NHAI is Building Beyond Just Roads & Highways

1. NHAI is Building Beyond Just Roads & Highways The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is emerging as a global force in the roads and highways sector. It not only is joining nodal networks but also is opening the way for trade and commerce between nations. The autonomous highways wing also is facilitating cultural exchange and tourism between cities, states, and countries. India is one of the most prominent trade destinations in the world where most of the commerce occurs via highway networks. The National Highways Authority of India is in the process of deploying advanced standards and safety in the highways sector apart from just connectivity. Appointed by the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH), the autonomous highway agency – NHAI – is changing the road and highway infrastructure in the country, and improving trade relations within and with its neighbouring nations. Under the leadership of Deepak Kumar and Akhilesh Srivastava, the NHAI has launched and implemented several prestigious projects. It is implementing projects such as Wayside Amenities (WSAs) and Electronic Toll Collection for the modernisation and digitalisation of the public sector. The NHAI also has built a highway-utility mobile application named Sukhad Yatra to translate seamless travel to the highway users. It is also developing Advanced Traffic Management System (ATMS), industrial drones and remote sensing equipment, green highways, GPS tolling, and solar farms. The NHAI also is spreading its wings internationally with a 1,360-km India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway (IMTTH) in collaboration with ASEAN member-nations. Following the guidelines of India’s Look- East policy, the NHAI is developing the Trilateral project to ace cost-effective trading between India and ASEAN countries. The NHAI’sTrilateral project starts from the region of Moreh in India, flow through Myanmar, and joins in the region of Mae Sot in Thailand. It has also proposed the construction of 69 bridges on the Tamu- Kyigone-Kalewa road section of nearly 150 Km, and Kalewa-Yargi of 120km in Myanmar under the Trilateral project. The MoRTH opined that the NHAI’s ongoing Trilateral project will improve road connectivity with South- East Asian countries. It expressed a sigh of relief on the completion of the 130-km road connectivity – Moreh and Tamu in India to Kalewar in Myanmar. And stretches along Thailand-Myanmar side also been developed. The nations involved and collaborated in the Trilateral project are anticipating to extend the project further to Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam. The Trilateral project is expected to raise the GDP rate of India with a projection of USD 70 billion. It will also increase the employment with 20 million by 2025 for the nations involved in the Trilateral project. It is also counterbalancing the effect of One Belt One Road (OBOR) on Asia. The MoRTH with other collaborative nations in the Trilateral project hosted an event ASEAN-India Connectivity Summit themed Powering Digital & Physical Linkages for Asia in 21st Century, in New Delhi. Prominent stakeholders including international delegates, eminent personalities, industry tycoons, government officials, and representatives of trade attended the event. CGM of NHAI, Akhilesh Srivastava, also attended the event and delivered a keynote speech emphasising the Trilateral project and the theme of the event. Eliminating all loopholes, the NHAI’s trilateral project is enhancing the economic, financial, and trading avenues between ASEAN members and India. #TrilateralProject #ElectronicTollCollection #TollPlazas