Bharatmala Pariyojana is India’s most ambitious national highway development programme, launched in October 2017 under the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH). Designed as a corridor-based infrastructure initiative, it targets the development of 34,800 km of national highways across 31 states and union territories, covering more than 550 districts.
Unlike earlier highway schemes that focused on standalone road projects, Bharatmala takes a data-driven approach — mapping 12,000 freight routes, conducting automated traffic surveys at 1,500+ points, and using satellite-based corridor identification to prioritise high-impact stretches. The result is a network built around where freight actually moves, not just where roads exist.
The programme addresses a long-standing challenge in India’s logistics sector: high transportation costs. By developing dedicated economic corridors, inter-corridors, feeder routes, expressways, border connectivity roads, and coastal highways under a single umbrella, Bharatmala Pariyojana aims to cut logistics costs, reduce travel time, and strengthen India’s position as a globally competitive manufacturing and export hub.
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Main Objective of Bharatmala Pariyojana
The main objective of Bharatmala Pariyojana is to develop and modernise India’s national highway network through a corridor-based approach — improving connectivity, reducing logistics costs, and enabling long-term economic growth.
Core Programme Objectives
1. Build 34,800 km of National Highway Infrastructure Phase I targets the development of new greenfield corridors, expressways, border roads, and port connectivity roads, along with completion of pending NHDP projects — all under a unified framework.
2. Reduce Logistics Costs India’s logistics cost as a percentage of GDP has historically been among the highest in the world. Bharatmala directly targets this by enabling high-speed, high-capacity freight corridors that support hub-and-spoke logistics models using larger 30-tonne trucks on trunk routes.
3. Improve Freight Efficiency on National Highways Currently, only about 40% of India’s freight moves on national highways. Bharatmala’s economic corridors — aligned with 45% of India’s freight traffic — are designed to push this figure to 80%, concentrating traffic where infrastructure is strongest.
4. Expand 4-Lane Highway Access At programme launch, only 300 of India’s 718 districts had access to minimum 4-lane national highways. Bharatmala targets connecting 550 districts to the 4-lane NH network — a direct uplift for regional economies.
5. Strengthen Border and Port Connectivity Around 2,000 km of border roads and 2,000 km of coastal/port connectivity roads are specifically designed to support India’s Act East policy, BIMSTEC trade integration, and maritime freight competitiveness.
6. Support Make in India and Export Growth By improving access to industrial clusters, logistics parks, and ports, Bharatmala directly supports the government’s manufacturing and export promotion goals. Faster freight movement is expected to reduce supply chain costs by up to 6%.
Bharatmala Pariyojana Phases
Phase I — The Foundation (2017 Onwards)
Phase I of Bharatmala Pariyojana was approved by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) in October 2017, with an original budget of ₹5.35 lakh crore and a completion target of 2022.
Scope of Phase I:
| Component | Length (km) |
|---|---|
| Economic Corridors | ~9,000 |
| Inter-Corridors & Feeder Routes | ~6,000 |
| National Corridor Efficiency Improvement | ~5,000 |
| Border & International Connectivity Roads | ~2,000 |
| Coastal & Port Connectivity Roads | ~2,000 |
| Expressways | ~800 |
| Greenfield Access-Controlled Corridors | ~9,100 |
| Total (Phase I) | 34,800 |
Implementation Agencies:
- National Highways Authority of India (NHAI)
- National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation (NHIDCL)
- State Public Works Departments (PWDs)
Revised Timeline: Due to COVID-19 disruptions, land acquisition delays, and pending clearances, Phase I completion has been revised to 2027–28. The revised cost estimate has also risen to approximately ₹10.63 lakh crore.
Financing Structure:
- Fuel cess (Central Road & Infrastructure Fund): ₹2,37,024 crore
- Toll collections: ₹46,048 crore
- Budgetary support: ₹59,973 crore
- Toll-Operate-Transfer (TOT) monetisation: ₹34,000 crore
- Internal & Extra Budgetary Resources: ₹2,09,279 crore
- Private sector investment: ₹1,06,000 crore
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Phase II — The Next Leg
Phase II of Bharatmala Pariyojana is currently in advanced planning stages. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has proposed construction of over 5,000 km of additional expressways and highways under this phase.
