Private investments will kindle higher finances, faster projects, better services, innovation, efficiency, lower costs, and economic stimulus.

V. G. Sakthikumar elaborates on the potential problems involved with the government’s determination to expand private investments in road and highway infrastructure while discussing the development of Indian road infrastructure.

The Indian government has set a target of constructing 60,000 kilometres of new highways by 2024. How will it impact the country’s road infrastructure and economy?
The government is taking several steps to achieve this ambitious target of building new highways across the country. Some of these steps include increasing the budget allocation for road development, streamlining the land acquisition and environmental clearance processes, adopting new technologies and best practices for faster and better quality construction, and enhancing the capacity and skills of the workforce and contractors involved in road projects. These steps will have a positive impact on the country’s road infrastructure and economy, as they will improve the connectivity and accessibility of rural and remote areas, reduce congestion and pollution in urban areas, increase employment opportunities and income generation for local communities, and stimulate growth and development of various sectors such as manufacturing, logistics, services, etc.

Which new equipment is being utilised in constructing roads and highways? How will they be acquired and supervised to ensure they are delivered on time and used cost-effectively?
The road construction industry is witnessing the use of new equipment that can improve the efficiency and quality of the work. Some of these pieces of equipment are intelligent compaction machines that measure and adjust the compaction level of the soil or asphalt, motor graders in the industry are also equipped with tech upgrades that help track the work progress easily. SCHWING Stetter India’s product portfolio has been recently updated with Cylinder Finisher CF450 which can be employed in the construction of minor roads and the motor graders from SCHWING-XCMG have become a CE market favourite when it comes to road construction.

What are the benefits and quality improvement with the new Indian government’s real-time road monitoring system?
Equipment from SCHWING Stetter India is all upgraded with telematics and IoT to aid in the system of real-time monitoring. With specific project-related requirements coming in, our project support team is ready to help our customers in creating a well integrated ecosystem of machines, operators and project supervisors for enhanced transparency of the project, faster detection of issues which will lead to better execution and easy assessment of the project progress at the finger-tips of the project supervisor.

How are equipment companies and project owners strategising to leverage these technologies for project efficiency?
To take advantage of the emerging technologies for project efficiency, SCHWING Stetter India has been adopting various strategies. Some of these strategies include investing in R&D to innovate and upgrade their equipment and services, offering a competitive edge and value to their customers. Our team has also been integrating the latest technologies into our equipment and processes, enhancing their capabilities and performance. Moreover, our training department which has been active since 2004, has been upskilling our staff and customers on how to use and benefit from these technologies, increasing their adoption and satisfaction.

The NHAI has introduced a policy enabling private companies to invest in and operate highways in India. How will this impact road infrastructure development in India and what challenges might arise?
The new policy of allowing private companies to invest in and operate highways across the country is expected to boost India’s road infrastructure. It may bring benefits such as more funds, faster and better projects, improved service and user experience, enhanced innovation and efficiency, reduced costs and risks, stimulated economic activity and development, and opportunities for various stakeholders. However, it may also face challenges such as balancing public and private interests and expectations, ensuring fair and transparent contracts and agreements, regulating and monitoring the private companies, enforcing accountability and responsibility, addressing any social or environmental issues or concerns, ensuring sustainability and inclusivity, managing and resolving any disputes or conflicts between the parties involved in the highway projects.

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