Bharatmala Project: Transforming India’s Road Network for Connectivity

Ambitious Road Plan Unites India

The Bharatmala Project is India’s largest highway development plan under the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. Launched in 2015, it aims to build over 83,000 km of roads with a Rs. 10.63 lakh crore budget. This undertaking seeks to boost connectivity across remote areas and expand from six to fifty national corridors.

By mid-2025, over 20,770 km out of 26,425 km awarded have been completed. The projects in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra alone have delivered over 3,480 km since June 30.

Tunnels, Expressways & Faster Travel

A key success is the tunnel in Koraput along the Raipur–Visakhapatnam corridor. This 3.43 km tunnel is Odisha’s first of its size and helps cut travel time sharply back to 6 hours from 14 hours.

India is also pushing new expressway projects in terms of development. For instance, the Amritsar–Jamnagar corridor will halve travel time from 26 hours to about 13 hours by linking key cities and ports. Another major plan is the 700 km Pune–Bengaluru Expressway, expected to cut travel time significantly by 2028.

Monitoring Progress and Challenges

The government has now begun tracking the impact of Bharatmala projects across sectors like safety, logistics, and environment. Despite strong progress, there are still delays. Land acquisition and cost issues caused the Centre to halt new road project approvals for now.

Roadmap Ahead: Phase II and New Vision

Phase II of Bharatmala, set to start in 2024, will focus on logistics parks and inland waterway links. Long term, the Vision 2047 plan aims to replace and expand on Bharatmala to reach ambitious new goals.

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