India’s national highway network has expanded by more than 61 per cent to 146,560 km, largely driven by the Bharatmala Pariyojana. For 2025–26, the government is planning a budget outlay of ₹2.87 lakh crore, with a sharp focus on access-controlled highways and a public-private partnership (PPP) pipeline worth ₹8.3 lakh crore.
India now boasts the world’s second-largest national highway (NH) network, growing from 91,287 km in 2014 to 146,560 km today. This rapid expansion has been fuelled by the development of high-speed corridors and four-lane highways under the Bharatmala programme. Going ahead, the emphasis will be on building access-controlled highways, while integrating sustainability and technology-led solutions into infrastructure development across the country.
With a budgetary allocation of over ₹2.87 lakh crore for 2025–26, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has identified a 13,400-km project pipeline under the PPP model. These projects are expected to attract investments of around ₹8.3 lakh crore and will be rolled out over the next three years.
The ministry also plans to launch a public infrastructure investment trust (InvIT), Raajmarg InvIT. Through this platform, nearly 1,500 km of completed and operational national highways are expected to be monetised over the next three to five years. The move aims to unlock capital for funding future infrastructure projects.
As the upcoming budget approaches, attention is on addressing sectoral challenges and introducing measures that can accelerate project execution, improve investor confidence, and sustain the momentum in highway development.