Indian Roads Will Be Better Than The US Roads In Next Two Years: Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari

Nitin Gadkari, the Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways, has reasserted that India's road infrastructure will be better than that of the United States (U.S.) in the near future. This isn't the first time that we hear him make such claims. Unlike some of the previous instances, this time, Gadkari has given a timeline that would be hard to believe for many. Speaking at the Times Drive Auto Summit & Awards 2025, the minister said that India will achieve this milestone in the next two years!

India's Vision: World-Class Roads

Gadkari has long been vocal about India’s ambitious road development plans. Previously, he had stated that India’s highways would match if not be better than the U.S. standards. However, in his latest statement, he has come up with a new timeline for fulfilment.

“I don't think there is any problem in the road sector. The changes this year and next year will be so significant that earlier I used to say our highway road network would match that of the U.S., but now I say that within two years, our highway network will be even better than the U.S.,” he said.

Previous Instances Of Gadkari Sharing His Ambitious Infrastructure Dreams

If memory serves right, we heard Gadkari drawing comparisons between the road infrastructures of India and the US for the first time in 2022. Back then, the minister said that our road will be better than those in the US by the end of 2024. He was then speaking at the inauguration of the first phase of a bridge on the Zuari river, Goa.

He said “We have decided that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, before the end of the year 2024, India’s road infrastructure will be better than that of America.” The minister even quoted US President John F Kennedy's famous words at the occasion- “American roads are not good because America is rich, but America is rich because American roads are good”

The timeline looked too good to be true. It indeed was! The government failed to fulfil its promise. In October 2024, we had the minister come up with a more realistic version. This time, he said that the Indian roads will beat those in the United States by 2047. This sounded more believable.

Gadkari was speaking at the inauguration of a two day session of the India Road Conference. With more than 23 years still left for effective fulfilment, this claim was more believable. In 2025, we see him promise something that feels almost optimistic.

Massive Infrastructure Growth Planned (And Being Executed!)

The Indian government has been investing heavily in road infrastructure, with several mega projects aimed at improving connectivity, minimizing travel time, and boosting economic growth. Some of the key initiatives include:

• The Bharatmala Project, which focuses on building 34,800 km of highways.
• The development of expressways like the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway and the Bengaluru-Chennai Expressway.
• The expansion of greenfield corridors to improve logistics and freight movement.

Challenges and Roadblocks

While India’s highway expansion is progressing at an unprecedented pace, surpassing U.S. roads within two years remains a massive challenge and a seemingly 'tall claim'. The U.S. boasts a vast and mature road network with superior maintenance and technology integration.

For India to truly match or exceed these standards, consistent quality control, use of sustainable road materials, and cutting-edge highway management systems will be required, detailed information on which is not available as we speak. That said, India’s road network is on a fast track to significant transformation, for the good.