Bharatmala – 34800 KM Road @ ₹8.53 Lakh Cr by 2028, 22 Points

1. Total Expenditure
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₹4,92,562 crore spent till 28 Feb 2025 (latest official disclosure).
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Represents ~92% utilization of original Budget Estimate (₹5.35 lakh crore).
2. Approved Capex (Phase-I)
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Cabinet approval in 2017: ₹5.35 lakh crore for 34,800 km.
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Basis for initial fiscal planning and budget allocation.
3. Capital Cost of Awarded Projects
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26,425 km awarded → ₹8,53,656 crore aggregate capital outlay.
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Indicates ~59.6% cost escalation vs original BE.
4. Planned vs Awarded Length
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Target length (Phase-I): 34,800 km.
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Awarded contracts: 26,425 km (~75.9% of target).
5. Construction Progress
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Constructed till Mar 2025: 20,378 km.
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Constructed till July 2025: ~20,770 km.
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Completion %: ~60% complete, ~40% balance (~14,000 km).
6. Revised Deadline
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Original deadline: 2022.
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Extended deadline: FY 2027-28.
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Reflects fiscal slippage and execution bottlenecks.
7. Budget Overruns
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From ₹5.35 lakh crore (2017) → ₹8.53 lakh crore (2025).
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Some estimates peg total cost up to ₹13 lakh crore (~+143% inflation).
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Cost variance driven by land, raw material, and interest costs.
8. Cost Drivers
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Land acquisition premiums (up to 25–30% of total capex).
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Commodity inflation (steel, cement).
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Delay-linked carrying costs → higher Interest During Construction (IDC).
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Scope additions (logistics parks, wayside amenities).
9. Project Origin
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Conceived & launched in 2017 under PM Modi government.
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Executed by MoRTH / NHAI.
10. Financing Structure
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Budgetary allocation from MoRTH.
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Central Road & Infrastructure Fund (CRIF) via fuel cess.
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IEBR (Internal & Extra-Budgetary Resources) via NHAI bonds.
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PPP models (Hybrid Annuity, BOT, TOT).
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Toll-Operate-Transfer (TOT) monetisation to recycle capital.
11. NHAI Debt Exposure
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Outstanding debt ~₹3.35 lakh crore (mid-2024).
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Debt-servicing cost influences project phasing and bond issuance.
12. Unit Economics
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Average capex per km (awarded projects): ~₹32.3 crore/km.
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Benchmarked against global highway construction costs.
13. Annual Construction Pace
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FY 2024-25: ~2,967 km constructed.
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Indicates ~₹95,000–1,00,000 crore annual cash outflow requirement.
14. Geographic Coverage
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Connects 31 States & UTs.
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Ensures pan-India capex distribution, though land acquisition burden varies by state.
15. Facility Components
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Investment includes expressways, ring roads, bypasses, bridges, elevated corridors, tunnels.
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Capex extensions: EV charging infra, logistics hubs, wayside amenities.
16. Logistics Park Integration
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35 planned Multimodal Logistics Parks (MLPs).
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Estimated ₹46,000 crore capex, improving freight economics and reducing logistics cost/GDP ratio.
17. Risk Metrics
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Key KPIs:
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Cost overrun % (actual vs BE).
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Debt/GDP ratio (linked to NHAI borrowings).
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Revenue inflow via toll monetisation (TOT receipts).
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Cost/km vs international benchmarks.
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18. Oversight & Audit
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CAG audits flagging delays, DPR quality, and cost escalations.
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Impact: tighter financial scrutiny and requirement for re-appraisals.
19. Financial Timeline
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2017: BE approved – ₹5.35 lakh crore for 34,800 km.
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Feb 2025: Expenditure = ₹4.92 lakh crore.
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Mar 2025: 20,378 km constructed.
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July 2025: 20,770 km constructed; awarded cost = ₹8.53 lakh crore.
20. Global Standing
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Bharatmala capex: ~₹8.53 lakh crore (~US$97–100 bn).
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One of the largest single-country infra capex programs globally.
21. Global Comparisons
Project | Reported Cost | Notes |
---|---|---|
Bharatmala Phase-I | ₹8.53 lakh crore (~US$97–100 bn) | 26,425 km awarded |
China – South-North Water Transfer | US$62 bn | Mega water infra project |
U.S. Interstate Highway System | >US$500 bn (inflation-adjusted) | Historic 20th-century road network |
22. Key Investor Takeaways
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Track TOT monetisation receipts vs targets.
