India has the world’s second-largest road network, with National Highways spanning 1,46,560 km, forming the country’s primary arterial network.

The Government strengthens the National Highways network through flagship programmes such as Bharatmala Pariyojana (including the subsumed NHDP), SARDP-NE, LWE Road Development Programme (including the Vijayawada–Ranchi Road), and Externally Aided Projects (EAP).

The National Highway network records a growth of about 61%, expanding from 91,287 km in 2014 to 1,46,560 km at present.

The length of operational access-controlled High-Speed Corridors/Expressways increases from 93 km in 2014 to 3,052 km, registering a growth of about 3,180%.

The length of 4-lane and above National Highways, including access-controlled corridors, more than doubles from 18,371 km in 2014 to 43,512 km at present.

MoRTH cumulatively monetizes ₹1,52,028 crore through various modes of asset monetization till November 2025 and targets ₹30,000 crore during FY 2025-26.

To enhance private participation, Model Concession Agreements (MCAs) are updated: BOT is revamped for the first time since 2007-08; IMC is completed and under finalization; HAM MCA is being finalized; EPC follows post-HAM.

To widen the investment base, MoRTH plans to introduce the Public InvIT – Raajmarg InvIT. SEBI clearance is under process, with issuance targeted for January 2026.

In line with Union Budget 2025-26, MoRTH identifies a PPP project pipeline of 13,400 km, with an estimated cost of ₹8.3 lakh crore, to be developed over the next three years.

A network of 35 Multimodal Logistics Parks is planned under Bharatmala Pariyojana with an investment of about ₹46,000 crore, capable of handling around 700 million metric tonnes of cargo once operational.

To improve user comfort and convenience, the Ministry plans state-of-the-art Wayside Amenities (WSAs) at intervals of 40–60 km along National Highways on PPP mode.

Under Parvatmala Pariyojana, the Ministry envisages development of safe, economical, efficient and world-class ropeway infrastructure to improve connectivity, decongest urban areas and enhance last-mile logistics efficiency in hilly regions.

The Prime Minister inaugurates the 12-km-long Sonamarg Tunnel in Jammu & Kashmir, constructed at a cost of over ₹2,700 crore, and inaugurates and lays foundation stones for multiple road projects at Katra, including the Rafiabad–Kupwara NH widening project worth over ₹1,952 crore.

Landmark Urban Decongestion Projects Including Dwarka Expressway and UER-II Inaugurated in Delhi

The Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways flag off the first-ever trials of hydrogen-powered heavy-duty trucks, launched by Tata Motors in New Delhi.

The Cashless Treatment of Road Accident Victims Scheme, 2025 is notified on a pan-India basis, providing treatment cover of up to ₹1.5 lakh per victim at designated hospitals across the country.

The Ministry strengthens vehicle safety standards through mandatory High Security Registration Plates (HSRP) and advances provisions related to Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) in new vehicles.

MoRTH operationalizes 123 Registered Vehicle Scrapping Facilities across 21 States/UTs and 160 Automated Testing Stations across 19 States/UTs; cumulatively 3.58 lakh vehicles are scrapped till November 2025.

Under the Rah-Veer Scheme, the financial incentive for Good Samaritans increases from ₹5,000 to ₹25,000 per incident, with 10 national-level awards of ₹1 lakh each instituted annually.

The BhoomiRashi Portal enables end-to-end digitization of highway land acquisition with PFMS-linked direct compensation, strengthening efficiency and transparency.

The Ministry introduces a FASTag-based Annual Pass for non-commercial vehicles at ₹3,000 for 200 fee plaza crossings; 36.13 lakh passes are sold, generating ₹1,084 crore in user fee collection till November 2025.

The Government decides to implement barrier-free Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) using Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras on selected National Highway stretches, enabling seamless tolling alongside FASTag.

NHAI Receives Gold Award for Successful Implementation of Drone Analytics Monitoring System (DAMS) in National Highways Maintenance by DARPG

1. NATIONAL HIGHWAYS: CONSTRUCTION & ACHIEVEMENTS

1.1 Road Network in the Country: India has the second largest road network in the world and its National Highways span a total length of 1,46,560 km, forming the primary arterial network of the country. The Government of India has undertaken several initiatives to enhance and strengthen the National Highways network through flagship programmes such as the Bharatmala Pariyojana which includes the subsumed National Highway Development Project (NHDP), the Special Accelerated Road Development Programme for the North-East Region (SARDP-NE), the Special Programme for the development of roads in Left Wing Extremism-affected Areas (LWE), including the development of the Vijayawada-Ranchi Road, and Externally Aided Projects (EAP).

1.2 National Highway Network

• The National Highway (NH) network has grown around 61%, rising from 91,287 km in 2014 to 146,560 km currently.

• The length of operational access-controlled National High Speed Corridors (HSCs) / Expressways has increased from 93 km in 2014 to 3,052 km at present — an increase of about 3,180%.

• The length of 4-lane and above National Highways (including Access controlled HSCs / Expressways) has more than doubled, expanding from 18,371 km in 2014 to 43,512 km at present.

1.3 Award and Construction of National Highways

Sr. No.	Year	Awards (in km)	Construction (in km)	Construction (in km / day)
1	2014-15	7972	4,410	12.1
2	2015-16	10098	6,061	16.6
3	2016-17	15948	8,231	22.6
4	2017-18	17055	9,829	26.9
5	2018-19	5493	10,855	29.7
6	2019-20	8948	10,237	28.1
7	2020-21	10964	13,327	36.5
8	2021-22	12731	10,457	28.6
9	2022-23	12376	10,331	28.3
10	2023-24	8581	12,349	33.83
11	2024-25	7538	10,660	29.21
12	2025-26 (till Nov’25)	1951	4,612	17.06

 

1.4 Bharatmala Pariyojana (including Subsumed National Highways Development Project (NHDP))

The Public Investment Board (PIB) recommended the proposal during its meeting held on 16^th June, 2017. Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved the Bharatmala Phase-I in October, 2017.

The status of various components of Bharatmala Pariyojana as on 30^th November, 2025 is as under:

Component	Length (in km)	Total Length Completed (in km)
		Up to 30.11.2025
Economic Corridors	8,737	6,896
Inter Corridors Roads	2,889	2,397
Feeder Roads	973	702
National Corridors	1,777	1,516
National Corridor Efficiency Improvement	824	767
Expressways	2,422	1,994
Border Roads & International Connectivity Roads	1,619	1,466
Coastal Roads	77	72
Port Connectivity Roads	348	154
Balance Road Works under NHDP	6,758	5,633
Total – Bharatmala	26,425	21,597

Mode wise status of works awarded under Bharatmala Pariyojana is as under:

 

1.5 Special Accelerated Road Development Programme for North-East Region (SARDP-NE)

The status of works taken up under SARDP-NE as on November, 2025 is as under:

1.6 Left Wing Extremism affected Area (LWE) including Development of Vijayawada-Ranchi Road

The status of works taken up under LWE, including Development of Vijayawada-Ranchi Road, as on 30^th November 2025 is as under:

 

1.7 Externally Aided Projects (EAP)

The status of works taken up under EAP [with loan assistance from World Bank / Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) / Asian Development Bank (ADB)] as on November, 2025 is as under:

1.8 NH (O)

The NHs which are not covered under any schemes are prioritised for development in a phased manner based on the traffic requirement under National Highway (Original) works with project based appraisal / approvals undertaken within available budget.

At present, works in about 28,000 km NH length costing about Rs. 7.70 lakh crore are under implementation in the country.

1.9 Maintenance and Repair (M&R) of NH Network

• MoRTH is focusing on both development and maintenance of NHs to ensure their traffic worthiness.
• The M&R of stretches of NHs, where development works have commenced or Operation, Maintenance and Transfer (OMT) Concessions/ Operation and Maintenance (O&M) Contracts have been awarded, are the responsibility of the concerned Concessionaires/ Contractors till the end of the Defect Liability Period (DLP)/ the Concession Period. Similarly, for NHs stretches undertaken under TOT (Toll Operate and Transfer) and InvIT (Infrastructure Investment Trust), M&R responsibility lies with concerned Concessionaire till the end of the Concession Period. No separate maintenance expenditure is incurred in respect of these NHs stretches.
• For all remaining sections of NHs stretches, the Government has prioritized the maintenance and inter-alia evolved a mechanism to ensure M&R of all NHs sections through accountable maintenance agency through Performance based Maintenance Contract (PBMC) or Short Term Maintenance Contract (STMC). Average annual expenditure of Rs. 7,400 Crore has been incurred by MoRTH on M&R of such NHs stretches during the last three years.
• Out of total 1.46 lakh km NH network, development works have been taken up in about 34,000 km length while another 59,000 km length is under DLP / Concession Period and 45,000 km under maintenance through Short Term maintenance Contract (STMC) and Performance Based Maintenance Contract (PBMC) works.
• Furthermore, balance length is planned to be brought under maintenance contracts during FY 2025–26, ensuring full transition toward the target of 100% NH network coverage under maintenance by FY 25–26.
• While STMC works are generally undertaken for a contract period of 1-2 year, PBMC works are undertaken for a contract period of about 5-7 years.

