Road to 2047: India’s Infrastructure Challenge

India’s aspiration to become a high-income, developed economy by 2047—the 100th anniversary of its Independence—has generated a lot of interest in terms of the potential and the challenges. The discourse around this vision reveals that, although there is optimism, significant challenges remain to be addressed. A key driver of this economic transformation will be the country’s infrastructure—wherein roadways and highway networks are critical.

Historically, the development of road and highway networks has been closely linked to economic progress. For instance, after World War II, U.S. President Eisenhower initiated the construction of the interstate highway system to connect major metropolitan areas across the country. This system enabled better connectivity and faster movement of goods and people, facilitating economic growth and reducing the cost of trade. Countries such as Japan, Germany, and South Korea have seen similar correlations between robust transport infrastructure and economic expansion. More recently, China has made tremendous strides in both transport infrastructure and economic growth.