India Builds 57,125 km of National Highways in Five Years; NH Network Rises to 1.46 Lakh km

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has constructed around 57,125 km of National Highways (NHs) over the last five financial years, reflecting India’s sustained focus on infrastructure-led growth. Under Phase I of Bharatmala Pariyojana, 796 projects covering 26,425 km have been awarded out of the planned 34,800 km, with 21,248 km already completed as of September 2025.

In Karnataka alone, 3,187 km of NH projects—including expressways and economic corridors—have been sanctioned or awarded in the past five years, strengthening the state's connectivity.

India’s NH network has expanded from 1,32,499 km in March 2019 to 1,46,560 km at present. The length of 4-lane and above highways has increased 1.4 times, rising from 31,066 km in 2019 to 43,512 km. The share of NHs below 2 lanes has reduced sharply from 27% to 9%. About 3,052 km of access-controlled High Speed Corridors and expressways are now operational.

With these upgrades, average freight speed on high-speed corridors has improved from 30–35 km/h on traditional 4-lane highways to nearly 50 km/h. Better connectivity, reduced travel time, and improved logistics efficiency are contributing significantly to regional development and economic growth across the country.