1.10 Asset Monetization:

MoRTH has cumulatively monetised ₹1,52,028 crore through various modes of Asset Monetization till Nov’25. MoRTH has targeted to raise ₹30,000 crore through various modes of Asset Monetization during the current FY 2025-26.

(i) TOT Model - Under this model, the right of collection of user fee (toll) in respect of selected operational highways constructed through public funding are assigned through a concession agreement as a result of bidding for a specified period of 15-30 years to the Concessionaire against upfront payment of a lump-sum amount quoted to the Government/NHAI. During the concession period, the responsibility for operations and maintenance of the road assets rests with the Concessionaire. MoRTH has monetised ₹58,265 crore through Toll Operate Transfer (TOT) till Nov’25. Further, ₹9,270 crore has already been awarded under TOT mode during the current FY 2025-26.

(ii) InVIT Model - NHAI has set up an InvIT under the SEBI InvIT Regulations, 2014, in which NHAI is having 16% stake apart from main investors (CPPIB, OTPP etc.). InvIT is a pooled investment vehicle that issues units to investors, while having three entities for management of the Trust - Trustee, Investment Manager and Project Manager. The three entities have defined roles and responsibilities under the SEBI Regulations. MoRTH has monetised ₹43,638 crore through InvIT, till Nov’25.

(iii) Securitization through SPV Model: A SPV/DME (100% owned by NHAI) has been created by bundling road assets under consideration and securitizing the future user fee from road assets. NHAI will collect toll, maintain the road assets and periodically transfer payments to the SPV sufficient for servicing debt obligations at SPV level. Rs. 50,125 crore has been raised so far through this mode (DME- Delhi Mumbai Expressway) by NHAI.

1.11 Relief for Contractors/Developers of the Road Sector

• To enhance private participation in highway projects, contracts (MCA) is being updated - BOT revamped for 1st time since 2007-08; IMC completed & under finalization; HAM MCA being finalized; EPC will be post HAM.
• To widen investment scope, MoRT&H has planned to introduce Public InvIT - Raajmarg InvIT. SEBI clearance is under process and target to issue in January’26.
• In line with Budget FY25-26, MoRTH has identified a PPP project pipeline of 13,400 km projects with cost Rs. 8.3 Lakh Cr to be developed in PPP mode over the next 3 years.

2. LOGISTICS & ALLIED HIGHWAY INFRASTRUCTURE

2.1. Multi Modal Logistics Parks (MMLPs)

The Ministry finalized the Model Concessionaire Agreement (MCA) for the Multi-Modal Logistics Parks (MMLPs) in October 2021 through an elaborate process of Inter-Ministerial consultations. In addition to the MCA, the Ministry, in November 2021, also finalized and approved the Model RFP document of selection of Concessionaire for development of MMLPs.

A network of 35 Multimodal Logistics Parks is planned to be developed as part of Bharatmala Pariyojana, with a total investment of about Rs. 46,000 crore, which once operational, shall be able to handle around 700 million metric tonnes of cargo. Of this, MMLPs at 15 prioritized locations will be developed with a total investment of about Rs. 22,000 crore.

These MMLPs shall serve as regional cargo aggregation and distribution hubs for various industrial and agricultural nodes, consumer hubs and EXIM gateways such as seaports with multi-modal connectivity. In certain cases, the MMLPs are also being developed in tandem with the Inland Waterway Terminals under the Sagarmala Pariyojana to further reduce the cost of inland cargo movement at a much larger scale as compared to conventional road-based movement.

2.1.1 All these MMLPs are being developed on PPP-DBFOT basis having Concession Period of 45 years. MMLPs will have facility for modal shift, Inland Container Depot (ICD), Container yard, Warehouses, Cold storage, Truck parking, Fuel pump, EV charging, Commercial area, truckers facilities etc. The status of MMLPs awarded in as below.

2.1.2 Status of Awarded MMLPs

S. No.	MMLP	State	Location	Land (Area)	Investment (Rs. Cr.)	Mode
1	Jogighopa	Assam	Jogighopa	190	694	EPC
2	Chennai	Tamil Nadu	Mappedu	181	1423	PPP
3	Indore	Madhya Pradesh	Pithampur	255	1111	PPP
4	Bangalore	Karnataka	Dabbaspete	400	177	PPP
5	Jalna	Maharashtra	Jalna	63	66	EPC

 

These projects, when completed, will contribute significantly to the growth of India's logistics sector with reduction in carbon emission and strengthen the country's infrastructure.

The Bids have been invited for MMLP Anantapur, Pune and Nashik and work of preparation of Feasibility Study Reports is in progress for MMLP at Patna, Jammu, Coimbatore & Hyderabad.

2.2 Way Side Amenities (WSA)

To improve the comfort and convenience of the Highway users, the Ministry has planned the development of state-of-the-art Wayside Amenities (WSA) at about every 40-60 km along the National Highways on PPP mode. These facilities are aimed to provide multiple options of rest and refreshment for the highway commuters during their journey. Some of the mandatory facilities being developed at each WSA are fuel stations, EV charging stations, food court/restaurants, dhabas, convenience stores, clean and hygienic toilet facilities, drinking water, first aid/medical room including childcare room, dedicated area for promoting local artisans, car/bus/truck parking, Trucker facilities like Dhaba's, dormitories, drone landing facilities/ helipad etc.

A total of 700+ WSAs were planned to be awarded along the National Highways. Out of this 700+ WSA sites planned, a total of 510 WSA have already been awarded till Nov 2025 and out of which 110 sites are operational. These WSAs offer huge opportunities for investors, developers, operators and retailers. All upcoming Greenfield Access-controlled Highway projects are provisioned to have Wayside Amenities. This will also promote local economy by generating employment opportunities and help local people to market their unique produces/handicrafts etc. at village hats developed at these places.

2.3 Ropeways

Ministry has Development Programme - Parvatmala Pariyojana across the country to improve connectivity & convenience for commuters in hilly regions and to decongest urban areas where conventional mode of transport is saturated or not feasible. Under this program, the Ministry envisages provision of safe, economical, convenient, efficient, self-sustainable & world-class ropeway infrastructure providing first & last mile connectivity to improve logistics efficiency in India.

Under Parvatmala Pariyojana, ropeway projects of ~60 km length are planned for award by FY 2023-24 as per the Budget Announcement. Out of these, 05 ropeway projects of 11.01 Km are under implementation on HAM mode viz. Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh), Bijli Mahadev (Himachal Pradesh), Dhosi Hill (Haryana), Mahakaleshwar Temple, Ujjain (Madhya Pradesh) and Sangam Prayagraj (Uttar Pradesh).

02 ropeway projects of 25.45 Km are awarded on DBFOT basis viz. Sonprayag - Kedarnath (Uttarakhand), Govindghat - Hemkund Sahib (Uttarakhand) and 01 ropeway project at Tikitoriya Mata Temple (Madhya Pradesh) on EPC basis.,

02 ropeway projects of 1.69 Km are under advance stage of award viz. Ramtek Gad Temple (Maharashtra) and Shankaracharya Temple (Jammu and Kashmir).

02 projects i.e viz. Kamakhya Temple (Assam) and Brahmagiri to Anjaneri at Trimbakeshwar, Nashik (Maharashtra) are submitted to MoRTH for approval.

02 projects are under feasibility stage i.e Tawang Monastery PT Tso Lake (Arunachal Pradesh) and Kathgodam - Hanuman Garhi Temple Nainital (Uttarakhand).

