Roads and highways allocation in Budget 2026 touches ₹3.1L crore
What's the story
The Union Budget 2026-27 has allocated ₹3.10 lakh crore to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH). This is a significant increase from the previous year's budget estimate of ₹2.87 lakh crore. The increased funding will be used for developing national highways, expressways, as well greenfield access-controlled corridors via budgetary resources, toll-based funds, and highway monetization mechanisms.
NHAI funding
NHAI allocated ₹1.87L crore for FY27
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has been allocated ₹1.87 lakh crore for FY27. This is a part of the government's continued focus on infrastructure development. The allocation also includes road works like national highway construction, border roads, logistics parks, ropeways, and last-mile connectivity projects which have seen an increase to ₹1.22 lakh crore from last year's ₹1.16 lakh crore.
Asset maintenance
Focus on maintaining existing highway assets
The government has also stressed the importance of maintaining existing highway assets. Around ₹5,020 crore has been allocated for this purpose through the Central Road and Infrastructure Fund (CRIF). This is a higher allocation than last year.
Sector expansion
Public spending on roads and highways has increased significantly
Over the past decade, India's roads and highways sector has seen a sharp rise in public spending. The MoRTH's expenditure has grown nearly six-fold during this period. This has supported an almost 60% expansion of the national highways network to over 1.46 lakh kilometers. Recent budgets have also focused on maintaining the existing national highways, reflecting the need to improve road quality, safety, and asset life as the network matures.