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Union Minister Nitin Gadkari asserted on Monday that Indian road infrastructure will be comparable to America's in another two years, backing his argument that his government has ramped up spending on roads and highways over the past decade.
"The question is not about the facelift, it has already changed. You have just watched the news reel, the main picture is yet to start. The projects in the pipeline are progressing rapidly. In another two years, you will be able to see that Indian road infrastructure will be similar to that of America," Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Gadkari, told ANI in an interview, on being asked when the face of Indian roads can completely change. "Some people from America met me and said our infrastructure is better than America," he supplemented. The Minister said that the good roads laid out by his government have reduced logistics costs in India, adding that it will further improve export competitiveness. "If we raise our exports, it will improve our agricultural sector, manufacturing, and services, among all other sectors," he said. The minister said the main concern in India was the high logistics cost--16 per cent, against China's 8 per cent and the US and European countries' 12 per cent. "Our roads were not good, our ports were not good. Traffic congestion raised costs," he said. With improved roads, Gadkari said the BJP-led government brought down the logistics costs to 9 per cent. "This reduced cost will make us export competitive," he reiterated. Speaking of works in the offing, the minister said 25 greenfield expressways, a 3,000 km port connectivity highway, and Rs 1 lakh crore worth of roads connecting religious tourism circuits are underway. He spoke of connecting Buddhist circuits and Char Dhams with good all-weather roads. "We are developing 36 tunnels between Jammu and Srinagar; 23 have been completed, and works for another 4-5 are underway," Gadkari said. "We are developing 15 ropeways under Parvatmala Yojana, besides 35 multi-modal logistics parks.". Public infrastructure is the backbone of economic development, enhancing connectivity, trade, and overall quality of life. India, the world's fifth-largest economy, has made remarkable progress in infrastructure development over the past decade. The PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan (NMP), launched in 2021, is designed to bring together various Ministries, including Railways and Roadways, to ensure integrated planning and coordinated execution of infrastructure projects. India has the second-largest road network in the world, and its National Highways span a total length of about 146,000 km, forming the primary arterial network of the country. According to a ministry statement in early February 2025, India's National Highway (NH) network expanded from 65,569 km in 2004 to 91,287 km in 2014 and 1,46,145 km in 2024. National highway stretches with four or more lanes grew 2.6 times from 18,371 km in 2014 to 48,422 km in 2024. Operational High-Speed Corridors increased from 93 km in 2014 to 2,138 km in 2024. National highway construction pace rose 2.8 times from 12.1 km/day in 2014-15 to 33.8 km/day in 2023-24. (ANI)
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