Road to progress: How India can unlock growth by building its transportation infrastructure

For any country, an efficient transportation network of highways, railways, ports, and airports, is essential for the movement of goods, services and people within the country and across international borders. It helps increase trade and market access while also promoting economic integration. It is crucial for the growth of the manufacturing and industrial sectors and it can create direct and indirect employment opportunities to skilled and semi-skilled people. No wonder then, the Centre is pushing for the construction of roadways across the country. In the latest episode of the State of the Economy podcast, Rishi Ranjan Kala talks to Jagannarayan Padmanabhan, Senior Director and Global Head for Transport Logistics and Mobility, Crisil, about the issues related to the sector. In the podcast, they talk about India’s high logistics costs and the government’s aim to reduce the cost by improving the national highway network. They also talk about the expansion of India’s national highways and financing its construction. The conversation also touches upon the importance of tolls and the possibility of implementing a pay-per-kilometer basis system. Listen to the podcast to know more about why infrastructure connectivity can help boost economic growth and why some States outperform others when it comes to building roads.