Nitin Gadkari

Gadkari flags off 'Atal Run-2025' on Vajpayee's 101st birth anniversary

The run comprised two races for men and women, two for under-16, and the highlight, the Atal Run

'I get infections in Delhi': Gadkari says transport causes 40% of pollution

Amid hazardous air quality in Delhi, Nitin Gadkari acknowledges the transport sector's 40% contribution to pollution, saying he develops infections after short stays in the capital

Knowledge key for India to become $5 trillion economy, says Gadkari

Knowledge is the most powerful tool for India to become a USD 5 trillion economy and the third largest economy in the world, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said on Monday. Addressing an event in the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, he said the future of any country is based on the type of futuristic technology it possesses. Taking technology to the grassroots, particularly in agriculture and rural India, is critical for making India self-reliant and a global power, he said. "IITs and their students have made a great contribution towards the country's development and progress. While working in the government, if we face any challenge, we refer it to the IITs first. The credibility of IITs is so good that the solution we get is widely accepted. In a nutshell, you are the capital of knowledge," the Union minister said. "The progress of the country, resources, and technologies are important, but what is more important is the futuristic technology and knowledge. The future of any ..

Knowledge most powerful tool for India to become $5 trn economy: Gadkari

Knowledge is the most powerful tool for India to become a USD 5 trillion economy and the third largest economy in the world, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said on Monday. Speaking at an event in the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, he said the future of any country is based on the type of futuristic technology it possesses. "The IITs and its students have have a great contribution towards the country's development and progress. While working in the government, if we face any challenge, we refer it to the IITs first. The credibility of IITs is so good that the solution we get is widely accepted. In a nutshell, you are the capital of knowledge," the Union minister said. "The progress of the country, resources, technologies are important but what is more important is the futuristic technology and knowledge. The future of any country is based on what type of futuristic technology it possesses," he added. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has put forth a target in the form of a mission

Multi-lane free flow toll collection by 2026-end, says Nitin Gadkari

India will roll out MLFF tolling nationwide by end-2026, enabling pay-as-you-drive travel, eliminating toll booths and cutting wait times and fuel losses

At least 574 national highway projects behind completion schedule: Gadkari

As many as 574 under construction National Highway projects worth Rs 3.60 lakh crore have exceeded their completion schedule, Parliament was informed on Wednesday. In a written reply to the Rajya Sabha, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said that out of 574 delayed highway projects awarded in the last five years, 300 are facing delay of less than one year, 253 projects 1-3 years and 21 projects over 3 years. Gadkari also said 133 NH projects with total cost of about Rs 1 lakh crore have been awarded but appointed date could not be declared pending fulfilment of pre-requisite conditions like availability of encumbrance free land and clearances by forest and wildlife departments. He said the ministry has taken various steps to streamline land acquisition process by leveraging the mechanism of review and resolution of bottlenecks / hindrances in ongoing projects, in active collaboration with the state governments and other stakeholders. Responding to a separate question, the road transport

AI-based digital toll collection to be implemented by 2026-end: Gadkari

The multi-lane free flow (MLFF) toll system and AI-driven highway management will be completed across the country by 2026-end, and after implementation, these technologies will eliminate wait time at toll plazas for commuters, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari informed the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday. Responding to supplementaries during the question hour, the road transport minister said the new technology will be AI-based. Commuters will not have to wait any longer at toll plazas, and this will help save fuel worth Rs 1,500 crore and add Rs 6,000 to the government revenue. "The multi-lane free flow toll (MLFF) is a very good facility. Earlier, we had to pay at the toll, and it would take 3 to 10 minutes; then, due to FastTag, the time has come down to 60 seconds or less. Our income has increased by at least Rs 5,000 crore. After MLFF came, replacing FastTag, cars can now cross the toll at a maximum of 80 km per hour, and no one will be stopped at the toll," he said in the House. "Our ...

No plans to phase out or retrofit of E20 non-compliant vehicles: Gadkari

Since E20 fuel was made mandatory across India in April 2025, vehicle owners have increasingly reported issues related to mileage, engine performance and overall drivability

Road works of ₹1.5 trillion have been approved for Maharashtra: Gadkari

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Saturday said road works valued at Rs 1.50 lakh crore have been approved for Maharashtra for 2026. The works will begin in the next three months, he told reporters on the premises of the Vidhan Bhavan, where the state legislature session is underway. The Nagpur MP visited the legislature complex to attend an event marking the centenary celebration of the Vidhan Parishad. Gadkari told reporters that MSIDC (Maharashtra State Infrastructure Development Corporation) will construct a new Pune-Sambhajinagar expressway for Rs 16,318 crore, and an MoU has been processed. The new expressway will reduce the travelling time from Pune to Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar to two hours and from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar to Nagpur in two-and-a-half hours. He said the 'bhoomipujan' (ground-breaking) of Talegaon-Chakan-Shikrapur Elevated Road, which is being constructed for Rs 4,207 crore, will be done after the local body elections are over. Gadkari said that the DPR proc

