India has become the second-largest country in terms of road network size, surpassing China. The United States still holds the top position. In the past eight years, India has expanded its road connectivity by approximately 1.45 lakh kilometers.
Mr. Gadkari, the Minister for Road Transport and Highways, expressed his satisfaction with this achievement during a press conference. He has focused on improving highways and establishing new expressways to enhance the country’s infrastructure. The Delhi-Mumbai Expressway, which is close to completion, is the longest project in India to date.
Before Mr. Gadkari’s leadership, India had a road network of 91,287 kilometers. Under his tenure, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has played a crucial role in constructing and improving highways and expressways, adding over 30,000 kilometers to the network.
Mr. Gadkari also highlighted the increase in toll collection revenue during his tenure. Toll collection has risen from Rs 4,770 crore to Rs 41,352 crore over the past nine years. The government aims to further increase revenue collection to Rs 71.30 lakh crore in the future. Mr. Gadkari also praised the use of FAS Tags, which have improved the efficiency of toll plazas by reducing long queues.
