Gadkari highlights importance of, using city waste in roads, promoting green fuels and EVs guided by People, Prosperity, Planet for a safe, green, competitive India 

India is constantly charting its course to becoming a global infrastructure powerhouse, with sustainability and growth at the heart of its development agenda. Speaking virtually at the India Infrastructure Summit 2025 in New Delhi on Friday, Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, outlined the government’s ambitious plans to transform the country’s infrastructure landscape.

The centenary-year event convened policymakers, industry leaders, investors, and consultants to deliberate on India’s infrastructure future. “Infrastructure is the backbone of a nation’s growth, and India has made tremendous progress in this field,” Mr Gadkari said. “Road infrastructure today is the fastest-growing sector, with 25 Greenfield Expressways spanning 10,000 kilometre under development at an investment of Rs 5 lakh crore. We are innovating by using city waste in road construction and promoting green fuels, electric vehicles, and the scrapping policy. Guided by the three Ps-People, Prosperity, and Planet-we aim to build a safe, green, and globally competitive India.”

Highlighting the sector’s progress, Sunil Jindal, Chief General Manager (Technical), NHAI, said, “Over the past decade, NHAI has scaled new heights spending has risen sevenfold, construction pace has accelerated to 35 km per day, and more than 50,000 km of highways and 830 projects have been completed. With another 15,000 km and 460 projects in progress, our focus is equally on sustainability, safety, and efficiency. From waste-to-road technology and drone-based analytics to ATMS enabled expressways and AI-driven construction, NHAI is building a modern and sustainable highway network aligned with India’s vision of global competitiveness.”

Inaugurating the summit, Archit Agarwal, Chair of the National Infrastructure Committee, ICC, noted, “Indian infrastructure has become the backbone of the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative. With initiatives such as the National Infrastructure Pipeline, PM Gati Shakti, and green financing, India is creating a resilient and future-ready ecosystem focused on sustainability, digital transformation, and resilience.”

Gadkari emphasised that India’s infrastructure push combines growth with environmental stewardship, a principle that will shape the nation’s development trajectory in the years ahead.