3. MAJOR EVENTS OF 2025

3.1 INAUGURATIONS / LAYING OF FOUNDATION STONE BY HON’BLE PRIME MINISTER

• Jammu & Kashmir: Hon’ble Prime Minister inaugurated the Sonamarg tunnel in Jammu & Kashmir on 13 January, 2025. The Sonamarg Tunnel project, around 12 km long, has been constructed at a cost of over Rs 2,700 crore. It comprises the Sonamarg main tunnel of 6.4 km length, an egress tunnel and approach roads. Situated at an altitude of over 8,650 feet above sea level, it will enhance all-weather connectivity between Srinagar and Sonamarg enroute to Leh, bypassing landslide and avalanche routes and ensuring safer and uninterrupted access to the strategically critical Ladakh region. It will also promote tourism by transforming Sonamarg into a year-round destination, boosting winter tourism, adventure sports, and local livelihoods.
• Jammu & Kashmir: In a major boost to last mile connectivity especially in border areas, Hon’ble Prime Minister laid the foundation stone and inaugurated various road projects at Katra, Jammu & Kashmir on 6th June, 2025. He laid the foundation stone of road widening project from Rafiabad to Kupwara on National Highway-701 and the construction of Shopian bypass road on NH-444 worth over Rs 1,952 crore. He also inaugurated two flyover projects at Sangrama Junction on National Highway-1 in Srinagar and at Bemina Junction on National Highway-44. These projects will ease traffic congestion and enhance traffic flow for the commuters.
• Chhattisgarh: Enhancing the road infrastructure in the region, Hon’ble Prime Minister dedicated to the nation the upgraded Jhalmala to Sherpar section of NH-930 (37 Km) and Ambikapur-Pathalgaon section of NH-43 (75 Km) to 2 Laning with paved shoulder in Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh on 30^th March, 2025. Prime Minister also laid the foundation stone for the upgradation of Kondagaon- Narayanpur section of NH-130D(47.5Km) to 2 Lane with paved shoulder. These projects worth over Rs 1,270 crore will significantly improve accessibility to tribal and industrial regions leading to holistic development of the region.
• Uttar Pradesh: Hon’ble Prime Minister laid the foundation stone and inaugurated various development projects worth over Rs 3,880 crore in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh on 11th April, 2025. Furthermore, he laid the foundation stone for a road bridge between Varanasi Ring Road and Sarnath, flyovers at Bhikharipur and Manduadih crossings of the city and a highway underpass road tunnel on NH-31 at the Varanasi International Airport worth over Rs 980 crore.

• Uttar Pradesh: In line with commitment to improve road connectivity in Varanasi, Hon’ble Prime Minister inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of several key infrastructure projects in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh on 2nd August, 2025. He inaugurated the widening and strengthening of the Varanasi-Bhadohi Road and Chhitauni- Shool Tankeshwar road; and Railway Overbridge at Hardattpur, to ease congestion on the Mohan Sarai - Adalpura Road. He laid the foundation stone for comprehensive road widening and strengthening across multiple rural and urban corridors, including Dalmandi, Lahartara-Kotwa, Gangapur, Babatpur among others and Railway Overbridges at Level Crossing 22C and Khalispur Yard.
• Haryana: Hon’ble Prime Minister inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of various development projects in Yamuna Nagar, Haryana on 14th April, 2025. On the occasion he also inaugurated the 14.4 km Rewari Bypass project, worth around Rs 1,070 crore under the Bharatmala Pariyojana. It will decongest Rewari city, reduce Delhi–Narnaul travel time by around one hour, and boost economic and social activity in the region.
• Andhra Pradesh: In line with his commitment to ensure world-class infrastructure and connectivity across the country, Hon’ble Prime Minister inaugurated 7 National Highway projects in Andhra Pradesh on 2nd May, 2025. These Projects include widening of various sections of National Highways, construction of Road over bridge and subway among others. These projects will further enhance road safety; create employment opportunities; provide seamless connectivity to religious and tourist places like Tirupati, Srikalahasti, Malakonda and Udayagiri Fort among others.
• Andhra Pradesh: To enhance road infrastructure, Hon’ble Prime Minister on 16 October, 2025 in Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh laid the foundation stone for the six-lane Greenfield Highway from Sabbavaram to Sheelanagar over Rs. 960 crores, aimed at easing congestion in Visakhapatnam and facilitating trade and employment. In addition, six road projects worth around a total of Rs. 1,140 crores will be inaugurated, including the four-laning of the Pileru–Kalur section, widening from Kadapa/Nellore border to CS Puram, the four-lane Rail over Bridge (ROB) between Gudivada and Nujella Railway Stations on NH-165, the major bridge across Papagni River on NH-716, the Kanigiri Bypass on NH-565, and the improvement of the bypassed section in N. Gundlapalli Town on NH-544DD. These projects will improve safety, reduce travel time, and strengthen regional connectivity across Andhra Pradesh.

• Rajasthan: Hon’ble Prime Minister laid the foundation stone for construction of 3 Vehicle Underpasses, widening and strengthening of National highways in Bikaner, Rajasthan on 22nd May, 2025. The roadways projects, worth over Rs 4850 crore, will facilitate smoother movement of goods and people. The highways extend up to the Indo-Pak border, enhancing accessibility for security forces and strengthening India's defence infrastructure.
• Rajasthan: In a major boost to road infrastructure, Hon’ble Prime Minister inaugurated multiple road projects related to National and State Highways in Barmer, Ajmer, Dungarpur districts among others on 25th September, 2025 in Banswara, Rajasthan. These projects worth over Rs 2,630 crore will improve regional road connectivity, ensure smoother traffic and enhance road safety.

• Bihar: In a major boost to the road infrastructure and connectivity in the region, Hon’ble Prime Minister laid the foundation stone for various road projects including the Four-Laning of the Patna–Arrah–Sasaram section of NH-119A, and the Six-Laning of the Varanasi–Ranchi–Kolkata highway (NH-319B) and Ramnagar–Kacchi Dargah stretch (NH-119D), and construction of a new Ganga bridge between Buxar and Bharauli at Karakat, Bihar on 30th May, 2025. These projects will create seamless high-speed corridors in the state along with boosting trade and regional connectivity. He also inaugurated the four Laning of Patna – Gaya – Dobhi section of NH – 22, worth around Rs 5,520 crore and four Laning of the elevated highway and at grade improvements at Gopalganj Town on NH – 27, among others.
• Bihar: In a major boost to road infrastructure in the region, Hon’ble Prime Minister laid the foundation stone for 4-laning of Ara bypass of NH-319 that connects Ara-Mohania NH-319 and Patna-Buxar NH-922 providing seamless connectivity and reducing travel time, in Motihari, Bihar on 18th July, 2025. He also inaugurated the 4-lane Parariya to Mohania section of NH-319, worth over Rs 820 crore, part of NH-319 which connects Ara Town to NH-02 (Golden Quadrilateral) that will improve freight and passenger movement. Among others, a 2-lane with paved shoulder from Sarwan to Chakai of NH-333C which will facilitate the movement of goods and people and act as a key link between Bihar and Jharkhand.