Key features of Phase II:
- Proposed capital expenditure of approximately ₹3.66 lakh crore
- Includes 6 new expressways and 17 access-controlled corridors spanning over 8,100 km
- Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) have been prepared or are nearing completion for most projects
- Phase II is being planned concurrently with late-stage Phase I execution to avoid gaps in construction momentum
6 Key Expressways proposed under Phase II:
| Expressway | Approx. Length |
|---|---|
| Pune–Bengaluru Expressway | ~745 km |
| Varanasi–Ranchi–Kolkata Expressway | ~650 km |
| Indore–Mumbai Expressway | ~515 km |
| Chennai–Tiruchirappalli Expressway | ~310 km |
| Pune–Ahmednagar–Aurangabad Expressway | ~220 km |
| Kharagpur–Kolkata Expressway | ~120 km |
Phase II is also designed to improve connectivity to Multimodal Logistics Parks (MMLPs) and integrate with under-construction Phase I expressways for seamless intercity freight movement.
Bharatmala Pariyojana: Latest Updates (2025–26)
Here is the current on-ground status of the programme based on the most recent available data:
Phase I Progress (As of March 2024)
- Total Planned: 34,800 km
- Awarded for Construction: 26,425 km (76% of target)
- Completed: 17,411 km (~50% of Phase I target)
- Total Expenditure: ₹4.59 lakh crore
- Revised Completion Target: 2027–28
The per-km construction cost has risen from the original ₹14 crore to approximately ₹24 crore, reflecting revised design standards, escalation in material costs, and upgraded safety specifications.
Key 2025–26 Developments
- Delhi–Mumbai Expressway: Multiple sections operational; final stretches under phased completion. This is India’s longest expressway project and a centrepiece of Bharatmala.
- Vijayawada–Bengaluru Greenfield Highway (NH-544G): Active construction underway across multiple sections in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, with completion expected by 2026. Once operational, it will cut the Amaravati–Bengaluru travel time from 11–12 hours to roughly 6 hours.
- PM Gati Shakti Integration: Bharatmala corridors are now mapped under the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan, enabling better inter-ministerial coordination between road, rail, port, and waterway projects.
- CAG Audit Observations: The Comptroller and Auditor General’s 2023 audit highlighted issues around project prioritisation, cost overruns, and financing model deviations. The Ministry has responded with commitments to streamline project-wise accounting and strengthen the appraisal committee process.
- MoRTH Vision 2047: The ministry’s long-term vision targets high-speed highway corridors within 100–150 km of all Indian citizens.
Importance of Bharatmala Pariyojana for the Indian Economy
Bharatmala is more than a road-building programme. Its economic ripple effects span logistics, manufacturing, trade, employment, and regional development.
1. Logistics Cost Reduction
India’s logistics costs have historically run at around 13–14% of GDP — significantly higher than developed economies where it averages 8–9%. Bharatmala’s economic corridors, by enabling high-capacity freight movement on purpose-built routes, are designed to bring this figure closer to global benchmarks. Even a 2–3% reduction in logistics costs translates to billions of rupees in savings for Indian industry annually.
2. Freight Efficiency and Industrial Competitiveness
The shift from point-to-point 10-tonne truck logistics to a hub-and-spoke model (using 30-tonne trucks on trunk corridors) reduces per-unit freight costs significantly. This makes Indian manufacturing more competitive both domestically and for exports.
3. Employment Generation
Large-scale highway construction generates direct employment in civil engineering, construction, equipment operation, and project management. Beyond construction, improved connectivity creates indirect employment by making remote areas commercially viable — attracting industries, warehousing, and services.
4. Regional Development and Connectivity Equity
By connecting 550 districts to minimum 4-lane national highways (up from 300), Bharatmala improves access to markets, healthcare, and education for hundreds of millions of Indians living in previously underserved districts. This is especially significant for border states and Left Wing Extremism (LWE)-affected regions.
5. Export Competitiveness and Port Integration
Coastal and port connectivity roads under Bharatmala directly reduce dwell times and last-mile costs for export cargo. Faster inland connectivity to ports like JNPT (Mumbai), Mundra, and Chennai strengthens India’s position as an export hub.
6. Synergy with Other National Programmes
Bharatmala is designed to work alongside:
- Sagarmala (port-led development)
- PM Gati Shakti (multimodal infrastructure planning)
- Dedicated Freight Corridors (rail freight)
- UDAN (regional air connectivity)
Together, these programmes aim to build an integrated, multimodal logistics network that supports India’s ambition of becoming a $5+ trillion economy.
Bharatmala Pariyojana: UPSC & GATE Quick Notes
This section is a concise reference for students preparing for UPSC Civil Services (Prelims & Mains), GATE (Civil Engineering), and state PSC examinations.
