The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), a government-owned entity, plans to launch 15 road projects valued at Rs 44,000 crore this fiscal year under the Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) model, covering a total of 937 km.
Earlier in the year, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) introduced revised BOT project guidelines aimed at attracting private sector investments in the highways sector.
These projects include significant stretches such as the Guwahati Ring Road with Brahmaputra Bridge in Assam (estimated at Rs 5,500 crore), Kasarwadi-Rajgurunagar in Maharashtra (Rs 5,954 crore), Pune-Shirur Road in Maharashtra (Rs 6,170 crore), and Armoor-Mancherial Road in Telangana (Rs 3,175 crore), among others.
Under the BOT model, private investors finance, build, and operate highway projects for a concession period of 20-30 years. They recover their investment through user charges or tolls.
The recent changes in BOT project guidelines include provisions for construction support to concessionaires to ensure timely project completion and extended tolling periods to mitigate revenue risks due to competing roads.