• Bihar: In line with his commitment to improving connectivity, Hon’ble Prime Minister inaugurated the 8.15 km long Aunta–Simaria bridge project on NH-31, including the 1.86 km long 6 lane Bridge on river Ganga, constructed at a cost of over Rs 1,870 crore, at Gaya in Bihar on 22 August, 2025. It will provide direct connectivity between Mokama in Patna and Begusarai. The bridge has been constructed parallel to an old 2-lane dilapidated rail-cum-road bridge “Rajendra Setu” which is in poor condition forcing heavy vehicles to re-route. The new bridge will reduce this extra travel distance of more than 100 km for the heavy vehicles travelling between North Bihar (Begusarai, Supaul, Madhubani, Purnea, Araria etc) and South Bihar areas (Sheikhpura, Nawada, Lakhisarai etc). It will also help reduce issues of traffic jams in other parts of the region due to the detour which these vehicles were forced to take. It will boost economic growth in the adjoining areas, especially in North Bihar, which are dependent on South Bihar and Jharkhand for getting necessary raw material. It will also provide better connectivity to the famous pilgrimage place of Simaria Dham, which is also the birthplace of famous poet Late Shri Ramdhari Singh Dinkar. He also inaugurated the four-lane Bakhtiyarpur to Mokama section of NH-31, worth around Rs 1,900 crore, which will ease congestion, reduce travel time, and enhance passenger and freight movement. Further, improvement to the two-lane with paved shoulders of Bikramganj–Dawath–Nawanagar–Dumraon section of NH-120 in Bihar will improve connectivity in rural areas, providing new economic opportunities for the local population.
• West Bengal: Hon’ble Prime Minister inaugurated two road over bridges (ROBs) constructed under Setu Bharatam Programme, worth over Rs 380 crore, at Topsi and Pandabeshwar in Paschim Bardhaman on 18th July in Durgapur, West Bengal. It will improve connectivity and also help in preventing accidents on Railway level crossing.
• West Bengal: In a major boost to road infrastructure in the region, Hon’ble Prime Minister also laid the foundation stone of 7.2 km long six-lane elevated Kona Expressway worth over Rs 1,200 crore in Kolkata at West Bengal on 22nd August, 2025. It will enhance connectivity between Howrah, surrounding rural areas, and Kolkata, saving hours of travel time and giving significant boost to trade, commerce, and tourism in the region.
• Tamil Nadu: Hon’ble Prime Minister on 26th July, 2025 dedicated two strategically significant highway projects in Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu. The first is the 4-laning of the 50 km Sethiyathope–Cholapuram stretch of NH-36, developed at more than ₹2,350 crore under the Vikravandi–Thanjavur corridor. It includes three bypasses, a 1-km four-lane bridge over the Kollidam River, four major bridges, seven flyovers, and several underpasses, reducing travel time by 45 minutes between Sethiyathope–Cholapuram and boosting connectivity to Delta region’s cultural and agricultural hubs. The second project is the 6-laning of the 5.16 km NH-138 Thoothukudi Port Road, built at around ₹200 crore. Featuring underpasses and bridges, it will ease cargo flow, cut logistics costs, and support port-led industrial growth around V.O. Chidambaranar Port.

• Delhi: Hon’ble Prime Minister inaugurated two major National Highway projects worth a combined cost of nearly Rs.11,000 crore at Rohini, Delhi on 17th August, 2025. The projects — the Delhi section of the Dwarka Expressway and the Urban Extension Road-II (UER-II) — have been developed under the Government’s comprehensive plan to decongest the capital, with the objective of greatly improving connectivity, cutting travel time, and reducing traffic in Delhi and its surrounding areas. These initiatives reflect Prime Minister Modi’s vision of creating world-class infrastructure that enhances ease of living and ensures seamless mobility. The 10.1 km long Delhi section of Dwarka Expressway has been developed at a cost of around Rs. 5,360 crores. The section will also provide Multi-modal connectivity to Yashobhoomi, DMRC Blue line and Orange line, upcoming Bijwasan railway station and Dwarka cluster Bus Depot.

• Manipur: In line with his commitment to improve road connectivity Hon’ble Prime Minister announced 5 National Highway projects worth more than Rs 2,500 crore at Churachandpur in Manipur on 13th September, 2025.
• Assam: Hon’ble Prime Minister on 14th September 2025 in Darrang, Assam laid the foundation stone of Guwahati Ring Road Project that will enhance urban mobility, decongest traffic, and improve connectivity in and around the capital city; and Kuruwa–Narengi Bridge over River Brahmaputra improving connectivity and promoting socio-economic development in the region.

3.2 INAUGURATIONS / LAYING OF FOUNDATION STONE BY MINISTER & MINISTERS OF STATE FOR ROAD TRANSPORT & HIGHWAYS

• New Delhi: Hon’ble Union Minister for Roads Transport and Highways flagged off the first-ever trials of hydrogen-powered heavy-duty trucks launched by Tata Motors in New Delhi on 4th March, 2025. The historic trial, marks a significant step towards sustainable long-distance cargo transportation in the country, as Tata Motors underscores its commitment to leading the charge in sustainable mobility solutions, aligning with India’s broader green energy goals. It marks a significant step forward in assessing the real-world commercial viability of using hydrogen powered vehicles for long distance haulage as well as setting-up the requisite enabling infrastructure for their seamless operation.
• Uttar Pradesh: Hon’ble Union Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways & Corporate Affairs, Shri Harsh Malhotra on 20th May, 2025 laid the foundation stone for 5 vehicular underpasses – Baghnath, Ken Union Chowk, Fazilnagar, Salemgarh and Patheria in Kushinagar. The vehicular underpasses, which were envisioned as an important step towards decongestion and reducing road casualties are being developed at an estimated total cost of Rs. 111 crores with a combined length of 5.4 km and are scheduled to be completed by end of 2026.
• Karnataka: Hon’ble Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for 9 National Highway projects spanning 88 km, with an investment exceeding ₹2,000 crore, in Sagara Town, Shivamogga, Karnataka on 14 July, 2025. The newly inaugurated Sharavathi Bridge is poised to significantly improve connectivity between the Malnad and coastal regions, while also facilitating easier access to important pilgrimage centres such as the Sigandur Chowdeshwari and Kollur Mookambika temples. The widening of the 47-kilometre-long Bidar–Humnabad section of NH-367 will substantially reduce travel time between the districts of Kalaburagi and Bidar. Restoration works undertaken in the Shiradi Ghat stretch of NH-75 are expected to ensure safe and uninterrupted traffic movement during the monsoon season, particularly along the vital Mangaluru–Bengaluru corridor.
• Andhra Pradesh: Hon’ble Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for 29 National Highway projects covering 272 km, with an investment of over ₹5,233 crore, in Mangalagiri, Andhra Pradesh on 2 August, 2025. Alongside this, foundation stones are being laid for 27 additional projects aimed at enhancing connectivity across Andhra Pradesh. These will improve access to religious sites like Tirupati, Srisailam, and Kadiri, and tourist destinations such as Horsley Hills and Vodarevu Beach. Seamless links to economic hubs—Sri City, Krishnapatnam Port, and Tirupati Airport will be established.
• Puducherry: Hon’ble Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for 3 National Highway projects worth over ₹2,000 crore in Puducherry on 13th October, 2025. This includes the foundation stone laying for the construction of a 4 km elevated corridor between Indira Gandhi Square and Rajiv Gandhi Square on NH-32, improvements to the 14 km ECR Road on NH-332A, and the inauguration of the 38 km four-lane Puducherry–Poondiyankuppam section of NH-32. These projects are designed to enhance road safety and ease traffic congestion within the urban stretch from Indira Gandhi Square to Rajiv Gandhi Square, reducing travel time from 35 minutes to just 10 minutes. They will also decongest Puducherry’s urban areas, resulting in significant fuel savings, reduced vehicular emissions, and lower operating costs.

3.3 OTHER EVENTS, ACTIVITIES AND CAMPAIGNS

• Special Campaign 5.0

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) and its agencies successfully concluded the Special Campaign for Disposal of Pending Matters 5.0 from 2^nd to 31^st October, 2025. The campaign was launched in the MoRTH by Shri Harsh Malhotra, Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways on 2^nd October, by administering Swachhata Pledge undertaking Cleanliness drive in Transport Bhawan. The Ministry has achieved 100% target in Record Management (review of old physical/e-files (18,616) and cleanliness activities. MoRTH and its agencies carried out cleanliness activities at more than 15,000 sites, which included offices, construction camps/sites, NH stretches, Toll Plazas, wayside amenities, Road-side Dhabas, Bus Stops, flyovers etc. Further, Ministry has achieved 99% targets in disposal of Public Grievances (1,147) and Public Grievance Appeals (522). Further, Ministry has disposed 92% i.e. 671 out of 730 identified pending MP references. During the period 10 out of 13 pending PMO References have also been disposed of. Space management and beautification was carried out at various office premises and more than 220 sq ft. of office space was freed up and more than 640 kg of office scrap was also disposed of.

• Clean Toilet Picture Challenge

Under the ‘Special Campaign 5.0’, NHAI launched a unique ‘Clean Toilet Picture Challenge’, on 13th October, 2025, under which the National Highway users could report a dirty toilet and get rewarded. The drive encouraged highway users to report dirty toilets at Toll Plazas along the National Highway, rewarding such reports to ensure clean and hygienic facilities. The initiative was open to all National Highway users for reporting dirty toilets by uploading geo-tagged pictures through the latest version of the ‘Rajmargyatra’ app and providing details such as user’s name, location, Vehicle Registration Number and Mobile number. The drive is a part of Government of India’s ‘Special Campaign 5.0’ that reaffirms commitment towards ensuring cleanliness, transparency, and efficiency in governance. Each Vehicle Registration Number (VRN) reporting such instances was eligible for a reward of Rs.1,000 (Rupees One Thousand) in the form of FASTag recharge that was credited to the linked VRN provided by the Highway user.

