Gadkari Highlights Infrastructure Push for $5 Trillion Economy

Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari has stressed that robust infrastructure is essential for India to become a $5 trillion economy and the world’s third-largest economy. Addressing the CII National Conference on Highways of India’s Future in New Delhi, he said national highway construction has accelerated from 9 km per day before 2014 to 37 km per day.

Gadkari noted that logistics costs have declined from 16% to 9% of GDP, while the national highway network expanded from 91,287 km in 2004–14 to 1,46,572 km during 2014–26. Four-lane highways grew from 18,278 km to 49,160 km, while high-speed corridors increased nearly 12-fold, from 557 km to 6,788 km.

He said improved road connectivity is boosting trade, tourism and employment. Travel time has reduced significantly, with Delhi–Meerut journeys now taking 40–50 minutes compared with 3.5 hours earlier, while Bengaluru–Chennai travel has dropped from four hours to two. The Delhi–Dehradun Expressway has cut travel time from seven hours to two, and a Delhi–Haridwar highway is expected to be completed within a few months.

Gadkari also highlighted the development of 36 expressways across the country and peripheral roads worth around ₹1.60 lakh crore around Delhi, emphasising the role of modern roads, tunnels and bridges in driving economic growth.