India’s Highway Network Becomes World’s 2nd Largest: Minister Harsh Malhotra
Minister of State for Corporate Affairs and Road, Transport & Highways, Shri Harsh Malhotra, addressed the Road and Highways Summit in New Delhi, highlighting India’s transformative progress in road infrastructure under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and guidance of Union Minister Shri Nitin Gadkari.
He stated that the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH) is committed to building a world-class transport network that enhances connectivity, fuels economic growth, and ensures safety and sustainability. Over the past 11 years, MoRTH has accelerated the pace of highway construction to unprecedented levels—connecting cities, empowering communities, and redefining travel.
Shri Malhotra said that India’s national highway network has grown from 91,000 km in 2014 to over 1.46 lakh km today, making it the second-largest in the world. Government spending on road infrastructure has increased 6.4 times between FY 2013–14 and FY 2024–25, with a 57% rise in budget allocation between 2014 and 2023–24.
This surge in infrastructure investment has created 45 crore man-days of direct employment, 57 crore of indirect employment, and 532 crore of induced employment, boosting job creation across sectors.
He highlighted the construction of over 10,000 km of National Highways in the North Eastern Region in the last decade, reaffirming PM Modi’s commitment to inclusive development.
Discussing Delhi’s traffic issues, Shri Malhotra spoke about the Delhi Decongestion Plan. It includes extensions of expressways such as NE-5 and UER-II, and the construction of a new tunnel from Dwarka Expressway to Nelson Mandela Marg, aiming to reduce congestion and pollution in the capital.
The Minister announced that 700+ Wayside Amenities (WSAs) offering clean restrooms, food, fuel, EV charging, and rest areas will be developed across highways by 2028–29.
Focusing on safety, he said MoRTH has rectified 14,000 accident-prone blackspots and is successfully running initiatives like the Good Samaritan and Cashless Golden Hour schemes.
Under sustainability efforts, over 4.78 crore trees have been planted, and 70,000 trees transplanted along highways. MoRTH is using 80 lakh tonnes of plastic waste in road construction and integrating fly ash to reduce raw material usage and emissions.
Concluding his address, Shri Malhotra said that highway development is key to realizing the vision of Viksit Bharat by 2047. Every rupee invested yields threefold returns to GDP, generates jobs, and builds the foundation of a resilient and prosperous India.
