Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari has called for a national mission to improve urban road infrastructure, stressing the need for better project planning, skilled engineers and greater accountability in construction and maintenance. Addressing the MARG 2026 (Mobility for All – Reforms and Governance for India's Urban Roads) event in New Delhi, Gadkari said India should draw lessons from its experience in developing national highways to transform road networks within cities.
"Roads create prosperity, and this is as true of a city street as it is of an expressway. The quality of our infrastructure can never be better than the quality of the people who plan and build it. Good work must be recognised, and poor work must have consequences," Gadkari said, according to a press release.
Nitin Gadkari stresses integrated urban road planning
The Minister underlined the importance of coordination between agencies responsible for roads, metro networks and rail infrastructure. He said integrated planning was necessary to make better use of limited urban land and public resources.
Highlighting India's progress in improving connectivity between cities, Gadkari said the focus should now shift towards making everyday travel within urban areas more efficient.
"India has transformed the journey between cities. Together, we can now transform everyday journeys within them," he said.
MARG 2026 calls for national mission on urban roads
The two-day MARG 2026 event was held on November 3 and 4 at the National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) campus in New Delhi.
Jointly organised by Jana Urban Space Foundation, Janaagraha and NCAER, the event brought together policymakers, government representatives and urban development experts to discuss reforms in the planning, financing, construction and maintenance of city roads.
Discussions centred on the need for stronger institutions, common design standards, quality-based procurement practices and clearly defined accountability for road construction and upkeep.
Participants also called for improvements in technical expertise and institutional capacity to ensure that urban roads are more durable and better maintained.
Urban roads need greater attention, says NCAER chief
NCAER Director General Suresh Goyal said urban roads had not received the same level of attention as national highways and rural roads, despite their importance to economic activity and public welfare.
"Urban roads have not received as much importance as national highways or rural roads. Urban roads play a crucial role in increasing the quality of life, ease of doing business, sustainability and safety," Goyal said.
Srikanth Viswanathan, Executive Director of Jana Urban Space Foundation and CEO of Janaagraha, also called for a coordinated national effort to improve urban road infrastructure.
"India needs a collective national imagination, funding, and action on urban roads like we have for our highways," he said.
Bengaluru, Uttar Pradesh models highlighted at urban roads event
The event showcased urban road development initiatives, including Bengaluru's Tender S.U.R.E. programme and Uttar Pradesh's Chief Minister Green Road Infrastructure Development Scheme (CM GRIDS).
According to the press release, CM GRIDS is supporting the transformation of more than 290 kilometres of urban roads across 17 cities in Uttar Pradesh.
The discussions also highlighted the importance of creating sustainable funding mechanisms for both road construction and long-term maintenance. Greater municipal revenue generation and stronger institutional accountability were identified as key requirements.
The proposed national mission on urban roads aims to help states and cities adopt uniform standards, improve professional capabilities and strengthen urban road networks across the country.