4.         ROAD TRANSPORT

The Ministry is responsible for the formulation of broad policies relating to regulation of road transport in the country, besides making/monitoring arrangements for vehicular traffic to and from neighboring countries. The following Acts/Rules, which embody the policy relating to motor vehicles and State Road Transport Corporations (SRTCs), are being administered by the Ministry:

1. l. Motor Vehicles Act, 1988
2. m.Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989
3. n.Road Transport Corporations Act, 1950
4. o.Carriage by Road Act, 2007
5. p.Carriage by Road Rules, 2011

 

4.1 Strengthening ITS in Public Transport System

i. The Ministry has appraised the existing scheme namely “Strengthening ITS in Public Transport System”’ to provide financial assistance to State/UT Governments for use of latest technologies such as GPS/ GSM based vehicle tracking system, computerised reservation/ ticketing system, inter-modal fare integration, passenger information system etc. The Scheme includes cost of capital expenditure of ITS hardware, software, application development, operation, planning, management, administrative work, and appointment of Project Management Unit (PMU).

ii. The Transport Bodies such as State Transport Undertakings, State Transport Corporations, Public Private Partnerships and State Government Bodies (including hilly regions and North-east States) are eligible to avail the financial assistance under the Scheme.

iii. The duration of the scheme is for 4 years (FY 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25 and 2025-26 i.e., during remaining period of 15th Finance Commission Cycle). The total outlay of the Scheme is estimated to be Rs.175 Crore from Ministry. Previous Scheme had fund of share of 50% by Ministry but the revamped scheme has fund share of 70% by Ministry and remaining 30% will be contributed by respective Transport Bodies.

iv. As on date, 13 proposals of KSRTC, TSRTC, GSRTC, Bhopal BCLL, Sikkim SNT Mira Bhainder MBMTU, Assam ASTC, Puducherry PRTC, NMMT Navi Mumbai, Rajasthan RSRTC, Uttar Pradesh UPSRTC, Nagaland NST an Chandigarh CTU have been sanctioned amounting to Rs.250 Cr (Central Share of Rs. 175 Cr).

4.2 Citizen Centric Initiatives

4.2.1 Divyangjan-friendly measures: The grounds for applying for temporary registration has been expanded, to include cases of fully built motor vehicles which are to be altered for conversion to an adapted vehicle. Provision has been made to reflect ownership type as Divyangjan during vehicle purchase to provide GST benefits. Provisions have been made to allow alteration of motor vehicles suited to the requirements of Divyangjan. Such adapted vehicles are now eligible to be registered and for which driving license may be procured. Further, relaxation in eligibility criteria of DL has been provided to facilitate persons with mild to medium color blindness to obtain DL, for which they were not eligible earlier. An advisory has been issued by the Ministry regarding facilitation of the vehicles whose ownership type is Divyangjan. Another advisory was issued by the Ministry regarding issuance of driving licence to Divyangjan for e-rickshaws / e-carts.

4.2.2 Cashless Treatment to Road Accident Victims: Cashless Treatment of Road Accident Victims Scheme, 2025 (Scheme) has been notified on a pan India basis vide S.O. 2015(E) dated the 5th May, 2025 and the Guidelines of the Scheme have been notified vide S.O. 2489(E) dated the 4th June, 2025. Under this Scheme any person who is a victim of road accident caused by the use of a motor vehicle shall be entitled to treatment cover upto Rs. 1.5 lakh per victim, subject to a maximum cap of 7 days from the date of accident at any designated hospital across the country.

4.2.3 Safety provisions of E-rickshaws and e-cart: G.S.R. 835(E) dated 11 November 2025, issued by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, introduces the Central Motor Vehicles (Seventh Amendment) Rules, 2025, bringing e-rickshaws and e-carts formally under the Central Motor Vehicles Rules (CMVR). This amendment expands the vehicle-category framework to explicitly include these electric vehicles, ensuring they fall under standardized requirements for type approval, registration, safety norms, and manufacturing compliance.

4.2.4 High Security Registration Plates (HSRP) and Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS): G.S.R. 819(E) dated 03rd November, 2025 aims to strengthen national vehicle-security and safety standards by reinforcing mandatory High Security Registration Plates (HSRP) for all applicable vehicles and advancing provisions related to Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) in new vehicle models. The notification aims to curb vehicle theft, eliminate the use of duplicate or tampered number plates, and improve enforcement through secure, tamper-proof identification. At the same time, by laying regulatory groundwork for ADAS features—such as collision-warning, lane-support, and other safety-enhancing technologies—the amendment supports India’s broader road-safety strategy and aligns domestic vehicle standards with global best practices.

4.3 Development of State-wise Vehicle Tracking Platform in States / UTs (under Nirbhaya Framework)

Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has approved a scheme (on 15th January, 2020) for implementation of “Development, Customization, Deployment and Management of State-wise vehicle tracking platform for Safety & Enforcement as per AIS 140 Specifications in States / UTs under Nirbhaya Framework” at total estimated cost of Rs. 463.90 crore (including Central and State share, as per Nirbhaya Framework).

The proposed system envisages enhancing the safety of women and girl children by establishing Monitoring Centers across States/UTs, which shall track all the Public Service Vehicles (PSV) that are fitted with location tracking device and emergency buttons for raising an alert in case of emergency. The Monitoring Centre will monitor the alerts and coordinate with State Emergency Response Support System (SERSS) for responding to distress calls. MoRTH had earlier issued a notification dated 28th November, 2016, wherein Vehicle Location Tracking (VLT) device and emergency buttons were mandated to be fitted in all public service vehicles. Further, the responsibility of fitting VLT device and emergency buttons lies with the vehicle owner, and this scheme shall finance only the setting up of Monitoring Centre in each State/UT for the tracking of PSVs.

MoRTH has received proposals from all 36 States/UTs and disbursed funds of Rs. 255,60 Cr till date. MoRTH has been closely monitoring the implementation of this scheme. Total 18 States/UTs have commissioned the Monitoring Centers so far. More States/UTs are in advanced stages of commissioning the Monitoring Centers.

4.4 Business Centric initiatives

(i) Level playing field for bus body builders: Ministry has prescribed level playing field in the area of manufacturing of buses by OEMs and Bus Body Builders. The said regulations has come into effect from 1st September, 2025. As per the regulations, the Bus Body Builders in the unorganised sector will be also subjected to the type approval process (at par with the OEMs) instead of through the self-certification method, currently in vogue. In addition to the proposed applicability of such uniform test procedures, the bus body builders will also have to meet the applicable safety and performance requirements.

(ii) Tractor-Trailer Interchangeability: The regulatory framework for tractor–trailer interchangeability, ensuring that tractors and the trailers they tow meet uniform safety and coupling standards. The notification brings greater standardisation in mechanical couplers, electrical connectors, identification requirements, and tracking mechanisms, enabling only approved and compatible tractor–trailer combinations to operate on the road. By formalising interchangeability norms, the rule aims to curb the long-standing practice of using unregulated or locally fabricated trailers that compromise road safety. G.S.R. 834(E) aims to improving the safety, traceability and compliance of India’s haulage sector by ensuring that tractors and trailers function as an integrated, regulated combination.

(iii) Bharat New Car Assessment Program (Bharat NCAP): Bharat New Car Assessment Program (Bharat NCAP) was launched on 22nd August, 2023 at New Delhi with an aim to enhance road safety by elevating vehicle safety standards for up to 3.5-ton vehicles in India. This is a voluntary program in which the base variants of a given model shall be tested and will commence from 1st Oct 2023 based on Automotive Industry Standard (AIS) 197. The program aims to create ecosystem of competitive safety enhancements leading to increased awareness among consumers by which consumers can take an informed decision by making a comparative assessment on vehicle performance under crash test conditions. This program brings the opportunity to the OEMs to manufacture vehicles of global safety standards.

4.5 Policy for Data Sharing from the National Transport Repository

The National Transport Repository (NTR) serves as the central database for records including Vahan, Sarathi, eChallan, eDAR, and FASTag. As the NTR contains sensitive personal information accessed by various government and enforcement agencies for specific purposes, data sharing must be strictly regulated. This policy has been developed to ensure uniformity and legal compliance in data sharing. This policy provides clear guidelines in line with recent legal requirements regarding consent for sharing personal data. The policy outlines procedures and safeguards to ensure secure and lawful data sharing, supporting government functions, academic research, and promoting ease of living and ease of doing business. A detailed framework covering datasets, modes of sharing, and the request and approval process for Vahan, Sarathi, eChallan, eDAR, and FASTag has been formalized.

