National Highways Development Programme

The National Highways Development Programme (NHDP) is a flagship infrastructure initiative launched by the Government of India in 1998 to upgrade, expand, and modernise the country’s national highway network. Implemented by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) under the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), the NHDP represents one of the largest road development programmes in the world.
Its objective is to provide high-quality, safe, and efficient road connectivity across India, promoting economic growth, regional integration, and improved transport efficiency.

Background and Need

Before the introduction of the NHDP, India’s road infrastructure was inadequate for the demands of a rapidly growing economy. The highways suffered from:

• Poor design and maintenance.
• Inadequate capacity and safety standards.
• Congestion and delays in inter-state transport.

Recognising the critical role of road connectivity in national development, the Government of India initiated the National Highways Development Programme (NHDP) in 1998, with a focus on connecting major cities, ports, and industrial corridors through world-class highways.

Objectives of the NHDP

The primary objectives of the National Highways Development Programme are:

1. To upgrade and widen existing national highways to four or six lanes.
2. To improve road safety, travel speed, and fuel efficiency.
3. To establish seamless connectivity between major cities, ports, and economic centres.
4. To promote balanced regional development and reduce travel time.
5. To facilitate economic integration and trade across regions.
6. To attract private sector participation through Public–Private Partnerships (PPP).

Implementation Agency

The NHDP is implemented by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), which is responsible for planning, construction, operation, and maintenance of national highways.
Other agencies such as the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL), and state Public Works Departments (PWDs) also participate in the execution of specific projects.

Phases of the NHDP

The NHDP has been implemented in multiple phases, each targeting specific corridors and objectives.

Major Components of the NHDP

1. Golden Quadrilateral (GQ):
   • Connects four metro cities — Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, and Kolkata.
   • The backbone of India’s national highway network.
   • Completed in 2012; reduced travel time between major cities by 40%.
2. North–South and East–West Corridors (NS-EW):
   • North–South Corridor: Srinagar (J&K) to Kanyakumari (Tamil Nadu).
   • East–West Corridor: Silchar (Assam) to Porbandar (Gujarat).
   • Together form India’s longest continuous highway corridor.
3. Port Connectivity and Development of Other Corridors:
   • Links major ports to the national highway grid to facilitate freight movement and trade.
4. Bypasses, Overbridges, and Expressways:
   • Construction of flyovers, underpasses, and ring roads for congestion management.

Financing and Public–Private Partnership (PPP)

The NHDP is financed through a mix of:

• Budgetary allocations from the Central Government.
• External assistance from international institutions such as the World Bank, Asian Development Bank (ADB), and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
• Fuel cess under the Central Road and Infrastructure Fund (CRIF).
• Toll revenue collected through the National Highways Fee (Determination of Rates and Collection) Rules.
• Public–Private Partnerships (PPP) in Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT), Hybrid Annuity, and Engineering–Procurement–Construction (EPC) models.

The PPP model has been a key feature, encouraging private sector participation in highway development and maintenance.

Achievements of the NHDP

1. Infrastructure Expansion:
   • Over 50,000 km of national highways have been developed or upgraded under various NHDP phases.
2. Connectivity and Trade:
   • Improved connectivity between industrial zones, ports, and major urban centres.
3. Economic Impact:
   • Boosted trade efficiency, rural connectivity, and employment in construction and logistics sectors.
4. Safety and Efficiency:
   • Improved road safety features and reduction in travel time and fuel consumption.
5. Institutional Strengthening:
   • Strengthened NHAI’s technical and managerial capacity in highway management.

Challenges and Limitations

Despite significant achievements, the NHDP has faced several challenges:

1. Land Acquisition Delays:
   • Complications in land acquisition and rehabilitation have slowed project progress.
2. Environmental Clearances:
   • Prolonged approval processes for forest and environmental clearances.
3. Funding Constraints:
   • Dependence on fuel cess and toll revenues; financial stress among private concessionaires.
4. Maintenance Issues:
   • Inadequate maintenance and periodic renewal of roads in certain completed stretches.
5. Contractual and Execution Delays:
   • Legal disputes, cost overruns, and contractor inefficiencies.

Transition to Bharatmala Pariyojana

In 2017, the Bharatmala Pariyojana was launched as the successor programme to the NHDP. It aims to expand and rationalise the highway network through corridor-based development.
Under Bharatmala, the remaining works of NHDP have been subsumed and integrated into a comprehensive national highway development framework, focusing on:

• Economic corridors and inter-corridor routes.
• Border and coastal connectivity.
• Port connectivity and logistics efficiency.
• Expressway construction and national corridor efficiency enhancement.

Thus, Bharatmala Pariyojana represents the second phase of India’s highway revolution, building upon the foundation laid by NHDP.

Significance of the NHDP

• Strategic Connectivity: Linked India’s major cities, ports, and industrial corridors.
• Economic Development: Strengthened the road transport backbone of India’s economy.
• Boost to Logistics and Trade: Enhanced freight movement and reduced logistics costs.
• Regional Integration: Promoted balanced development across states.
• Foundation for Future Projects: Paved the way for large-scale infrastructure initiatives such as Bharatmala, Sagarmala, and Gati Shakti.