India's national highway construction fell short of its annual target in the last financial year, reflecting a broader slowdown in project execution and awarding activity.
According to senior officials from the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, as cited by PTI, highway construction reached 9,380 km falling short of the 10,000 km target for the year.
The shortfall was largely attributed to persistent bottlenecks in land acquisition and delays in obtaining statutory clearances, both of which continue to hamper infrastructure rollout across several regions.
The official told PTI that these issues significantly affected the pace of construction, pushing output to its lowest level since 2017-18, when 9,829 km of highways were completed.
The ministry, which oversees the expansion and upkeep of national highways and expressways, had maintained a stronger pace in recent years.
Construction stood at 10,660 km in 2024-25, 12,349 km in 2023-24, and 10,331 km in 2022-23, indicating a notable dip in the latest figures.
The slowdown is also linked to a sharp decline in the awarding of new highway projects.
Contract awards dropped significantly from 12,376 km in 2022-23 to 7,538 km in FY25, signalling a tightening pipeline that could affect construction momentum in the coming years.
Industry observers note that delays in project approvals and land readiness often create a ripple effect, slowing both awarding and execution.