NHAI’s Rs 1.4 Lakh Cr Road Monetisation Plan: A New Era in Highway Financing

India’s National Highways Authority (NHAI) has launched its first “Asset Monetisation Strategy” aimed at unlocking the value of operational highway infrastructure and accelerating private sector participation. Leveraging its success under the National Monetisation Pipeline, which has generated over ₹1.4 lakh crore by monetising more than 6,100 km of highways through Toll‑Operate‑Transfer (ToT), Infrastructure Investment Trusts (InvITs), and securitisation, NHAI is set to institutionalise these mechanisms.

The policy is founded on three pillars: (1) maximising the value of existing highway assets; (2) ensuring transparency and dissemination of investor‐relevant information through digital dashboards and data rooms; and (3) expanding and engaging a diverse investor base—including pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, and retail investors—via open competitive processes.

According to NHAI Chairman Santosh Kumar Yadav, this structured strategy “ensures financial sustainability” while inviting innovation, improving asset quality, and reducing dependence on traditional funding. Aligned with India’s 2025–30 National Asset Monetisation Plan, the approach is expected not only to support the expansion and upkeep of national highways but also to set a template for other infrastructure sectors.