India Infrastructure Progress: Gadkari

New Delhi, Sep 26 (PTI) Infrastructure is the backbone of a nation's growth, and India has made tremendous progress in this field, Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari said on Friday.

Addressing the 'India Infrastructure Summit 2025', Gadkari said the road infrastructure is the fastest-growing sector in the country, with 25 greenfield expressways spanning 10,000 kilometres under development at an investment of Rs 5 lakh crore.

"Infrastructure is the backbone of a nation's growth, and India has made tremendous progress in this field.

"We are innovating by using city waste in road construction and promoting green fuels, electric vehicles, and the scrapping policy," he added.

"Our vision is clear: development and paryavaran must go hand in hand. Guided by the three Ps -- People, Prosperity, and Planet, we aim to build a safe, green, and globally competitive India."

Speaking at the event, National Highways Authority of India Chief General Manager Sunil Jindal said over the past decade, NHAI has scaled new heights, spending rose seven-fold, construction pace accelerated to 35 km per day, and more than 50,000 km of highways and 830 projects have been completed.

"With another 15,000 km and 460 projects in progress, our focus is equally on sustainability, safety, and efficiency," Jindal said.

From waste-to-road technology and drone-based analytics to ATMS-enabled expressways and AI-driven construction, he said NHAI is building a highway network, which is modern, sustainable and aligned with India's vision of becoming globally competitive and self-reliant.