India builds 8,600 km national highways till March third week in FY26, pace slows

India’s national highway construction activity has reached 8,600 km till the third week of March in the financial year 2025–26, according to information shared in the Rajya Sabha by Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari. The figure comes against the ministry’s annual target of 10,000 km, indicating a moderation in the pace of highway development during the current fiscal.

The latest data shows that the average pace of construction has slowed to 23.74 km per day. This is lower than the 29.21 km per day recorded in 2024–25 and significantly below the 33.83 km per day achieved in 2023–24. The sharpest expansion in recent years was seen in 2020–21, when 13,327 km of national highways were constructed.

The slowdown comes at a time when India continues to focus on large-scale infrastructure expansion to support economic growth, improve logistics efficiency, and strengthen connectivity across industrial and rural corridors. National highways remain a crucial pillar for freight movement, real estate development, and industrial expansion, particularly in high-growth states and emerging economic zones.

On the same day, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) announced that it had exceeded its own construction target for the financial year. NHAI said it completed 5,313 km of national highways, around 15 per cent higher than its target of 4,640 km. The authority also reported capital expenditure of ₹2,44,362 crore, slightly above the government’s budgetary support of ₹2,38,384 crore, with the additional amount funded through internal resources.

This performance highlights continued momentum in the broader infrastructure sector despite the moderation in overall highway construction speed. The road network expansion is expected to continue playing a key role in boosting logistics, warehousing, industrial corridors, and real estate development across India.