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Monitor NHAI’s bond issuance and debt service capacity.
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Watch Budget Estimate vs Revised Estimate (BE/RE) allocations annually.
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Completion pace directly tied to funding availability and land acquisition clearances.
Closing Note
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As of Aug 2025, the most reliable official expenditure figure is ₹4.92 lakh crore (Feb 2025); later updates cite only awarded lengths and km constructed.
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Discrepancy exists between official budget disclosures and media projections (₹13 lakh crore total capex).
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Overall, Bharatmala remains 70–75% awarded, ~60% constructed, with deadline shifted to FY 2027-28.
Here’s the state-wise Bharatmala Phase-I progress table (data as on 31-Oct-2024)
State / UT | Length Awarded (km) | Length Constructed (km) | % Constructed |
---|---|---|---|
Andhra Pradesh | 1,936 | 994 | 51.3% |
Assam | 431 | 378 | 87.7% |
Bihar | 1,159 | 641 | 55.3% |
Chhattisgarh | 471 | 221 | 46.9% |
Delhi | 203 | 178 | 87.7% |
Goa | 26 | 26 | 100% |
Gujarat | 1,194 | 923 | 77.3% |
Haryana | 1,058 | 870 | 82.2% |
Himachal Pradesh | 167 | 113 | 67.7% |
Jammu & Kashmir | 251 | 115 | 45.8% |
Jharkhand | 801 | 440 | 54.9% |
Karnataka | 1,603 | 1,043 | 65.1% |
Kerala | 708 | 396 | 55.9% |
Madhya Pradesh | 2,017 | 1,407 | 69.8% |
Maharashtra | 2,174 | 1,837 | 84.5% |
Manipur | 635 | 394 | 62.0% |
Meghalaya | 170 | 107 | 62.9% |
Mizoram | 593 | 451 | 76.0% |
Nagaland | 208 | 155 | 74.5% |
Odisha | 967 | 871 | 90.1% |
Punjab | 1,553 | 603 | 38.8% |
Rajasthan | 2,360 | 2,241 | 94.9% |
Tamil Nadu | 1,476 | 1,185 | 80.3% |
Telangana | 1,026 | 746 | 72.7% |
Tripura | 94 | 68 | 72.3% |
Uttar Pradesh | 2,496 | 1,854 | 74.2% |
Uttarakhand | 264 | 146 | 55.3% |
West Bengal | 385 | 314 | 81.6% |
Total (Phase-I) | 26,425 | 18,714 | 70.8% |
Source: Rajya Sabha annexure, MoRTH/NHAI (status as of 31-Oct-2024).
Here’s the ranking of states by % completion (Constructed ÷ Awarded) for Bharatmala Phase-I (as on 31-Oct-2024):
🏆 Top Performers (Highest % Completion)
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Goa – 100% (26 / 26 km)
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Rajasthan – 94.9% (2,241 / 2,360 km)
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Odisha – 90.1% (871 / 967 km)
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Assam – 87.7% (378 / 431 km)
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Delhi – 87.7% (178 / 203 km)
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Maharashtra – 84.5% (1,837 / 2,174 km)
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Haryana – 82.2% (870 / 1,058 km)
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West Bengal – 81.6% (314 / 385 km)
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Tamil Nadu – 80.3% (1,185 / 1,476 km)
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Gujarat – 77.3% (923 / 1,194 km)
⚖️ Mid-Range States (50–75% Completion)
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Mizoram – 76.0%
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Nagaland – 74.5%
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Uttar Pradesh – 74.2%
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Telangana – 72.7%
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Tripura – 72.3%
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Madhya Pradesh – 69.8%
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Meghalaya – 62.9%
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Manipur – 62.0%
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Karnataka – 65.1%
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Himachal Pradesh – 67.7%
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Kerala – 55.9%
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Uttarakhand – 55.3%
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Bihar – 55.3%
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Jharkhand – 54.9%
🚨 Laggards (Below 50% Completion)
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Andhra Pradesh – 51.3%
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Chhattisgarh – 46.9%
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Jammu & Kashmir – 45.8%
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Punjab – 38.8% (lowest)
🔎 National Average (all states): 70.8% constructed (18,714 km of 26,425 km awarded).
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