India’s National Highway Network Expands Rapidly as Government Boosts Funding and Modern Construction

New Delhi: Backed by record budget allocations and large-scale mechanised construction, India has dramatically expanded its four-lane and above national highway network, increasing road capacity nearly six-fold over the past two decades. The development marks a major structural shift in the country’s transportation infrastructure.

For the 2026–27 financial year, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has been allocated ₹3.09 lakh crore, representing almost a 20-fold increase from the ₹15,450 crore allocated in 2009–10. The latest allocation is also about 2.5 times higher than the 2021–22 budget, reflecting the government’s growing focus on infrastructure expansion.

A particularly sharp rise occurred between 2021–22 and 2022–23, when the ministry’s allocation increased by nearly 70%, rising from ₹1.23 lakh crore to ₹2.08 lakh crore.

National Highway Network Doubles

Data analysis shows that since 2008–09, the length of India’s national highways has more than doubled. The network expanded from 70,548 km in 2008–09 to approximately 1.46 lakh km as of December 2025, adding over 76,000 km of highways—a figure exceeding the total expansion recorded between 1951 and 2008.

In 1951, India’s national highway network measured just 19,811 km.

The transformation is even more striking in terms of road capacity upgrades. In 2005–06, India had 66,590 km of national highways, but only 7,856 km were four-lane or wider. Today, that figure has risen to 48,421 km, representing more than a six-fold increase. Nearly 40,000 km of multi-lane highways have been added within two decades.

As a result, the share of four-lane and above highways has increased from 12% in 2005–06 to about 33% in 2025–26.

While two-lane highways still form the largest portion of the network, their total length has also doubled—from 37,238 km in 2005–06 to 84,774 km today. Meanwhile, roads with less than two lanes have declined significantly, falling from 21,496 km to about 13,000 km.

Shift Toward High-Capacity Corridors

Over time, India’s highway development strategy has evolved from merely expanding connectivity to enhancing corridor capacity and logistics efficiency. The focus is now on building multi-lane corridors and access-controlled expressways designed to reduce travel time and support freight movement.

The launch of the Bharatmala Pariyojana in 2017 marked a turning point by introducing economic corridor planning, linking highway construction directly with freight traffic patterns and logistics demands.

Faster Road Construction

India’s road construction pace has also increased substantially. Until 2015–16, the country was building approximately 5,000–6,000 km of national highways annually. Construction output doubled between 2014–15 and 2018–19, crossing 10,000 km per year for the first time.

On average, the country has been building over 20 km of national highways per day since 2016–17, compared with less than 15 km per day earlier.

The fastest construction pace was recorded in 2020–21, when India built highways at an average rate of 36.5 km per day. This year, the pace stands at about 18 km per day up to December, although authorities expect it to improve during the final quarter of the financial year.

Financing Reforms Boost Projects

A major catalyst for the sector’s revival was the introduction of the Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM) in 2016, aimed at reviving private investment in highway projects.

Under the HAM framework:

• 40% of the project cost is provided by the central government during construction.

• The remaining 60% is paid as annuity payments over the project’s operational period, along with interest.

The model helped restart several stalled projects and restored private sector confidence in highway development.

Technology and Mechanisation Drive Efficiency

Technological innovations and mechanised construction have also played a crucial role in accelerating road development.

The government expanded the use of Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) contracts, under which contractors are responsible for design, investigation, and construction within a fixed cost and timeframe. This replaced traditional contract systems that often led to delays and cost overruns.

Modern highway construction now relies heavily on:

• Slipform pavers for continuous concrete road laying

• Automated batching plants for precise material mixing

• GPS-enabled equipment and sensor-based rollers

• Drone-based project monitoring

These technologies have significantly improved construction speed, quality control, and project monitoring.

Sustainable Construction Measures

Environmental measures have also been integrated into road construction practices. Since 2015, the ministry has mandated the use of waste plastic in bituminous road construction, improving durability while supporting recycling efforts.

A Structural Transformation

Taken together, higher government funding, innovative financing models, mechanised construction techniques, and advanced monitoring technologies have transformed India’s highway development programme.

What was once a slow and fragmented infrastructure effort has evolved into a large-scale, corridor-driven expansion strategy, enhancing the capacity, efficiency, and economic impact of India’s national road network.