New Delhi: In a significant move to promote evidence-based policymaking and strengthen research capabilities in the transportation sector, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) to establish the NHAI Centre for Economics of Transportation, Mobility and Logistics.
The proposed centre will be India’s first permanent and independent research institution dedicated exclusively to the economics of transportation, mobility and logistics. The initiative marks an important step towards integrating advanced research, data analytics and economic insights into the planning and management of the country’s rapidly expanding transportation infrastructure.
NHAI and NCAER Join Hands for Landmark Initiative
The MoU was signed at the NHAI Headquarters in the presence of senior officials from both organisations, including NHAI Chairman Santosh Kumar Yadav and the Director General of NCAER.
The Centre will be established with a founding contribution from NHAI, while NCAER will mobilise support and contributions from allied institutions, research organisations and development partners.
The initiative reflects NHAI’s growing emphasis on incorporating data-driven decision-making and rigorous economic analysis into infrastructure development and policy formulation.
Dedicated Research Platform for Transportation Economics
The newly established Centre will function as a specialised platform for conducting applied economic research across a broad spectrum of transportation-related themes.
Its primary objective will be to generate actionable insights that support long-term planning, infrastructure investment and policy development in India’s transport sector.
The Centre will undertake policy-oriented research in areas such as:
- National Highway economics
- Freight logistics and supply chains
- Transportation and mobility systems
- Modal integration and multimodal transport
- Regional economic impacts of highway investments
- Toll policy and user fee frameworks
- Asset monetisation strategies
- Road safety interventions
- Technology adoption in highway operations and maintenance
- Infrastructure financing and investment models
The research findings are expected to support the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), NHAI and other government agencies in designing more efficient and sustainable transportation policies.
Supporting Better Policy and Infrastructure Planning
Speaking on the occasion, NHAI Chairman Santosh Kumar Yadav highlighted the importance of integrating research into infrastructure planning and management.
He stated that NHAI has consistently worked towards improving national connectivity and logistics efficiency and that the partnership with NCAER would create a dedicated platform for high-quality policy research and economic analysis.
According to him, the Centre will help strengthen planning, investment decisions and asset management strategies in the transportation sector while contributing to more effective policy interventions.
Centre to Function as a Knowledge Hub
Beyond conducting research, the institution will also serve as a knowledge hub for transportation stakeholders.
The Centre will disseminate research findings through:
- Policy briefs
- Working papers
- Flagship research reports
- Stakeholder consultations
- Workshops and seminars
- Academic collaborations
- Capacity-building programmes
These activities will facilitate dialogue among policymakers, researchers, industry experts and academic institutions while promoting informed decision-making across the transportation ecosystem.
Focus on Talent Development and Institutional Capacity
A key component of the initiative will be the development of future talent and institutional expertise in transportation economics.
The Centre will help create a pool of researchers and policy professionals specialising in transport infrastructure, logistics systems and mobility economics. This is expected to strengthen India’s long-term capacity for evidence-based infrastructure planning and policy evaluation.
Advisory and Steering Committees to Guide Research
To ensure high-quality research and strategic direction, the Centre will be guided by an Advisory Committee comprising leading economists, transportation specialists, public policy experts and eminent academicians.
The committee will also include NHAI’s Member (Finance) and the Director General of NCAER.
Additionally, a Steering Committee constituted by NHAI will oversee research priorities, review outputs and ensure alignment between research activities and NHAI’s policy and operational requirements.
NHAI Commits Long-Term Support
NHAI has committed to supporting the establishment and operation of the Centre for a period of ten years.
The long-term commitment underscores the Authority’s intent to institutionalise research-based policymaking and create a sustainable ecosystem for transportation economics research in India.
Such sustained support is expected to enable the Centre to undertake comprehensive studies, build extensive databases and generate long-term policy recommendations that can influence infrastructure development strategies.
Advancing India’s Transportation and Logistics Ecosystem
The establishment of the NHAI Centre for Economics of Transportation, Mobility and Logistics comes at a time when India is making unprecedented investments in highways, logistics corridors, multimodal transport networks and infrastructure modernisation.
By fostering a deeper understanding of the economic dimensions of transportation infrastructure and logistics systems, the Centre is expected to contribute significantly to policy effectiveness, investment efficiency and user-centric infrastructure development.
The initiative is likely to strengthen India’s capacity for evidence-based transport planning while supporting the creation of a modern, efficient and globally competitive highway and logistics network.
As transportation infrastructure continues to play a pivotal role in economic growth and national competitiveness, the NHAI-NCAER partnership represents a forward-looking effort to align research, policy and infrastructure development under a common framework of knowledge-driven governance.
