India’s Road Revolution Cuts Logistics Costs, Sets Stage for American-Level Infrastructure: Gadkari
New Delhi [India], June 9 (ANI): Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, has announced that India’s logistics costs have dropped by six per cent—from 16 per cent to 10 per cent—due to substantial improvements in road infrastructure under the Narendra Modi-led NDA government.
In an interview with ANI, Gadkari emphasized the crucial role of infrastructure in achieving Prime Minister Modi’s vision of making India a Vishwa Guru and a $5 trillion economy. “It is the dream of our Prime Minister that India becomes a Vishwa Guru, the third-largest economy in the world and a $5 trillion economy. To fulfill this dream, we must increase exports. Only then will there be growth in the agricultural, service, and industrial sectors. Employment will rise, wealth will be created, and for that, infrastructure must be developed,” he stated.
The minister stressed that the reduction in logistics costs will significantly boost India’s export competitiveness, which in turn will drive growth across various sectors. Speaking on the NDA government completing 11 years at the Centre, Gadkari pointed out that high logistics costs were a major challenge—India’s 16 per cent compared poorly with China’s 8 per cent and the US and Europe’s 12 per cent.
“Our roads and ports were in poor condition. Fuel was expensive, and traffic congestion caused delays. Now, with the kind of roads we have built, our logistics costs have reduced by 6 per cent. By next year, we expect to bring it down to 9 per cent,” Gadkari said. “This saving will enhance our export competitiveness. It will help make our country a Vishwa Guru, and that is why we are continuously working on improving infrastructure.”
Further underlining future goals, Gadkari declared that India’s road infrastructure will be comparable to America’s within two years. “The question is not about a facelift. The transformation has already begun. What you’ve seen so far is just the trailer. The real picture is yet to come,” he said, referring to the many projects currently in the pipeline. “Some visitors from America even told me that our infrastructure is already better than theirs.”
He highlighted that 25 greenfield expressways, a 3,000-kilometre port connectivity highway, and ₹1 lakh crore worth of road projects connecting religious tourism circuits are under development. “We’re linking Buddhist circuits and Char Dhams with all-weather roads,” he added. “We’re developing 36 tunnels between Jammu and Srinagar—23 are complete, and work is ongoing on another four or five. We’re also building 15 ropeways under the Parvatmala Yojana and establishing 35 multi-modal logistics parks.”
Public infrastructure, he noted, is the backbone of economic development, enhancing connectivity, trade, and the overall quality of life. As the world’s fifth-largest economy, India has made significant strides in this domain over the last decade.
The PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan (NMP), launched in 2021, aims to unify multiple ministries, including Railways and Roadways, for integrated planning and synchronized execution of infrastructure projects.
India currently has the second-largest road network globally. The National Highways, which form the country’s primary arterial network, now stretch over 1,46,000 kilometres. According to a February 2025 ministry statement, the network grew from 65,569 km in 2004 to 91,287 km in 2014, and then to 1,46,145 km in 2024.
National highway stretches with four or more lanes expanded 2.6 times—from 18,371 km in 2014 to 48,422 km in 2024. Operational High-Speed Corridors surged from just 93 km in 2014 to 2,138 km in 2024. Additionally, the pace of highway construction increased 2.8 times, from 12.1 km per day in 2014–15 to 33.8 km per day in 2023–24.
Gadkari concluded that these developments mark a transformative era for Indian infrastructure, one that positions the nation on a fast track to economic and global leadership.r the years, ramped up spending on roads and highways. (ANI)
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