UPSC Prelims — Key Facts to Remember
| Parameter | Detail |
|---|---|
| Launched | October 2017 |
| Approved by | Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) |
| Implementing Ministry | MoRTH (Ministry of Road Transport and Highways) |
| Phase I Target | 34,800 km |
| Phase I Budget (Original) | ₹5.35 lakh crore |
| Revised Phase I Cost | ~₹10.63 lakh crore |
| Implementing Agencies | NHAI, NHIDCL, State PWDs |
| Districts to be Connected | 550 (from 300 at launch) |
| Completion Target (Revised) | 2027–28 |
| Status (March 2024) | 17,411 km completed; 26,425 km awarded |
UPSC Mains — Analytical Points
GS Paper II (Government Schemes & Governance):
- Bharatmala represents a shift from programme-based to corridor-based highway planning — data-driven, freight-demand-oriented.
- Its integration with PM Gati Shakti reflects the government’s multimodal infrastructure philosophy.
- CAG observations (2023) raise governance issues: cost overruns, project prioritisation gaps, appraisal lapses — relevant for questions on public accountability and infrastructure management.
GS Paper III (Infrastructure & Economic Development):
- Logistics cost reduction is a direct supply-side reform supporting Make in India.
- Hub-and-spoke logistics model enabled by economic corridors reduces per-tonne-km freight cost.
- Border connectivity roads support India’s Act East Policy and BIMSTEC integration.
GATE Civil — Technical Relevance
- Bharatmala projects use advanced pavement design standards including rigid, semi-rigid, and flexible pavement with mechanistic-empirical methods.
- Access-controlled expressways involve geometric design for high-speed corridors (design speed 120 km/h), interchange design, and cloverleaf intersections.
- Traffic surveys and GIS-based corridor identification are applications of Transportation Engineering principles directly examinable in GATE.
- Financing models — EPC, HAM (Hybrid Annuity Model), BOT-Toll — are relevant to infrastructure project management and economics.
One-Line Differentiators
- Bharatmala vs NHDP: NHDP was programme-based; Bharatmala is corridor and freight-demand-based.
- Bharatmala vs Sagarmala: Bharatmala = roads/highways; Sagarmala = port-led coastal development.
- HAM vs BOT: HAM shares construction risk between government and contractor; BOT-Toll transfers traffic risk to the private sector.
- EPC model: Government-funded, contractor-executed; no revenue risk for contractor.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on Bharatmala Pariyojana
Q1. What is Bharatmala Pariyojana and when was it launched?
Bharatmala Pariyojana is India’s flagship national highway development programme launched in October 2017 under the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. It targets the development of 34,800 km of national highways under Phase I, using a corridor-based, data-driven approach to improve freight efficiency, reduce logistics costs, and strengthen connectivity across 550+ districts.
Q2. What is the main objective of Bharatmala Pariyojana?
The primary objective is to develop and modernise India’s national highway network by building economic corridors, expressways, border roads, and port connectivity roads — reducing logistics costs, improving freight efficiency, and supporting industrial and export growth. The programme aims to raise the share of freight on national highways from 40% to 80%.
Q3. What is the current status of Bharatmala Pariyojana Phase I in 2024–25?
As of March 2024, approximately 17,411 km of Phase I has been completed and 26,425 km has been awarded for construction (76% of the 34,800 km target). Total expenditure stands at ₹4.59 lakh crore. Phase I is now expected to be fully completed by 2027–28, delayed from the original 2022 target due to COVID-19 disruptions and land acquisition challenges.
Q4. What is Bharatmala Pariyojana Phase 2?
Phase II of Bharatmala proposes over 5,000 km of additional expressways and highways, with a capital expenditure of approximately ₹3.66 lakh crore. It includes 6 major new expressways such as the Pune–Bengaluru Expressway (~745 km), Varanasi–Ranchi–Kolkata Expressway (~650 km), and Chennai–Tiruchirappalli Expressway (~310 km). DPRs are being prepared, and tendering for initial sections is underway.
Q5. How does Bharatmala Pariyojana reduce logistics costs in India?
Bharatmala reduces logistics costs through three main mechanisms: (1) building dedicated economic corridors that allow high-capacity 30-tonne trucks to move freight between major hubs efficiently; (2) decongesting existing national corridors through bypasses, ring roads, and elevated stretches at 185 identified choke points; and (3) integrating road infrastructure with multimodal logistics parks, ports, and freight corridors to enable seamless hub-and-spoke freight movement. This is expected to lower India’s logistics cost from ~13–14% of GDP closer to the global average of 8–9%.
Q6. Which ministry is responsible for Bharatmala Pariyojana?
Bharatmala Pariyojana is implemented by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), Government of India. The primary implementing agencies on the ground are the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation (NHIDCL), along with State Public Works Departments for certain stretches.
