NHAI targets Rs. 70,000-cr for current fiscal

Top Canadian funds including Brookfield Asset Management, Caisse de Dépôt et Placement du Québec (CDPQ) and PSP Investments have evinced interest in investing in India's highway projects. NHAI Chairman, Raghav Chandra said that Brookfield Asset Management and CDPQ concluded preliminary negotiations with National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and the Roads ministry. PSP Investments and Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan have also expressed interest in the projects. The ministry has targeted about Rs. 70,000-cr in upfront payment from this process and plans to use the funds to meet its estimate of laying 15,000 km of national highways in the current fiscal. On this score, the government has identified about 100 operational highways owned by the NHAI for leasing to private players through the auction route for maintenance and toll collection for 30 years. The highway projects will be leased along with local operations and maintenance partners, he said.