Ethanol-blended petrol environment-friendly, benefits farmers: Gadkari

Ethanol-blended petrol has greatly benefitted farmers and resulted in saving of over Rs 1.40 lakh crore of foreign exchange, Lok Sabha was informed on Thursday. Amid concerns over the use of ethanol-blended petrol, Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari said after extensive testing, no adverse impact has been found in cars where ethanol mixed petrol is used. "Use of E-20 petrol (Ethanol Blended Petrol) is a healthy trend. It is a green transition. It is less polluted and also saves foreign exchange," he said in Lok Sabha during Question Hour. Gadkari said due to the mixing of ethanol in petrol, Rs 40,000 crore has been given to the farmers for the raw materials used -- sugarcane, maize etc. -- in ethanol. Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said following the implementation of the ethanol blending programme, money which was earlier spent on crude oil imports is now going to farmers, who have become "Urjadaatas" apart from being "Annadatas". He said during th

Road accident deaths rise 2.3% to 177,000 in 2024, says Nitin Gadkari

The number of road accident fatalities in India rose 2.3 per cent to over 1.77 lakh in 2024, resulting in the death of 485 persons every day, Parliament was informed. Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari, in a written reply to Lok Sabha, said that the Stockholm Declaration on Road Safety, adopted at the 3rd Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety in February 2020, sets a new global target to reduce road traffic deaths and injuries by 50 per cent by 2030. "As per the information received from States/UTs, total number of road accident fatalities reported in the country on all categories of roads during the calendar year 2024 were 1,77,177, which includes data in respect of West Bengal taken from eDAR portal," Gadkari said. A total number of 4,80,583 road accidents have been reported by Police Departments of States and Union Territories (UTs) in the country during the calendar year 2023, claiming 1,72,890 lives and causing injuries to 4,62,825 persons. The

Using Toyota's 'Mirai' car running on futuristic hydrogen fuel: Gadkari

Amid air pollution in Delhi, Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari on Thursday said the central government is giving priority to alternative fuels, and he has started using Toyota's 'Mirai' hydrogen fuel-cell car. "The futuristic fuel is hydrogen.. I have also got a car, which is hydrogen, and the car is from Toyota ... It gives the same comfort as Mercedes. The name of the car is Mirai, which is a Japanese word meaning future," Gadkari said during Question Hour in the Lok Sabha. The Union minister said the import of fossil fuel is costing India Rs 22 lakh crore, and it is also creating a lot of pollution. "Because of pollution, you are all facing the crucial problem; I am also facing the problem in Delhi," he said, as he expressed confidence that as India moves to alternative fuel, the country will become a net exporter of energy. During 202425, India imported around 300 million metric tons of crude and petroleum products and exported about 65 million metric tons. Th

Barrier-less toll collection system to be in place within a year: Gadkari

Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Thursday said the current system of toll collection will come to an end within a year and an electronic system will take its place, ensuring a seamless experience for highway users. The new system has been rolled out in 10 places and will be extended across the country within a year, the Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways said in Lok Sabha during Question Hour. "This toll system will end. There will be no one to stop you in the name of toll. Within a year, an electronic toll collection will be implemented across the country," he said. Gadkari also said that currently 4,500 highway projects worth Rs 10 lakh crore are ongoing across the country. According to an official statement recently released, the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has developed the National Electronic Toll Collection (NETC) program, a unified, interoperable platform for electronic toll payments, to streamline toll collection across India's highways. At the

Gadkari bats for 'farmer producer companies' for agricultural development

Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Sunday emphasised the need for "farmer producer companies" for the progress of cultivators. Addressing a workshop on farmer producer organisation, he said all problems of cultivators must be solved at commissionerate level in districts through the farmer producer company. "We need to form a organisation/ apex body of farmer producer company for the progress and development of farmers. With farmer producer company, they can utilise agriculture equipment, tractor, harvester and other things and it will make it easy to pay loans," he said. There is need to reduce cost of production and increase yields, he said. "This would make farmers prosperous," Gadkari said while underlining the need to use technology and AI to improve production. The workshop was organised by Agro Vision, of which Gadkari is chief mentor. The Union minister informed about various initiatives taken by Agro Vision to improve agriculture pattern and crop diversification.

