Indian Road Infra Industry to Revive Economy

Union minister V K Singh said that the Indian road infrastructure and road construction industry, including the equipment and materials segments, are the biggest ingredient in spurring the country's economy. He urged the industry to come up with innovations which the government will support at the policy level. Addressing the valedictory session at BITU-CON 2020, he insisted that the construction of more roads will not just improve the connectivity but will also bring down the travel time and freight cost, as this sector has potential and is profitable too. Things are improving in the economy although it may take some time for complete recovery. Innovation and experimentation should be encouraged in the industry to bring down the cost. The road builders must focus on lifetime cost-cutting rather than immediate. It ensures less road maintenance, and wear and tear also come down. There is a need to utilize less thickness of cement by using other methodologies to strengthen the concrete and put a thin layer of bitumen to get better riding quality. He also urged the industry to adopt pre-slab fabs in which quality is maintained and are standardized and suggested the industry to find out ways to expand the use of bitumen and not just restrict to road construction.