The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) is seeking cabinet approval for Rs 22 trillion (approximately $293 billion) investment to accelerate infrastructure development. This investment aims to construct 30,600 km of highways by the end of 2031-32, including 18,000 km of expressways and high-speed corridors, and decongest 4,000 km of national highways around cities. The private sector is expected to contribute around 35 per cent of the total investment.
The Highway Development Plan will be executed in two phases. Phase 1, with an estimated cost of Rs 22 trillion, will be tendered by 2028-29 and completed by 2031-32 and Phase 2 will develop an additional 28,400 km, with completion expected by 2036-37.
The Ministry has also requested a 10 per cent annual increase in budgetary allocation, with Rs 2,780 billion allocated in the interim budget, a 2.7 per cent increase from the previous year. The project will boost average truck speeds on national highways from 47 km per hour to 85 km per hour.