Gadkari, Sonowal unveil road map for next phase of infra growth

Two top ministers overseeing key infrastructure portfolios — Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari and Ports, Shipping and Waterways Minister Sarbananda Sonowal — on Thursday outlined the central government's broader vision to take infrastructure growth to the next level, driven by mega investments at scale.

- BS REPORTER

Speaking at the Business Standard Infrastructure Summit 2025, Gadkari said quality infrastructure was essential to achieve the $5 trillion-economy target, as industrial investment and job creation could not happen without it. "Availability of money is not the problem. We can sanction projects worth ₹20 trillion today, compared with the ₹4 trillion being invested in the sector currently. Annual toll income, which is about ₹55,000 crore now, is set to rise to ₹1.4 trillion," he said.

In a fireside chat with Business Standard's Nivedita Mookerji, he said the government aimed to make India's automobile industry the world's largest within five years — a goal he believed possible with the rapid development of alternative fuels like ethanol, biofuels, methanol, biodiesel, liquefied natural gas, and green hydrogen. "We have already launched 10 projects with Indian Oil Corporation to produce green hydrogen from municipal solid waste. The challenge is inadequate filling stations and transport infrastructure," he said, adding India would soon lead in green hydrogen and emerge as a net energy exporter.