Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Mr. Nitin Gadkari, reveals plans to increase projects to Rs. 5,00,000 crore this year.

Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Mr. Nitin Gadkari, reaffirmed his dedication to ambitious infrastructure objectives, asserting that target-setting should not be influenced by election cycles. During a discussion in New Delhi, he recognized that achieving a daily road construction rate of 100 km is a challenging endeavor but underscored the need for aspirational objectives. While progress is evident, there are still execution hurdles, and reforms are being implemented to improve project delivery. The ministry aims to approve infrastructure initiatives worth Rs. 5,00,000 crore (US$ 58.16 billion) this financial year, effectively doubling the average annual figure. Projects under the Bharat Mala initiative are being approved and realigned within the Gati Shakti framework, prioritizing connectivity for ports, religious tourism, mining, and industrial clusters. Pointing out significant accomplishments, he mentioned setting world records in road construction, tunnels, and bridges, along with the introduction of e-rickshaws, which have enabled 1.5 crore workers to move away from manual ferrying. He also highlighted the focus on green mobility, indicating trials for blending 25–27% ethanol and 10% isobutanol into diesel. To lessen dependence on imports, particularly for bitumen and rare-earth materials, initiatives include bio-bitumen projects and domestic semiconductor manufacturing under the Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme. As part of the journey towards net zero by 2070, the ministry is moving forward with 10 hydrogen fuel cell projects and planning tree banks to counteract deforestation. Mr. Gadkari emphasized the importance of enforcing quality standards in national highway construction and confirmed that contractors delivering substandard work will face strict consequences.