AI, EVs, hydrogen to power India's 2047 Vision: Nitin Gadkari at BS Manthan

At BS Manthan, Union minister Nitin Gadkari laid out a blueprint for India's infrastructure, EV surge, hydrogen economy and road safety reset

What will it take to make India future-ready by 2047? Faster highways, cheaper electric vehicles, hydrogen at $1 per kg, zero toll queues and safer roads, said Union minister Nitin Gadkari at BS Manthan, Business Standard’s flagship event held at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi on Tuesday.

 

Speaking during a fireside chat titled 'Making India Future Ready: On Road to 2047', the Minister of Road Transport and Highways laid out a blueprint that links AI-driven infrastructure, alternative fuels, lower logistics costs and aggressive road safety reforms to India’s long-term growth story. He argued that technology, scale and speed of execution will determine whether the country can truly transform its economy over the next two decades.

 

How AI is transforming India’s road infrastructure

 

Speaking about artificial intelligence (AI), Gadkari said the technology is already embedded in highway construction and monitoring.

 

“Innovation, entrepreneurship, science, technology, research, we call all of this knowledge. And conversion of knowledge into wealth is the future,” he said.

 

The ministry is using AI and satellite imagery to prepare Detailed Project Reports (DPRs), identify encroachments, and detect landslide-prone areas in advance. “By using these technologies, we want to improve road safety, reduce accidents, enhance quality and reduce delays. AI will 100 per cent increase speed and efficiency,” he said.

 

AI is also being deployed to eliminate toll plaza congestion. “By the end of this year, there will be no queues anywhere in India,” Gadkari said, adding that a ₹3,000 annual pass for 200 toll crossings would simplify highway travel.

 

Quality over targets: ‘We will not compromise’

 

While highway construction targets have often dominated headlines, Gadkari said quality remains the priority.

 

“Our challenge is to reduce construction costs and improve quality. We are not going to compromise,” he said.

 

To prevent delays, land acquisition and environmental clearances are now completed before awarding contracts. Multi-layer flyovers in Pune worth ₹50,000 crore and shared-pillar road-metro infrastructure in Nagpur are examples of land optimisation, he said.

 

EV push: ‘Within six months, costs will be equal’

 

Gadkari said India is witnessing one of the highest growth rates in electric mobility. “There is already a 30–40 per cent rise in sales of electric vehicles. For some models, there is a waiting list,” he said.

 

Lithium-ion battery costs have fallen from $150 per kWh to $55 per kWh. “Within six months, I assume that the cost of petrol, diesel and electric vehicles will become equal,” he said.

 

He pegged the monthly running cost of petrol or diesel cars at ₹25,000–₹30,000, compared to ₹3,000–₹4,000 for EVs.

 

India’s automobile industry has climbed to the third-largest globally, behind the US and China. “My mission is that within five years, we want to make India number one,” he said, adding that the sector has created 4.5 crore jobs and contributes the highest GST revenue.

 

Hydrogen dream: ‘$1 per kg is my dream’

 

Hydrogen featured prominently in Gadkari’s long-term energy vision.

 

“My dream... I am not assuring you, nor declaring it... But my mission is to make the availability of hydrogen at $1 per kg,” he said.

 

Pilot projects across 10 national highways involve major automobile and energy companies. Gadkari said hydrogen buses and trucks are already being tested.

 

“Hydrogen is the future,” he said. “India is going to become a big, powerful source of energy.”

 

'Road accidents remain the black spot’

 

Despite infrastructure gains, Gadkari acknowledged road accidents as a persistent challenge.

 

Every year, India records five lakh accidents and 180,000 deaths, mostly in the 18–45 age group. The minister said that non-use of helmets accounts for over 54,000 deaths, while overspeeding causes 120,000 fatalities annually.

 

“This is largely a human behaviour issue,” he said.

 

Gadkari said the government has launched various measures to reduce accidents, including mandatory six airbags, 2,000 driving training schools, ₹40,000 crore annual spending on black spot rectification, and the PM Rahat Road Accident Victim Scheme, which provides up to ₹1.5 lakh for emergency treatment and ₹25,000 rewards for Good Samaritans.