New Delhi: The Indian government is set to invest a groundbreaking Rs 10 lakh crore over the next two years to overhaul the nation’s highway infrastructure, with a particular focus on the Northeast.
According to Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, this ambitious plan aims to bring India’s roads to a standard that rivals those of the United States.
Gadkari revealed that the government intends to implement a series of high-impact road projects aimed at transforming the country’s infrastructure.
“We plan to take up projects worth Rs 10 lakh crore in the next two years to strengthen highways across the country, with special focus on enhancing infrastructure in the Northeast and border areas,” Gadkari stated.
The minister underscored the urgency of augmenting road infrastructure in the Northeast due to its difficult terrain and strategic proximity to international borders.
“We are working to drastically transform the country’s infrastructure to match the best in the world,” Gadkari added, highlighting ongoing developments in key states such as Maharashtra, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Rajasthan, and Delhi.
The Centre has announced the implementation of 784 highway projects in eastern India at an estimated cost of Rs 3.73 lakh crore, covering a staggering 21,355 km.
These projects will be carried out by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), and the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (NHIDCL).
The government is undertaking road development projects worth approximately Rs 1 lakh crore in the Northeast alone this year.
In a move to explore environmentally friendly and cost-effective transportation solutions, Gadkari announced a pilot mass rapid transport project in Nagpur.
The Delhi-Jaipur stretch is one of the potential routes for this initiative, which will operate under the Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) model.
In the 2024-25 period, NHAI successfully constructed 5,614 km of national highways, surpassing its target of 5,150 km, signaling the government’s commitment to fast-tracking infrastructure development across the country.
