Union Minister Nitin Gadkari raised concerns over the slow pace of spending in the highways sector, stating the government has the capacity to mobilise up to ₹8 lakh crore annually for road development, including ₹5 lakh crore from markets and ₹3.2 lakh crore through budgetary support. He emphasised that higher infrastructure investment can significantly drive economic growth.
Speaking at an event of NHAI-sponsored Raajmarg Infra Investment Trust at the BSE, he noted that highway construction speed has slipped to 32-34 km per day from 40 km. He also announced upcoming projects worth ₹40,000 crore around Pune and plans for a Mumbai-Bengaluru expressway to cut travel time to five hours.
He added that 93% work on the Mumbai-Goa highway is complete, with delays mainly due to land acquisition, while technology-driven toll systems are saving over ₹8,000 crore annually.
