NHAI to Roll Out ₹3.4 Lakh Cr Highway Projects in FY26 to Regain Lost Momentum

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) plans to tender 124 projects for highways and expressways at an aggregate cost of ₹3.4 lakh crore in FY26 to wake up after a slumber that has lasted for about two years in the area of road infrastructure development.

NHAI has now put up a complete list of projects in the public domain for the sake of greater transparency and to allow more preparation time for the developer. This works against the backdrop of a fall in project awards, the same being a consequence of the government putting the Bharatmala Pariyojana on hold and increasingly stringent land acquisition policies. The number of project awards fell from 6,003 km in 2022-23 to just 3,339 km in 2023-24, before a faint recovery to 4,008 km in 2024-25.

Of the 78% of projects planned in FY26, all will comply with the PPP model at rave rates. Some corridors may be placed under this model; for instance, they would include the ₹35,000 crore, 476 km Gorakhpur-Kishanganj-Siliguri highway; ₹17,076 crore 282 km Patna-Purnea stretch; and the 374 km Nashik-Ahmednagar highway that is estimated to cost more than ₹19,000 crore.

The balance 22% of projects will be funded from the government kitty. This mixed-model approach will restore the confidence of the developer and, at the same time, push forward a much more aggressive highway expansion plan for the country.

NHAI will also maybe do advanced land acquisition, requiring 90% readiness before inviting bids, expand metrics to usher in private investment, and re-energize India’s core infrastructure sector while also realizing its connectivity objectives in the long run.