Bharatmala Pariyojana
5/17/2025 9:35:00 AM
Bharatmala Pariyojana: A Roadmap to India’s Infrastructure Revolution
India, a vast country with immense geographical diversity and a growing economy, has long required a transformative approach to its infrastructure planning. Enter Bharatmala
Pariyojana, a landmark road and highways development program launched by the Government of India in 2017. This ambitious initiative aims to enhance the efficiency of the country’s
road infrastructure, facilitate smoother movement of goods and people, and ultimately boost economic development across the nation.
What is Bharatmala Pariyojana?
Bharatmala Pariyojana is a centrally-sponsored and funded roads and highways project that focuses on optimizing the efficiency of freight and passenger movement across the
country. The program envisions the construction of around 83,677 kilometers of roads over multiple phases, with an estimated investment of ₹5.35 lakh crore in Phase I alone.
Unlike earlier infrastructure projects, Bharatmala is not just about building roads—it’s a strategic approach that considers economic corridors, border and international connectivity,
coastal roads, and port connectivity, among other critical aspects.
Key Objectives of Bharatmala
1. Improved Road Connectivity: Bharatmala aims to connect far-flung regions, especially the North-East, tribal and border areas, and economically backward regions to the
mainstream development circuit.
2. Boost to Economic Corridors: The program plans to develop economic corridors across the country, reducing travel time and costs for freight movement, which will significantly
improve trade and logistics.
3. Decongestion of Existing Corridors: By building new expressways and bypasses, the project seeks to ease the burden on existing roads, especially the heavily congested Golden
Quadrilateral.
4. Linking Rural and Urban Centers: It ensures smoother connectivity between rural production centers and major urban markets.
5. Enhanced Port and Border Connectivity: Bharatmala integrates India’s ports and international borders into the national highway grid, improving strategic and commercial
transportation.
Phase I Highlights
Under Phase I, approximately 34,800 km of highways are being developed. The focus areas include:
9,000 km of economic corridors
6,000 km of inter-corridor and feeder routes
5,000 km of national corridor efficiency improvement
2,000 km of border and international connectivity roads
2,000 km of coastal and port connectivity roads
10,000 km of balance NHDP (National Highways Development Project) works
These projects are being implemented through a mix of public-private partnerships (PPP), engineering procurement construction (EPC), and hybrid annuity models.
Strategic Significance
One of the most compelling aspects of Bharatmala is its geo-strategic importance. Roads being built in border areas, such as those in Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Arunachal Pradesh,
and Sikkim, not only facilitate civilian movement but also play a crucial role in national security by ensuring quick troop mobility.
Similarly, roads that connect ports to inland manufacturing hubs are expected to give a significant push to Make in India, Sagarmala, and export-led growth.
Economic and Social Impact
The expected economic impact of Bharatmala is far-reaching:
Logistics Efficiency: It aims to bring down India’s logistics costs from 14% of GDP to a global average of 8-9%.
Employment Generation: According to estimates, Phase I of Bharatmala is expected to generate 22 million man-days of employment during construction and another 22 million during
operation and maintenance.
Boost to Real Estate and Commerce: Better connectivity leads to the rise of new commercial zones, industrial corridors, and real estate development along the highways.
Reduction in Travel Time and Costs: Enhanced roads reduce vehicle operating costs, travel time, and fuel consumption, resulting in substantial savings.
Challenges in Implementation
Despite its grand vision, Bharatmala faces several implementation challenges:
Land Acquisition: Acquiring land for large-scale road projects often faces delays due to legal, administrative, and social hurdles.
Environmental Clearances: Projects, especially in ecologically sensitive areas, require detailed environmental assessments, which can slow down execution.
Funding Issues: While the government has tried to diversify funding sources, the scale of the project means constant monitoring of financial sustainability.
Coordination Among Agencies: Efficient coordination between central and state governments, along with various departments, is crucial for timely completion.
Progress So Far
As of early 2025, many stretches under Phase I have been completed or are near completion. Expressways like the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway and Amritsar-Kolkata Economic
Corridor are already transforming regional economies. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has accelerated construction pace, using modern technologies such as drones
for monitoring and digital dashboards for tracking.
Conclusion
Bharatmala Pariyojana is not merely a roads project—it is a transformative national movement toward inclusive infrastructure-led development. It represents a crucial link in India's
journey toward becoming a $5 trillion economy, ensuring that roads are not just conduits of transportation but enablers of progress, prosperity, and national unity.
If executed well and on time, Bharatmala will be remembered as one of the greatest infrastructure revolutions in India's post-independence history—paving the way for a more
connected, efficient, and economically vibrant Bharat.
INDIA
