India’s rapid infrastructure expansion is being powered by innovation, green energy, and industry partnerships, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari said on Thursday at the 120th Annual Session of the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI).
Speaking at Bharat Mandapam, Gadkari highlighted India’s economic transformation under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, noting that the country is on track to become a five-trillion-dollar economy by 2027 and a developed nation by 2047. “Economic growth alone is not enough; it must go hand in hand with environmental protection and a value-based social system,” he said.
Gadkari emphasised the growth of India’s automobile sector, now the world’s third largest with a turnover exceeding Rs22 lakh crore, and highlighted advances in biofuels, ethanol, methanol, biodiesel, LNG, and hydrogen. He cited ethanol production from maize as a key driver of rural incomes, circulating more than Rs45,000 crore in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
The minister also pointed to major expressway projects, including Delhi–Mumbai, Delhi–Dehradun, Delhi–Amritsar–Katra, and Bengaluru–Chennai, which are expected to reduce logistics costs from 16 per cent of GDP to single digits by the end of 2025, while dramatically cutting travel times. Gadkari stressed the importance of innovation and R&D, urging industry to reinvest 3–4 per cent of profits to boost global competitiveness.
He added that India’s GDP has grown from Rs 107 lakh crore in 2014 to Rs 331 lakh crore in 2024–25, exports have risen 76 per cent, and foreign direct investment inflows have crossed Rs 60 lakh crore. Gadkari concluded that sustainable development requires collaboration between government, industry, and citizens.
PHDCCI President Hemant Jain credited Gadkari with turning stalled projects into “models of speed and transparency,” reinforcing confidence in India’s growth trajectory. |
