India’s fast-growing national highway network is largely being built by workers coming from a limited number of districts, according to information shared by the government in the Rajya Sabha. Data from the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways revealed that many projects under the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) rely on labour from only 53 districts across eight states.
These districts are mainly located in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Chhattisgarh. Among these, Bihar contributes the highest number of workers, followed by Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. The workforce includes both skilled and semi-skilled labourers who are involved in construction, maintenance and other infrastructure-related work.
The government clarified that workers are generally hired by contractors or concessionaires based on skill requirements and availability, rather than their place of origin. However, the data highlights a strong migration pattern in India’s construction sector, where labour tends to move from certain regions to project sites across the country.
To improve workforce availability and reduce dependence on limited districts, the government has been focusing on skill development and training programs. These initiatives aim to create a larger pool of trained workers, generate employment opportunities in more regions and support the increasing demand for manpower in infrastructure projects.
The findings show that expanding skill training across the country will be important for sustaining India’s rapid highway development in the coming years.
