India’s fast growth is being quietly driven by its expanding road network. Highways and expressways aren’t just paths from one place to another, they connect the country, boost trade, and open up new opportunities across cities, towns, and villages.
A backbone for growth
India’s highways and expressways have grown like never in the past ten years. Led by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), major projects like Bharatmala Pariyojana are building over 83,000 km of roads to improve how the country moves.
These new road networks are doing more than just connecting places, they are changing how businesses operate. Factories can get raw materials quicker, goods reach markets faster, and people can travel more easily. Since about 65 per cent of freight and 80 per cent of passengers in India depend on road transport, better highways directly help the economy grow.
Making progress faster
Expressways today are doing more than just cutting travel time; they are helping different parts of the country grow together. For example, the Amritsar to Jamnagar Expressway is acting as a major industrial corridor, opening up new opportunities across Punjab, Rajasthan, and Gujarat. Similarly, the Delhi–Amritsar–Katra Expressway is transforming connectivity in northern India, boosting tourism, trade, and agro-industries in smaller towns along the route.
Even central belts like the Ludhiana–Bathinda–Ajmer Expressway and the Warangal to Khammam Expressway are ushering in new industrial estates, better transport systems, and job creation, connecting smaller towns to the national economy like never before.
Much of this growth is being made possible by expert infrastructure consultancies, working behind the scenes, planning smart, building strong, and helping development reach beyond big cities into rural and semi-urban India.
Making life easier
Better roads are improving daily life for millions of people across India. Travel is faster and safer, and it’s easier to reach schools, hospitals, and workplaces. Farmers can now get their produce to markets quicker, which means less waste after harvest. Students from smaller towns can travel to better colleges, and workers living far from their families can visit home more often. These improved roads aren’t just about movement, they’re helping people stay connected and live better lives.
Adding to India’s ambitions
India’s vision of becoming a global manufacturing and export hub is deeply linked to its transport network. High-speed corridors aligned with expressways are transforming logistics. Seamless road connectivity to ports, airports, and border checkpoints ensures smoother trade flow, a prerequisite for competitiveness in global supply chains.
Sustainability & future-Ready roads
Today’s expressways are about more than just getting from one place to another faster, they’re about building a cleaner, smarter future. New highways now have electric vehicle (EV) charging stations, solar-powered lights, rainwater collection systems, and green patches along the way. It shows that progress can also be kind to nature.
Technology is also making travel smoother. With FASTag, there’s no need to stop at toll booths. Smart traffic systems help manage jams and keep roads safer. All of this makes our highways better for everyone—cleaner, faster, and easier to use.
Expressways are not just changing how we travel, they’re helping people find jobs, grow businesses, and stay connected. As India works towards becoming a $5 trillion economy, strong road networks will play a big role. What used to be slow and bumpy roads are now wide, smooth highways filled with hope and opportunity. Every road built is a sign of growth for the people, the country, and the planet.
(Sanjay Kumar Sinha is the Founder & Managing Director of Chaitanya Projects Consultancy. Views are personal.)
