India’s infrastructure story over the past two decades reads like a long, ambitious road trip — sometimes smooth, occasionally bumpy, but relentlessly forward-moving. From pothole-plagued stretches to gleaming expressways, halting regional flights to bustling new terminals, and diesel-hauling freight to near-complete electrification, the transport map has been rewritten.
Start with roads: the pace of highway building has been breathtaking. India’s national highway network has expanded dramatically — now more than 145,000 kilometres — transforming connectivity between metros, Tier-2 towns and hinterlands and slashing travel times for people and freight alike. This was powered by mega-programmes such as Bharatmala, a sharper push on expressways, and innovative financing models that bundled projects and securitised future tolls. The scale shows up in the cash flows too: toll collections touched Rs 61,000 crore in FY24, reflecting both higher vehicle movement and more controlled systems on new expressways.
Road agencies also got serious about quality and speed. India now has thousands of kilometres of access-controlled expressways and has piloted multi-lane free-flow (barrier-free) tolling to cut queues and emissions. The road sector’s capital outlay has ballooned — the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways was allocated Rs 2.78 lakh crore in Union Budget FY25, with NHAI alone handling projects worth more than Rs 1.6 lakh crore that year — underlining the political and budgetary backing for big-ticket pavement projects.
Transportation on Fast Track
Railways have been another headline. The transformation has been both physical — track renewals, dedicated freight corridors and mass electrification — and rolling-stock led, with programmes to propagate semi-high-speed services such as the Vande Bharat trains. The Indian Railways’ capital budget rose from just Rs 45,000 crore in FY13 to a record Rs 2.52 lakh crore in FY25. Nearly 90 per cent of the rail network is now electrified, and two dedicated freight corridors spanning over 2,800 kilometres are on track to become fully operational soon. That matters because rail remains the cheapest, most carbon-efficient mover of bulk goods — the artery that keeps factories and ports fed.
Aviation moved from niche to ubiquitous. A decade ago, many Indian towns were aviation deserts. Under UDAN and allied plans, the number of operational airports increased from 74 in 2014 to over 150 in 2024. Passenger volumes have exploded--crossing 380 million in FY2—and capital expenditure is scaling up too. Airports Authority of India has earmarked more than Rs 25,000 crore for airport modernisation, while private players such as GMR and Adani are committing another Rs 50,000 crore across brownfield and greenfield projects, including the upcoming Jewar International Airport near Delhi.
Ports and maritime logistics quietly strengthened in the background. Through container terminal expansions, modern cargo-handling equipment, and Sagarmala-linked projects, India’s ports have been pumped for capacity and hinterland connectivity. Port capacity has crossed 1,600 million tonnes annually, and fresh investments worth over Rs 1.5 lakh crore are planned by 2035 to make India a regional trans-shipment hub.
Outlook for Next 20 Years
So what’s the punchline for the next 20 years? First: connectivity will be the engine of inclusive growth. Faster roads, reliable rail freight corridors and more airports mean producers in small towns can reach national and global markets with lower logistics costs, raising competitiveness. Second: resilience and green credentials will sharpen. Expect deeper electrification of rail, cleaner fuels for road freight, MLFF tolling and smarter traffic management, all aimed at decarbonising transport while improving efficiency. Third: finance and technology will be decisive. Public capital will continue to seed projects, but mobilise private capital.
There are, of course, challenges. Land acquisition, environmental clearances, skill gaps for large-scale construction and squaring regional equity with fast urban growth are persistent frictions. But policy frameworks have matured: integrated plans (think PM Gati Shakti-style coordination), data-driven project selection and modular contracting have cut delays and improved outcomes.
Numbers help make the future less fuzzy. The government has signalled massive outlays across transport sectors. Roads alone are expected to see Rs 15 lakh crore worth of projects under Bharatmala and allied schemes in the next decade. Railways will push with another Rs 3 lakh crore annually to fund new corridors, electrification, and Vande Bharat rollouts. Airports are set for a Rs 1.5 lakh crore capex pipeline by 2040, while Sagarmala-linked projects could top Rs 10 lakh crore by 2035. Toll revenue growth and rising passenger volumes provide early payback signals, while freight modal shifts to modernised rail corridors promise long-run savings for businesses.
In plain terms: better roads shorten travel times and shrink transport costs; modern rail frees up highways and lowers emissions; upgraded airports anchor regional development; and deeper port integration accelerates trade.
If there’s one thread tying the last 20 years to the next 20, it’s that connectivity is now a strategic economic policy rather than only a budget line item. India’s challenge will be to make that connectivity smart, equitable and climate-conscious. If it does, the next two decades could turn this long, ambitious road trip into a high-speed, low-emissions expressway to inclusive growth. Not bad for a country that used to time itself by trains and monsoons — don’t you think? |
