India Plans â‚ą11 Lakh Crore (USD 125 Billion) Push to Expand High-Speed Road Network by 2033.
National
India is set to invest a massive â‚ą11 lakh crore (approx. USD 125 billion) to significantly expand its high-speed road infrastructure over the next decade, adding 17,000 km of access-controlled roads built for speeds up to 120 km/h. The initiative, aimed at reducing logistics costs and improving connectivity, targets completion by 2033.
- Approximately 40% of the new high-speed road network is already under construction, with that portion scheduled for completion before 2030. Work on the remaining corridors is expected to begin by 2028 and conclude by 2033.
- The expanded network will support speeds of up to 120 km/h, offering motorists faster and safer journeys compared to conventional highways.
- The investment mirrors ambitious road expansion by other major economies—China's 180,000 km of expressways since the 1990s and the U.S.'s 75,000 km of interstate highways—underscoring India’s intent to modernize infrastructure at par with global peers.
Main Point :- (i) As of March 2025, India’s national highway network spans over 146,000 km, yet only about 4,500 km qualify as high-speed roads. The new plan aims to close this gap significantly.
(ii) The initiative is expected to slash logistics costs and bolster GDP growth by enhancing efficiency in freight movement and connectivity across regions.
(iii) The ambitious plan will rely on hybrid financing mechanisms—such as Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) and Hybrid Annuity Models (HAM)—to attract robust private sector participation in infrastructure delivery.
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