New Delhi, January 31, 2025: Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Shri Nitin Gadkari, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to improving the quality and safety of national highways. Addressing a stakeholder consultation workshop organized by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), he emphasized that national highways are vital assets and underscored the significance of technology-driven advancements in construction.
Shri Gadkari highlighted the role of Automated & Intelligent Machine-Aided Construction (AIMC) in ensuring efficiency and transparency. “Technology is a great enabler, and the adoption of AIMC is a step in the right direction. The successful implementation of this technology in the Lucknow-Kanpur Expressway pilot project paves the way for its expansion to other projects,” he stated.
Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways, Shri Ajay Tamta, acknowledged India’s progress in developing world-class road infrastructure. He stressed the importance of leveraging advanced technology, including sensors, satellites, and real-time monitoring, to accelerate progress. “With continuous technological advancements, we are committed to aligning India’s road infrastructure with Vision 2047, aiming to achieve a world-class national highway network,” he added.
Shri V Umashankar, Secretary, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), emphasized the critical importance of time and quality in construction. “The roads we build today will serve our nation for years. Advanced technology enables us to address key construction challenges such as compaction,” he noted. He expressed confidence that insights from the workshop would aid in adopting AIMC for national highway development.
During the event, Shri Vishal Chauhan, Member (Administration) at NHAI, stated that the stakeholder inputs would contribute to transitioning conventional highway construction into a data-driven approach through AI-MC technology integration. Shri Anil Choudhary, Member (Projects), NHAI, provided an overview of the discussions held during the workshop.
NHAI has been successfully implementing AIMC on the Lucknow-Kanpur Expressway pilot project, utilizing GPS-aided motor graders, intelligent compactors, and stringless pavers. Based on the project’s evaluation and feedback from stakeholders, NHAI plans to expand AIMC technology to additional Greenfield Expressways and Access-Controlled corridors, adhering to international guidelines and specifications.
The draft policy on AIMC adoption, recently released by MoRTH, underscores the transformative potential of automated and intelligent machine-aided construction in national highway development. The consultation workshop facilitated discussions among senior officials from MoRTH, NHAI, NHIDCL, technology providers, concessioners, consultants, and machine equipment manufacturers, reinforcing a collaborative approach to modernizing India’s highway infrastructure.
Source: PIB