India shifting from fuel importer to exporter, says Nitin Gadkari

Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Friday said India is transitioning from a fuel-importing to a fuel-exporting nation, driven by the growing production and use of ethanol, methanol and green hydrogen. Gadkari, addressing the 84th annual session of the Indian Roads Congress (IRC), emphasised the government's commitment to road safety, focusing on advanced engineering standards, intelligent transport systems, and awareness initiatives. India is transitioning from a fuel-importing to a fuel-exporting nation, driven by the growing production and use of ethanol, methanol, bio-LNG, CNG, and green hydrogen, he said. India is the fastest-growing economy in the world. The dream of our Prime Minister is to make India the third-largest economy. Our mission is to make the country a Vishwaguru'. For that, we need world-class infrastructure in the water, power, transport, and communication segments, the Union Road Transport and Highways Minister said. Gadkari said the government's aim is to build

Gadkari targets creation of 500K jobs in Vidarbha over next five years

Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Saturday set the target of creating five lakh jobs in the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra in the next five years before a local industry body. He said although the target was challenging, it was achievable. Gadkari was addressing a gathering at the launch of 'Nagpur Skill Centre', a skill development initiative of the Association for Industrial Development (AID) in collaboration with Nagpur Municipal Corporation, Tata STRIVE - a skill development Initiative of Tata Trusts, and Vidarbha Global Foundation. "We have set the target of creating five lakh jobs in the next five years. Five thousand youths from every assembly constituency in Vidarbha will get skill training at the Nagpur Skill Centre," said Gadkari, who is the mentor of AID. "Although the target of skill training and creating five lakh jobs in five years is huge, it is achievable," the Minister for Road Transport and Highways said. He gave the examples of various projects that provided jobs

India's logistics cost to reduce to single digit by December: Gadkari

Logistics cost in India will come down to single digit by December this year, helped by rapid expansion of expressways and economic corridors, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said on Friday. Addressing ASSOCHAM Annual Conference 2025, Gadkari further said a recent report prepared by IIT Chennai, IIT Kanpur and IIM Bangalore has revealed that India's construction of expressways and economic corridors has helped reduce the country's logistics cost to 10 per cent from 16 per cent earlier. "India's logistics cost will come down to 9 per cent by December, which will help India become more competitive. I am sure that 100 per cent it is going to give benefit to our industry, our exports will be more competitive," he said. Logistics cost is 12 per cent in the US, 12 per cent in European countries and 8 to 10 per cent in China. Talking about India's automobile sector, the minister said, "Within five years, our target is to make India's automobile industry the number 1 in the world." "When I t

Gadkari to lay foundation for ₹436 cr elevated corridor in Puducherry today

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari is scheduled to visit Puducherry on Monday for the inauguration and foundation stone laying ceremony of several infrastructure projects, starting with a Rs 436 crore, four-km elevated corridor linking the Indira Gandhi Square and the Rajiv Gandhi Square here. During the visit, Gadkari, the Minister of Road Transport and Highways, will also dedicate to the nation three national highway projects worth over Rs 2,000 crore, besides improvement works on a 14-km stretch of the East Coast Road involving an investment of Rs 25 crore, officials said. Besides, the minister will inaugurate the 38-km four-lane Puducherry-Poondiankuppam section of National Highway 32, developed at a cost of Rs 1,588 crore, they said. Puducherry Lt Governor K Kailashnathan, Chief Minister N Rangasamy, Union Minister L Murugan, Tamil Nadu PWD Minister E V Velu, Puducherry ministers and Speaker R Selvam would participate in the event.

Govt constructing 10,000 km greenfield expressways worth ₹6 trn: Gadkari

The government is constructing 25 greenfield expressways, totalling 10,000 km across the country, at a cost of Rs 6 lakh crore, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said on Thursday. Addressing the 120th Annual Session of PHDCCI, Gadkari further said 75-80 per cent of the work on the strategic Zojila Tunnel, which will provide all-weather connectivity between the Ladakh region and the rest of the country, has been completed. He said the highways ministry will get Rs 15 lakh crore if it monetises its road projects. The road transport and highways minister also said that the construction of expressways and economic corridors has helped reduce the country's logistics costs by 10 per cent from 16 per cent earlier. "India's logistics cost will come down to 9 per cent by December, which will help India become more competitive," he said. Logistics costs are 12 per cent in the US, 12 per cent in European countries and 8 to 10 per cent in China. Talking about India's automobile sector, the minist

Gadkari inaugurates India's first EV truck battery swapping, charging hub

Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari on Wednesday inaugurated the country's first commercial electric truck battery swapping-cum-charging station built by Energy in Motion at Delhi International Cargo Terminal Private Limited (DICT) in village Panchi Gujran here. Calling this initiative by Energy in Motion historic, Gadkari said India spends nearly Rs 25 lakh crore annually on fuel imports. If we save this money by using alternative energy, it will be invested in India's development and help us move faster towards the dream of a developed India. An official release quoting Gadkari said special focus is being laid on reducing the country's logistics cost. The government's target is to bring it down to single digits (below 9 per cent) by December 2026. To achieve this, the highway network is being strengthened and multi-modal infrastructure is being developed by integrating waterways, rail and road transport, he stated. Lower logistics costs will not only benef