India's Road Revolution: Gadkari Sets Ambitious Highway Goals
Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari announces plans to boost highway construction to 100 km/day. Addressing challenges, he defends E20 ethanol blend against critiques, highlighting its benefits. Aiming for India's automobile industry to top global rankings, Gadkari foresees reduced logistics costs and EV price competitiveness.
- Country:
- India
In an ambitious announcement, Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari revealed plans to ramp up highway construction to an unprecedented 100 kilometers per day. Currently, the rate stands at 38 km/day. Gadkari, addressing an audience at the Business Today India@100 event, emphasized the significant boost in highway project funding.
Countering critiques regarding ethanol blending, particularly E20, Gadkari dismissed claims of adverse effects on vehicles. He identified lobbying from the petroleum sector as a barrier and mentioned ongoing evaluations by the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI). With India's dependency on foreign oil, ethanol, derived from agricultural products, presents a viable alternative.
Furthermore, Gadkari outlined a future where India's automobile industry emerges as a global leader. Projections include reducing EV costs below petrol vehicles soon and lowering India's logistical expenses. The current comparison shows India's logistics are costlier than China's but less than Europe and the US.
(With inputs from agencies.)
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