Ajay Tamta Pushes for Innovation-Driven, Safety-Focused Road Planning in India

In a forward-looking dialogue that could redefine India’s road infrastructure landscape, Shri Ajay Tamta, Hon’ble Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), convened a strategic interaction with faculty and innovators from IIT Delhi, School of Planning and Architecture (SPA) Delhi, and key industry stakeholders. Held in Delhi, the session explored a bold, technology-first vision for India's road networks—one that is innovative, safety-integrated, indigenously designed, and closely aligned with the broader development goals of Viksit Bharat 2047.

Shri Tamta’s central message was unambiguous: India must shift from conventional, reactive road construction toward context-sensitive and innovation-led planning. Roads, he asserted, are not mere conduits for transport—they are catalysts for industrial corridors, digital highways, last-mile mobility, and citizen-centric urban growth.

Infrastructure for a Developed India: Vision 2047

Under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the government’s Viksit Bharat 2047 vision views infrastructure as a foundational pillar for transforming India into a developed nation by its centenary of independence.

“The Ministry is not just building roads,” Shri Tamta remarked, “we are shaping national arteries that power industries, enable digital connectivity, resolve urban congestion, and elevate the quality of life for every citizen.”

Proactive, Indigenous, and Integrated Road Design

A key highlight of the dialogue was the call to indigenize road design frameworks, moving away from Western replication to systems grounded in India’s unique terrain, traffic behavior, climate, and urban-rural dynamics. This includes:

• Integrated safety zones to reduce accident severity.

• Mixed-use corridors to optimize space in dense urban zones.

• Mobility hubs offering multi-modal transport options.

• Urban mobility innovations like no-app-no-URL PiFi (Private Internet Fidelity) systems to democratize access to last-mile transit without reliance on smartphones or data.

The Minister reviewed several low-cost, high-impact solutions proposed by students, researchers, and incubators such as PlaniN Lab, and encouraged rapid pilot deployments in key urban areas.

Hotspot-Based Safety Models and Urban Congestion Solutions

Shri Tamta also discussed next-generation safety engineering models:

• Hotspot-based safety designs that target accident-prone areas with proactive infrastructure changes.

• Multi-directional free-traffic junction models, which rethink roundabout and crossing flows to reduce bottlenecks.

• Door-to-door urban transit systems tailored to non-metro cities where last-mile mobility remains a challenge.

These models integrate physical planning, data analytics, and citizen behavior mapping, representing a cross-disciplinary approach to transportation.

Institutional Innovation: Centres of Excellence and Transparent Governance

In his address, Shri Tamta emphasized the role of Centres of Excellence (CoEs) at premier institutions like IIT Delhi and SPA Delhi as incubators of smart infrastructure innovation. He invited other academic and industry players to join this mission and contribute to nation-building through intelligent infrastructure.

He proposed a reform in governance: inviting physical planning concepts and evaluating them transparently before finalising Detailed Project Reports (DPRs), thereby ensuring:

• Merit-based selection of planning ideas

• Greater implementation clarity

• Reduced cost overruns and land conflicts

Academic-Industry Leadership at the Interaction

The landmark event featured an influential panel of researchers and institutional leaders:

• Prof. Rangan Banerjee, Director, IIT Delhi

• Prof. Virendra Kumar Paul, Director, SPA Delhi

• Prof. S. Mukherjee, Acting HoD, Mechanical Engineering, IIT Delhi

• Prof. Ashok Kumar, HoD, Physical Planning, SPA Delhi

• Prof. Anoop Chawla, Mechanical Engineering, IIT Delhi

• Mr. Fani Bhushan, Founder of PlaniN Lab (IIT Delhi Incubation, 2012–2016), known for developing grassroots digital mobility frameworks

The dialogue offered a rare fusion of technical depth, academic rigor, and governance foresight, creating a roadmap for India’s evolving road planning ecosystem.

A New Era of Road Building

Shri Ajay Tamta’s visit signaled MoRTH’s commitment to transforming India’s highways and urban roads into sustainable, safe, and intelligent networks. His insistence on customized design, proactive planning, and technology-driven solutions places India at the cusp of a new era in infrastructure development.

With academic institutions and industry innovators stepping up, the road ahead promises to be not only longer—but smarter, safer, and more inclusive.