Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has set an ambitious goal to accelerate India’s highway construction to 100 km per day, emphasizing the critical role of infrastructure development for the nation. He declared that within the next 18 months, India’s road infrastructure will surpass that of the United States.
Speaking at AIMA’s 10th National Leadership Conclave, Gadkari stated, “Infrastructure development is very important for India… I am working to accelerate the pace of highway construction in the country to 100 km per day.”
He further announced plans for the construction of 25,000 km of two and four-lane highways in the coming years, assuring that “there is no dearth of money for the highways projects.”
The pace of highway construction has seen fluctuations in recent years, reaching a peak of 37 km per day in 2020-21. The annual construction figures were:
- 2019-20: 10,237 km
- 2020-21: 13,435 km
- 2021-22: 10,457 km
- 2022-23: 10,331 km
- 2023-24: 12,349 km
Additionally, Gadkari highlighted that the Union government is investing Rs 1 lakh crore in infrastructure projects aimed at transforming Delhi.
