“No Compromise on Quality” Gadkari Calls for Accountability in Road Building Anchored on the Three Ps -People, Prosperity and Planet
Details on road-makers to be displayed in public to ensure accountability
New Delhi, 28 October 2025
Shri Nitin Gadkari, Hon’ble Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, on Tuesday, called for accountability, transparency, and ownership among contractors, consultants, and officials to ensure that India’s highways are built and maintained to world-class standards, and are safe, durable, and sustainable. He also indicated that details of project officials, contractors, and developers of roads will be displayed publicly to ensure accountability to citizens, in a significant announcement.
Delivering the keynote address at the Smart Roads Conference 2025, organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), on Tuesday at New Delhi, the Minister said, “Every stakeholder-from the contractor to the engineer to the policymaker must take ownership of their work. Accountability and quality are non-negotiable. Roads must not only be built but maintained to international standards.”
Reaffirming the government’s target of a $5 trillion economy by 2027, Shri Gadkari underscored that the path to this vision lies in creating world-standard infrastructure across water, power, transport, and communication, which together form the backbone of India’s economic progress, “If infrastructure is strong, industry, trade, and employment will grow; income will rise, and poverty will decline,” he said.
The Minister outlined his vision around three core pillars People, Prosperity, and Planet
People: Roads should bring comfort, convenience, and safety. Modern roadside amenities, electric charging stations, and clean, accessible toilets are being developed to enhance the travel experience. Performance audits and transparent monitoring will ensure accountability at every level.
Prosperity: Infrastructure is the foundation of economic growth. Citing the Dwarka Expressway as an example, he noted how highways act as engines of urban transformation spurring real estate development, job creation, and increased GST revenues. “Every rupee invested in infrastructure yields three rupees for the economy,” he observed.
Planet: Sustainability is central to development. The Ministry is adopting green construction practices using solid waste, steel slag, bamboo crash barriers and tree transplantation. New-age fuels such as hydrogen, ethanol, and electric-powered machinery are being introduced to cut emissions and costs.
Shri Gadkari announced that stricter measures will be implemented to ensure transparency and performance-linked accountability across all projects.
All road projects will undergo performance audits and ratings based on quality and accident data.
Details of project officials, contractors, developers and consultants will be displayed publicly to enhance accountability to citizens.
Poor quality work or negligence will invite penalties and blacklisting.
Pre-cast and factory-based construction will be made standard to improve precision, speed, and environmental compliance.
“Roads are national assets. Those who build or manage them must be answerable to the people of India,” the Minister said.
Highlighting the government’s push for innovation, the Minister spoke about
Adopting alternative fuels such as ethanol, methanol, and hydrogen in transportation and heavy machinery.
Using municipal solid waste and treated wastewater in road construction.
Expanding bamboo crash barriers and other sustainable materials.
Reducing logistics costs from 16% to single digits by 2026 through efficient and eco-friendly infrastructure.
“We will not compromise on quality. Together government, industry, and engineers must deliver world-standard roads that ensure safety, sustainability, and comfort for every Indian,” Shri Gadkari said. There is no shortage of projects or funds, what we need is commitment and accountability, he added.
Mr. Chandrajit Banerjee, Director General, Confederation of Indian Industry, in his remarks said, “Under Shri Gadkari’s leadership, India’s road sector has emerged as a global model of execution speed and innovation. CII remains committed to partnering with the Ministry in building a smart, sustainable, and resilient highway ecosystem.”
Mr. Vinayak Pai, Chair, CII National Committee on Roads and Highways and CEO & MD, Tata Projects, lauded the government’s proactive reforms, “Smart, transparent, and performance-linked contracting will redefine the future of India’s highways. The industry stands firmly behind the Ministry’s vision to make our roads safer, greener, and globally benchmarked.”
Mr. Jagdish Kadam, Vice Chair, CII National Committee on Roads and Highways and CMD, Rajpath Infracon, noted, “Accountability must go together with innovation. With clear performance standards, technology integration, and shared responsibility, India’s road sector is on the cusp of a major transformation.”
The CII Conference on Future of Smart Roads in India 2025 brought together policymakers, industry leaders, financiers, and technology experts to discuss innovations in smart contracting, sustainable infrastructure and digital transformation of India’s highways.