5. VOLUNTARY VEHICLE-FLEET MODERNIZATION PROGRAM (VVMP/ VEHICLE SCRAPPING POLICY)

5.1 Vehicle Scrapping and Testing Service:

MoRT&H has been successful in operationalizing 123 Registered Vehicle Scrapping Facility (RVSF) across 21 States/UTs (50+ RVSFs are under construction to improve geographical coverage) and 160 Automated Testing Station (ATS) across 19 States/UTs (further 340 in pipeline for establishment)

Cumulatively, 3.58 Lakh vehicles have been scrapped (including 1.59 Lakh government vehicles and 1.99 Lakh private vehicles) and 14.6 Lakh vehicles tested till November 2025.

5.2 Citizen Centric Initiatives:

5.2.1 The policy focuses on citizen centricity by allowing vehicles registered in any State to be fitness tested scrapped at any ATS RVSF in the country, A citizen receives a Certificate of Deposit (CD) issued only by RVSFs on scrapping their vehicles. To incentivize vehicles owners to scrap their vehicles at RVSFs, various incentives are provided by Government and Auto OEMs on new vehicles purchased against CDs:

• Concession in motor vehicle tax of up to 25% for Non-Transport vehicles and up to 15% for Transport vehicles which are purchased against Certificate of Deposit vide MoRTH GSR 720 (E). 27 States / UTs have announced the MV tax concession so far

• Waiver of Registration fees for all vehicles across the country which are purchased against a Certificate of Deposit In addition, Auto OEMs have agreed to provide discounts on vehicles purchased against CD, as detailed below:

• CVs: 7 OEMs covering 95% market (Tata, Eicher, Ashok Leyland, Mahindra, Isuzu Motors, SML Isuzu, Force) agreed discounts up to 3%.

• PVs: 11 OEMs covering 98% market (Maruti, Tata, Mahindra, Hyundai, Kia, Toyota Honda, JSW MG, Renault, Nissan, Skoda-Volkswagen) agreed lower of 1.5% discount OR Rs.20,000 and Mercedez Benz (12th OEM) has announced Rs. 25,000 discount.

5.2.2 In addition to the above financial incentives, there are a lot of non-financial incentives including:

• Reduction in pollution due to scrapping of old polluting vehicles: Ilt is estimated that on an average, the emissions from a single Pre-BS M&HCV are equivalent to -14 B$ VI M&HCVs. Similarly, emissions from a BS I and BS Il M&HCV are equivalent to -7 BS VI M&HCVs and -6 BS VI M&HCVs respectively.

• Environment-friendly safe disposal of End-of-Life Vehicles

• Better safety features in new vehicles versus old vehicles

• Lower maintenance costs in new vehicles versus old vehicles

5.2.3 Further, to disincentivize vehicle owners from using older vehicles, MoRTH has increased fees for registration, fitness certificate issuance and fitness testing of older vehicles vide MoRTH GSR 568 € & GSR 850€.

For citizen convenience and seamless experience to users, a digital infrastructure has been created on the Vahan portal for V-VMP to facilitate scrapping of end-of-life vehicles and fitness testing.

End-to-end digitisation of citizen journey of scrapping and vehicle fitness testing through Vahan modules (AFMS and VScrap) from booking appointment, submitting application, and issuing applicable certificates (e.g., certificate of deposit on scrapping, fitness test report and certificate)

Fully integrated portals with Vahan database enabling dynamic updation of records like vehicle scrapping status and fitness test results on real-time in respective national databases, eliminating additional manual interventions for citizen:

Citizen incentives linked to CD are configured across relevant state department portals to ensure seamless disbursement of benefits such as MV Tax concession and waiver of registration fee at all touchpoints.

Citizen awareness campaign has also been launched for vehicle owners to be informed of policy benefits.

5.3 Investment promotion and ease of doing business:

• The policy promoted private investment across RVSFs and ATSs where relaxed criteria was defined in MoRTH guidelines to obtain a registration certificate (RC) for setting up RVSFs and ATSs from the respective State Transport Departments.

• Regular investor summits conducted in collaboration with State Governments across 25 States to promote V-VMP policy attracting private investments by showcasing policy objectives, impact, and business opportunities, resulting in a pipeline of 70+ applications for RVSFs and 335+ for ATSs including those which are under construction and in the process of approval.

• Further, any registered investor business in the RVSF and ATS ecosystem is onboarded to the digital infrastructure created under V-VMP for ease of doing business.

• National Single Window System (NSWS): A single window digital clearance portal for investors providing all-in-one approval repository, real-time application status tracking and fast query management, helping streamline approval process between State Transport Dept. and investor.

• E-Auction of Government vehicles to RVSFs for scrapping: Dedicated e-auction portals developed by Metal Scrap Trade Corporation (MSTC) and Government eMarketplace (GeM), onboarded under V-VMP to facilitate transparent and structured exchange of Government vehicles older than 15 years between Government departments (Center, State, PSUs) and RVSFs, enabling price discovery and demand aggregation. RVSFs registered as per MoRTH guidelines can only participate in these auctions and purchase these vehicles for scrapping.

• Digitization of operations at RVSFs and ATSs: Leveraging Vahan modules under VVMP investors can digitally manage end-to-end lifecycle operations at ATS and RVSF . scheduling, booking acceptance, document verification, and certificate issuance. These portals enable seamless process, making it easier and cost-effective for investors to run their operations:

• AFMS portal enabling testing ecosystem: National Informatics Centre (NIC) has developed a module on Vahan for end-to-end lifecycle management of testing through ATS. The Automatic Fitness Management System (AFMS) provides the motor vehicle owners ability to book vehicle fitness tests, view fitness test results and fitness certificate and apply for re-tests. Automated Testing System (ATS) operators will be able to generate available test slots, manage bookings, update vehicle fitness status and upload fitness test results and fitness certificate. The application provides end-to- end visibility into vehicle testing process and its result, thus improving transparency. It also helps in maintaining digital recordings of visual tests. The AFMS portal is linked with other Vahan applications such that latest fitness status is updated across Vahan and may be used by the authorities for enforcement purposes.

• Vscrap portal enabling scrapping ecosystem: NIC has developed another module on Vahan for end-to-end lifecycle management of scrapping through RVSF. The Vscrap portal allows motor vehicle owners to submit online applications for scrapping their old vehicles at any Registered Vehicle Scrapping Facility (RVSF) in the country. The RVSF can accept the application form, negotiate the scrap value for old vehicle, generate a Certificate of Deposit (CD) as a proof of receipt of vehicle for scrapping and generate a Certificate of Vehicle Scrapping (CVS) as a proof of vehicle scrapped.

• CD trading portal: The ‘Certificate of Deposit’ issued to vehicle owners on submission of vehicle for scrapping is linked with multiple incentives on purchase of new vehicles. The incentives include waiver of registration fees, concession on MV Tax and discounts on ex-showroom price by OEMs. Vehicle owners can also trade the CD. To enable the CD trading Digi ELV portal has been developed by NCDEX.

5.4 Digital dashboards and data for compliance tracking:

Dedicated dashboards for real-time monitoring of ATS and RVSF operations allow tracking of policy metrics across Central Government and State Government, providing integrated data across portals that facilitates decision-making and supervision of notified rules.

