10 years of NDA podcast | Highways are not just transportation routes, but contributors to economic prosperity

In this special episode of the businessline Podcast where we are reviewing the performance of NDA government in the last 10 years, we take a look at the road and highways sector. Roads and highways are considered a key barometer for analysing an economy, more so for India, as it strives to become the world’s third largest economy aided by transforming into a manufacturing hub. Businessline spoke with Vishal Gupta, the executive director of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu India, on how the country has performed on its promises in the sector and what more needs to be done.  Gupta emphasised that the last decade has witnessed the culmination of critical projects such as the Delhi-Meerut expressway, the eastern & western peripheral expressways, Delhi-Mumbai Expressway, which have paved the way for enhanced trade and commerce.  Another development worth noting is the growth and expansion of logistics services. A well-connected highway network not only facilitates the movement of goods and people but also significantly reduces logistics costs and opens up new market opportunities for the economy. Gupta emphasised that there are a few areas, which remain at the core going forward. First amongst them is wider implementation of green highways. Another area is implementation of advanced tolling mechanisms, say GPS based tolling in India that allow seamless and distance based user fee charging. Further attention and stringent implementation are imperative for the crucial aspects of road safety, which encompass vehicle speed management, driving discipline, and prevention of vehicle overloading.