1 2026, marking the highest first-quarter inflow since 2022, according to Vestian. While investments fell 62 per cent quarter-on-quarter due to an exceptionally high base in the previous quarter, they rose 74 per cent compared to the same period last year, reflecting sustained investor confidence despite rising geopolitical and macroeconomic challenges.Commercial real estate remained the key driver of investment activity during the quarter, accounting for 80 per cent of total inflows, sharply higher than 38 p..

VECV crosses 1 lakh annual vehicle sales milestone in FY26

VE Commercial Vehicles (VECV), a joint venture between Volvo Group and Eicher Motors, has surpassed the 1 lakh annual sales mark in FY 2025–26, recording its highest-ever commercial vehicle sales performance. The company said it sold more than 100,000 vehicles during the year, marking a major milestone aligned with the original vision of the Volvo–Eicher joint venture.The strong performance was supported by demand across categories. Light and Medium Duty (LMD) trucks contributed 47,789 units, accounting for 46.1 per cent of total sales. Heavy Duty (HD) trucks recorded 26,867 units (25.9 pe..

Rodic Digital & Advisory partners SatSure to deploy EO intelligence in public sector

Rodic Digital & Advisory (RDA), the strategic advisory and digital transformation arm of Rodic Consultants, has signed a strategic cooperation Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with SatSure to jointly pursue opportunities in India’s public sector. The collaboration aims to integrate high-resolution Earth Observation (EO) data and geospatial AI into government workflows to strengthen monitoring, compliance, and operational decision-making across key sectors.The partnership combines SatSure’s Earth intelligence capabilities with RDA’s expertise in government digital transformation and ..