• Digitally driven process for compliance supervision through audit functionality, enabling digital submission and scrutiny of audit reports via the NSWS portal, ensuring transparency across investors and competent Government authorities

5.5 Financial incentives to State Governments to expedite policy implementation:

• To increase the pace of implementation, incentives worth Rs. 2,000 crore extended to State Governments (on achieving V-VMP milestones in January-March 23) under Department of Expenditure’s (DoE) “Scheme for Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment for 2022-23

• Scheme for special assistance to states extended for2024-25 for Rs. 2,000 crore and Released by DoE vide their letter dated 22nd May to incentivize states to achieve their respective RVSF and ATS infrastructure set-up targets along with creation of initial demand by scrapping Government owned vehicles,

• Rs. 840 crore approved for disbursement by DoE across 16 State Governments on achievement of defined milestones under V-VMP

• Scheme for special assistance to states extended for 2024-25 for Rs. 3,000 crore

• Increased incentives for scrapping of Government and non-government vehicles

• Higher incentives for awarding and operationalisation of ATS

5.6 Current Policy Implementation Status:

5.6.1 Vehicle Scrapping (As on Nov 2025):

i. 123 RVSFs are operational across 21 States / UTs, 57 additional centers are under construction.

ii. As per projections, around 90 scrapping centers are required in India to cater to End of Life Vehicles (ELVs). However, to ensure geographical coverage, 145 RVSFs are required.

iii Approximately 3,60,000 vehicles scrapped in total of which around 1,60,000 are Government owned and around 2,00,000 are non-Government owned.

iv. Priority category Government vehicles scrapped – 23,245 police vehicles, 19,642 buses, 509 fire tenders, 3,872 ambulances.

v. Government vehicles contribute almost 45% of scrapped vehicles till date since we provided an initial impetus to the established RVSF infrastructure (supply-side ecosystem) by mandatory scrapping of Government vehicles older than 15 years.

vi. Monthly volume of Government owned vehicles scrapped is around 6,500 for FY25-26 YTD which is 125% of last year (around 5,200 monthly avg. scrapping volume in FY24- 25).

vii. For non-Government owned vehicles, while more initiatives to boost scrapping volume (demand-side initiatives) needs to be done, there has been a significant growth in scrapping volume.

viii. Monthly volume of non-Government owned vehicles scrapped is -12,500 for FY25-26 YTD which is around 215% of last year (5,800 monthly avg. scrapping volume in FY24 25)

5.6.2 Vehicle Fitness Testing (As on 05.12.2025):

i. 160 Automated Testing Stations are operational across 19 States / UTs, 99 facilities are under construction

ii. A total of around 500 automated testing stations are required in India.

iii. Monthly volume of ATS fitness testing is around 105,000 for FY25-26 YTD, which is around 235% more than last year (45,000 monthly avg. fitness tests at ATS in FY24-25).

6. ROAD SAFETY

6.1 Sadak Suraksha Mitra Program

Road crashes remain a significant public health and safety challenge in India. India reported 4,61,312 road accidents in 2022, with road traffic injuries identified as the leading cause of death for children and young adults aged 5-29 years (WHO). Alarmingly, around 25% fatalities involved individuals below the age of 25 years. Furthermore, individuals aged 18-45 years accounted for around 66% of the total road fatalities- a demographic that represents the nation's most economically productive group. These statistics emphasize the urgent need for local, district- level interventions to address road safety challenges and reduce fatalities. Many fatalities occur due to delayed emergency response, lack of first aid knowledge, and absence of structured community intervention. Recognizing the need for meaningful youth participation in road safety, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways and the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports, in collaboration with concerned stakeholders and MyBharat, planned the Youth-Led Road Safety Hotspots Initiative called Sadak Suraksha Mitra Program for Youth Volunteers.

The Sadak Suraksha Mitra Program for Youth Volunteers aims to:

a. Engage youths in road safety initiatives through structured studies of accidents spots.

b. Provide data-driven recommendations for rectification to District Road Safety Committees based on study of local context.

c. Enhance road safety measures at the district level through the support of trained volunteers.

d. Identify road safety challenges and assess the effectiveness of existing interventions.

e. Promote community engagement in road safety measures through youth participation.

f. Build a repository of grassroot-level insights to inform actions aimed to enhance road safety.

g. Exchange of Idea through MY Bharat Portal, empower and engage youth to become leaders and active citizens.

6.2 Sadak Suraksha Abhiyan

Sadak Suraksha Abhiyan is a nationwide road safety awareness initiative aimed at reducing road accidents, fatalities, and injuries by promoting safe road user behaviour and strengthening road safety measures across the country. The Abhiyan seeks to sensitize all categories of road users, including drivers, pedestrians, cyclists, school children, and enforcement agencies, about the importance of road safety and compliance with traffic laws. The campaign focuses on promoting adherence to key road safety practices such as wearing helmets and seat belts, prevention of over-speeding, drunken driving, and use of mobile phones while driving, along with improving pedestrian safety and responsible road use. The Sadak Suraksha Abhiyaan campaign scheduled from October 2025 to March 2026 with the approved budget of Rs. 24.97 Cr. The major topics to be covered under this scheme are categorized into several themes, including the Scheme for Cashless Treatment of Road Accident Victims, Vehicle Scrapping Policy and BNCAP, the Brand Umbrella Campaign, among others.

6.3 Scheme of setting up of IDTRs/RTDCs/DTCs.

The Ministry of Road Transport & Highways is implementing the Scheme for Setting up of Institutes of Driving Training and Research (IDTRs), Regional Driver Training Centres (RDTCs) and Driving Training Centres (DTCs) during the 15^th Finance Commission Cycle period (2021–22 to 2025–26) with the objective of improving the quality of driver training and enhancing road safety across the country. The scheme guidelines have been reviewed and revised on 15.01.2025 and provides financial assistance for setting up of IDTRs, RDTCs and DTCs. Further, the revision aims to ensure wider geographical coverage, improved accessibility at regional and district levels, and optimal utilization of resources through a graded training ecosystem. The revised Scheme incorporates modern technologies, such as driving simulators and automated driving test tracks, to enhance transparency, objectivity, and quality in driver training and evaluation.

6.4 Rah-Veer (Erstwhile Good Samaritan Scheme)

The Good Samaritan Scheme was launched by the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH) on 3^rd October, 2021, with the objective of motivating and rewarding citizens who voluntarily help road accident victims by administering immediate assistance and transporting them to the hospital within the “golden hour”. Under the original scheme, a cash reward of ₹5,000 per incident was provided to each Good Samaritan, along with a certificate of appreciation, after due verification by the District Appraisal Committee. Subsequently, to further enhance public participation and recognition, the scheme was revised and renamed as “Rah-Veer”, with the revised guidelines issued on 21^st April, 2025. Under the Rah-Veer Scheme, the financial incentive has been increased from ₹5,000 to ₹25,000 per incident for each eligible Good Samaritan (now termed Rah-Veer). In cases where multiple persons assist the same victim, the amount is shared equally among them. Additionally, ten national-level awards of ₹1,00,000 each are to be conferred annually to the most exemplary Rah-Veers for their outstanding contribution in saving lives.

The revised scheme maintains the same broad framework for verification and disbursement, with district-level scrutiny, acknowledgment by hospitals or police, and payment through the State/UT Transport Department, reimbursed by MoRTH. The enhancement under the Rah-Veer scheme aims to significantly strengthen public response in providing immediate aid to accident victims and to promote a culture of compassion and timely assistance on Indian roads.

6.5 Electronic Monitoring and Enforcement of Road Safety

The Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019 enacted in August, 2019 and vide Section 136A provides for installation of electronic monitoring and enforcement of road safety on National Highways, State Highways, roads or in any urban city within a State which has a population up to such limits as maybe prescribed by the Central Government. Accordingly, Ministry has published rule 167A (under Central Motor Vehicles Rule, 1989) in August 2021 vide G.S.R. 575 (E) dated 11th August, 2021 for Electronic Monitoring and Enforcement of Road Safety at high-risk and high-density corridors on National Highways, State Highways and at critical junctions in Million plus cities in India and cities under National Clean Air Programme (NCAP). For the purpose of this Rule, “electronic enforcement device” means a speed camera, closed-circuit television camera, speed gun, body wearable camera, dashboard camera, Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR), weigh in machine (WIM) and any such other technology specified by the State Government.

2. As per the directions of Hon’ble Supreme Court in the matter of WP(C) No.295/2012 - S. Rajaseekaran v/s UoI & Ors. SOP for implementation of electronic monitoring and enforcement of road safety has been prepared and circulated to All the States and UTs on 29.10.2025 for its implementation.

6.6 Scheme for Special Assistance to All States & UTs for Capital

Investment 2025-26 (SASCI) The Ministry of Finance Department of Expenditure has issued Scheme for Special Assistance to All States & UTs for Capital Investment 2025-26 wherein Rs. 3000/- crore is allocated for Implementation of Electronic Enforcement of Road Safety with the objective to promote the electronic enforcement ecosystem in the country and promote road safety towards achievement of the national goal of reducing fatalities at least 50% by 2030. Under scheme guidelines these States/UTs were categorized into three groups —Group A (₹350 Cr), Group B (₹150 Cr), and Group C (₹50 Cr)—based on factors such as higher road traffic fatalities on State Highways, registered vehicle population, and the extent of the State Highways network.

