National Highways of India: Powering India's Journey Towards Viksit Bharat

Over the past twelve years, India has witnessed an unprecedented transformation in its road infrastructure landscape. Under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and the guidance of Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Shri Nitin Gadkari, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has spearheaded a new era of connectivity, strengthening economic growth, improving logistics efficiency and enhancing ease of travel for millions of citizens.

Twelve Years of Transformation
- Under PM Narendra Modi and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, India’s road infrastructure has seen record expansion and modernization.
- Focus: connectivity, logistics efficiency, road safety, and inclusive growth.

Bharatmala Pariyojana
- Flagship program launched in 2017.
- Target: 34,800 km of National Highway corridors, ₹5.35 lakh crore outlay.
- As of March 2026: 26,425 km awarded, 22,590 km constructed.
- Includes economic corridors, border roads, coastal roads, port connectivity, and expressways.

National Highway Expansion
- Network grew from 91,287 km (2014) → 1,46,572 km (FY 2025-26).
- Represents a 61% increase.
- Bridges regional disparities, connects remote areas to growth hubs.

Record Construction Pace
- From 11.6 km/day (2013-14) → 34 km/day (2025).
- Enabled by streamlined approvals, tech innovation, and institutional capacity.
- IIM Bangalore study: highways reduced logistics costs significantly.

Iconic Expressways
- Delhi–Mumbai Expressway: 1,386 km, ₹1 lakh crore, multiple sections inaugurated (2023–2026).
- Delhi–Meerut Expressway: 82 km, ₹8,346 crore, completed 2018–2021.
- Dwarka Expressway: 29 km, ₹9,000 crore, Delhi & Haryana sections inaugurated 2024–25.
- Bengaluru–Mysuru Expressway: 118 km, ₹8,480 crore, cut travel time to 75 minutes.
- Delhi–Dehradun Economic Corridor: 213 km, ₹12,000 crore, inaugurated 2026, includes Asia’s longest elevated wildlife corridor.

Sustainability & Innovation
- Projects integrate wildlife corridors, tunnels, eco-sensitive designs.
- Delhi–Dehradun corridor is a model for balancing connectivity with ecological preservation.

Towards Viksit Bharat
- Highways are positioned as the engine of growth, prosperity, and inclusion.
- Infrastructure-led development is central to India’s vision of becoming a modern, resilient, and self-reliant nation.