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Government Misses FY26 Highway Construction Target at 9,380 km; Slowest Since 2017-18

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National highway construction in FY2025-26 reached only 9,380 km, falling short of the government's target of 10,000 km and marking the slowest pace of construction since 2017-18. Key reasons cited include delays in land acquisition and securing forest and environment clearances. The pace of awarding new projects also saw a significant decline. India had achieved its peak highway construction of 10,457 km in FY22-23 under the NHAI and MoRTH push. Infrastructure projects also reported a cost overrun of ₹5.61 lakh crore as of March 2026 on central sector projects exceeding ₹150 crore.

Key Facts & Details

7 points
  • 1
    FY26 highway construction at 9,380 km — misses 10,000 km target; slowest since 2017-18
  • 2
    Land acquisition delays and clearance bottlenecks are key reasons for shortfall
  • 3
    Central infra projects face ₹5.61 lakh crore cost overrun as of March 2026

Deep Dive

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    India achieved record 10,457 km of highway construction in FY22-23
  • +
    NHAI manages India's national highway network of over 1.47 lakh km
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    The PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan was launched in 2021 to improve multimodal connectivity
  • +
    NHAI issues bonds to fund highway construction and allows monetisation through InvIT (NHAI InvIT)
Q

Exam Focus

Likely MCQ: India's national highway construction in FY26 was how many km? → Answer: 9,380 km

Related Topics

Infrastructure

Exam Relevance & Angle

Economy & Infrastructure: Highway development, land acquisition challenges, and NHAI.

Target Exams

UPSC CSESSC CGLSBI POIBPS PORRB NTPC

Background & Context

NHAI (National Highways Authority of India) is an autonomous body under the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) responsible for building and managing India's national highway network. It was established under the NHAI Act, 1988.

India's total national highway network spans over 1.47 lakh km, with ongoing expansion under projects like Bharatmala Pariyojana — a centrally-sponsored and funded highway development program launched in 2017, targeting 34,800 km of new highways at a projected cost of ₹5.35 lakh crore.

Land Acquisition for highways is governed by the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 (LARR Act), which replaced the old Land Acquisition Act of 1894. The LARR Act mandates social impact assessment and consent requirements for private projects.

The PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan was launched in October 2021 as a digital platform to integrate infrastructure planning across 16 ministries.

Related GK Concepts

Must Know
NHAIBharatmalaLand AcquisitionLARR ActPM Gati ShaktiInfrastructureMoRTH

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NHAI was established under which Act?

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Government Misses FY26 Highway Construction Target at 9,380 km; Slowest Since 2017-18 — Current Affairs 2026-04-25