7. E-INITIATIVES

7.1 BhoomiRashi Portal: The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has launched BhoomiRashi Portal to digitize the land acquisition notification process to accelerate highways infrastructure development projects and payment to compensation for land acquisition. The portal has been made mandatory for processing all the land acquisition proposals w.e.f. 1st April, 2018.

The Portal has made land acquisition process faster and error-free. It has greatly reduced the time period for publication of notifications and brought in efficiency as well as transparency in the whole process.

The key objectives of avoiding parking of funds in bank accounts and ensuring transparent real time deposit of funds in the account of the individuals whose land/property were acquired have successfully been achieved by integrating the payment of compensation with the BhoomiRashi Portal via Public, Finance Management System (PFMS). This initiative of MoRTH has resulted in a more robust and efficient land acquisition for road construction in the country.

The Ministry has also organized workshops and training programmes across the country to make the field offices familiar to the latest updates in BhoomiRashi Portal and new development in LA process.

A total of 18,604 notifications under section 3 of National Highways Act, 1956 have been published and around 1,55,326.1 hectare of land has been acquired under section 3-D of the Act through BhoomiRashi Portal from 1st April, 2018 to 19th December, 2025.

7.2 E-tolling

In order to ensure seamless movement of traffic through fee plazas and increase transparency in collection of user fee using FASTag, the National Electronic Toll Collection (NETC) programme has been implemented on pan-India basis. The National Payment Corporation of India (NPCI) is the Central Clearing House (CCH). There are forty (40) banks (including Public and Private sector banks) engaged as issuer banks for FASTag issuance to road users and twelve (12) acquirer banks to process the transactions at fee plazas.

The Ministry had mandated fitment of FASTag in M&N categories of motor vehicles with effect from 1st January 2021. Category ‘M’ stands for a motor vehicle with at least four wheels used for carrying passengers. Category ‘N’ stands for a motor vehicle with at least four wheels used for carrying goods, which may also carry persons in addition to goods. In order to further promote fee payment through digital mode, reduce waiting time and fuel consumption, and provide for seamless passage through fee plazas, Government has declared all lanes of the fee plazas on National Highways to be “FASTag lane of the fee plaza” w.e.f. the midnight of 15^th/16^th February 2021.

More than 11.73 Crore FASTags have been issued till November, 2025. The user fee collection via FASTag has grown significantly after declaration of all lanes of fee plazas on National Highways as FASTag Lane of the fee plaza w.e.f. midnight of 15^th /16^th February 2021. Average Daily collection via FASTag on NH fee plaza is around Rs. 184 Crores and Number of average daily ETC transaction on NH fee plaza is around 120 Lakhs in F.Y. 25-26 (Till Nov 2025). The constant growth and adoption of FASTag by highway users is very encouraging and has helped increase efficiency in toll operations.

Further, to enhance convenience for highway users on NHs, the Ministry has introduced a FASTag-based Annual Pass for non-commercial vehicles, priced at ₹3,000 for 200 fee plaza crossings. This Annual Pass will allow Non-commercial vehicle owners to travel smoothly and affordably across National Highways throughout the country. It simplifies the fee payment process through a one-time payment, reducing the need for repeated transactions. As of November, 2025, a total of 36.13 lakh Annual Passes have been sold, generating a total user fee collection of ₹1,084 crores.

In addition, to further increase the efficiency of tolling operation and in order to ensure seamless and free-flow movement of vehicles along national highways, the Government has decided to implement barrier- free Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) System using Automatic Number Plate Recognition Cameras on selected sections of National Highways as an added facility along with FASTag where the user fee shall be charged from the vehicle users without them having to stop, slow down or stay in a given fee plaza lane.

 Further, the Financial Year wise user fee collection on National Highways is as under:

Financial Year	Total Tolling Length (In Km)	User Fee Collection at Fee Plaza on NHs
		Total amount (In Crore Rupees)
2018-19	26,067	25,164.50
2019-20	30,737	27,503.86
2020-21	35,142	27,926.67
2021-22	39,386	33,928.66
2022-23	43,666	48,032.40
2023-24	47,954	55,882.12
2024-25	52,748	61,408.15
2025-26 (up to Nov, 2025)	55,812	44,238.96

 

8. LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY

1. 1. 1. Nationwide Rollout of Network Survey Vehicles (NSVs)

NHAI launched a nationwide rollout of Network Survey Vehicles (NSVs) in 23 states covering 20,933 km for collection, processing and analyzing Road inventory and Pavement condition data of National Highway stretches. Equipped with 3D laser scanners, high-resolution 360° cameras, DGPS, IMU and AI-enabled data processing, these NSVs will automatically detect pavement distress and other inventory parameters, feed data into the NHAI Data Lake, and enable predictive, faster and more efficient maintenance. This shift from manual inspection to high-precision digital monitoring creates a long-term road asset repository and supports evidence-based decision making for upkeep and rehabilitation.

1. 2. Gold Award for DAMS Deployment

Affirming its commitment in adopting cutting edge technology, NHAI was conferred with the ‘Gold Award’ for the successful implementation of the Drone Analytics Monitoring System (DAMS) in the development and maintenance of National Highways by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG), Government of India at National Conference on e-Governance 2025.

9. GREEN INITIATIVES

Plantation Drives Commemorating ’Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam 2.0’

Promoting Environment Sustainability and developing ecofriendly National Highways remained central to MoRTH’s approach in 2025 and various plantation drives were organized across the country. MoRTH planted about 58.82463 lakh trees across the country in FY 2025–26.

10. INTERNATIONAL COORPERATION

10.1 BRICS

The 2^nd BRICS Transport Ministers' Meeting was held on 14^th May, 2025 in Brasilia, Brazil. Indian delegation was led by Shri Nitin Gadkari, Hon’ble Minister for Road Transport & Highways. A Ministerial Declaration was unanimously accepted by all the BRICS participating members.

10.2 India-Russia Joint Working Group:

The 3^rd meeting of JWG for cooperation in Road Transport and Road Industry for implementation of the MoU between India and Russia was held virtually on 16^th July, 2025. The Indian delegation was led by Shri V.Umashankar, Secretary, Ministry of Road Transport & Highways. During the meeting, topics such as Green Mobility, High-end bridges design including cable-stayed, suspended and long-arch, Indian-Russian Center of Excellence on tunnels and cooperation in the field of intelligent transport systems were discussed.

10.3 India-Japan Joint Working Group:

The 11^th meeting of India-Japan Joint Working Group (JWG) was held in Tokyo, Japan from 30^th September-01st October, 2025. The Indian delegation was led by Shri Vinay Kumar, Additional Secretary (Highways).

10.4 SASEC Program:

South Asia Sub-Regional Economic Cooperation (SASEC) Program's Transport Working Group meeting was held in Kathmandu, Nepal in December, 2025 to discuss the Trade Facilitation and Transport, and Tourism sections of the APSI, including projects (ongoing and additional) and knowledge work (ongoing, additional and proposed) for APSI 2025-27 and APSI 2026-28.

10.5 Meeting with foreign delegations

Various meetings of Hon’ble Minister (RT&H) were held with delegates from different countries during the year 2025. Some of the meetings included Meeting with Transport Minister of Russian Federation, Transport Minister of Singapore and Ambassador of Switzerland. Further a meeting of Shri Harsh Malhotra, Hon’ble MoS (RT&H) was held with the Italian delegation led by Minister of Ports of Italy.

11. INDIAN ACADEMY OF HIGHWAY ENGINEERS (IAHE)

During the year 2025, the Academy has organized 59 In-campus & Off campus training programs. In-campus training program includes one 16-weeks foundation training program for Deputy Managers of NHAI; one Learning and Development program on Development of Multimodal Logistic Transport Connectivity for efficient Highway Infrastructure for officers of NHLML; two training programs on Land Acquisition for National Highways; one training program on Contract Management of Performance Based Contracts, Tolling and Intelligent Transport System (ITS) and Road Maintenance for the Officers of Uganda; one course for National Quality Monitors of NRIDA; Five Certification Courses on Preparation of DPR for Highway Projects for the personnel of consultants, and Seven 15 Days Certificate Courses for Road Safety Auditors etc.

Two off-campus courses were conducted in Goa. One on Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) and Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM) Contracts for Highway Projects, and another on Road Safety and Road Safety Audit.

8941464. 1545 Engineers and Professionals have participated in In-campus & Off-campus training programs.

 

*******

GDH/DS

(रिलीज़ आईडी: 2209837) आगंतुक पटल : 784