Taking a Data-Driven QC/QA Approach to Durable Bituminous Pavements

As India accelerates highway construction, concerns over quality are becoming harder to ignore. Drawing on global best practices and Indian ground realities, Prof. Prithvi Singh Kandhal and Dr. Abhinay Kumar argue that the absence of a robust Quality Assurance framework, and not the lack of specifications, is at the heart of the problem. They highlight why relying solely on Quality Control falls short and make a strong case for transitioning to a data-driven QC/QA approach that can deliver consistency, accountability, and long-term pavement performance.

Introduction

A highly ambitious, accelerated highway construction programme is underway in India. Unfortunately, this rapid pace has resulted in substandard quality of some highway projects. The PMO (Prime Minister’s Office) is concerned about it and has sought in February 2026 a “third-party audit” for road projects. In foreign countries, the third-party audit (quality check) is generally called Quality Assurance (QA) by the owner (e.g., MoRTH) to ensure acceptable quality of the project. Unfortunately, in India, the MoRTH relies primarily on Quality Control (QC) which is the responsibility of the contractor.

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