Good performers must be given more opportunities, says Nitin Gadkari

India boasts the second-largest road network in the world, spanning 63.72 lakh kilometers, including state road transportation, state highways and national highways.

The infrastructure sector plays a pivotal role in India’s development, and I extend my congratulations to all the award winners for their outstanding performance. We need to change perceptions and adapt to the circumstances and requirements. Understanding the financial and technical aspects holistically is the need of the hour. It is crucial to address the current environment where professionals working in the hydro sector face rejection in the road sector, and those working in the road sector are rejected in the Railways sector. This situation needs to be remedied. Individuals with the capacity and experience to deliver quality work must be allowed to contribute to better infrastructure, said Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, at the Annual Flagship Infrastructure Conference cum Awards organised by ASSOCHAM.

“It has become necessary for us to consider the cost factor while progressing on the path of economic development. Work allocation must be based on competency, and the practice of issuing tenders solely for show, after departmental and area-wise decisions have already been made, needs to come to an end. When awarding contracts in the tender process, priority should be given to the experiences of previous works, and there should not be an excessive emphasis on financial and technical criteria. Industry bodies like ASSOCHAM have played a crucial role in providing meaningful suggestions and advice, and I look forward to their continued support in this journey of economic development,” he added.

In his introductory remarks, Ajay Singh, President of ASSOCHAM, stated, “The high rate of development witnessed lately is a result of the dynamic leadership and persistent follow-up undertaken by the Union Minister. It is not just the road sector that has benefited from his proactive leadership; we have undertaken a flight from Dehradun to Delhi using sustainable aviation fuel at the insistence of the Union Minister. We are working with him to ensure that one day, every single airplane in this country will operate on plant-based sustainable aviation fuel, including those produced by recycling waste materials.”

Recognising the role of infrastructure, such as roads, highways, and tunnels, in the economic development of the country, the government has increased the capital investment outlay for the third consecutive year by 33 percent to ₹10 lakh crores (3.3 percent of GDP). India boasts the second-largest road network in the world, spanning 63.72 lakh kilometers, including National Highways, Expressways, State Highways, Major District Roads, other District Roads, and Village Roads. The National Highways (including tunnels) with a total length of 1,40,995 kilometers serve as the arterial network of the country.

The conference brought together key industry players on a common platform to discuss pertinent topics and the way forward. Discussions revolved around underground construction, tunnelling sections, risk-sharing matrix, modifications in the model contract agreement, consulting contracts including evaluation criteria for assessment, penalty charges on consulting companies, and standardisation of project parameters (cross-section elements). Institutional strengthening measures, such as establishing a Central Repository of Tunnel Documents and cost economisation, as well as topics like Make in India, digitalisation, and operational cost refinement, were also addressed. A framework suggestion based on these discussions will be prepared and submitted to the relevant authorities for consideration.

The conference also delved into the importance of PPP investments in roads and highways, safety audits, alignment of BOT and TOT target traffic clause, calculations of Initial Estimated Concession Value (IECV), monetising the ETC data to the public for the larger good, disinvestment approval, and bidding of brownfield projects under BOT. Other critical issues, such as bid information disclosure,
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