Since Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government took office in 2014, infrastructure development has been a key focus, contributing significantly to both the economy and the quality of life. Pankaj Chaudhary, Minister of State for Finance, highlighted that the government’s capital allocation for infrastructure has more than doubled over the last four years, rising from ?5 lakh crore in 2021 to ?11.11 lakh crore. He also suggested that this expenditure could increase further with the upcoming Union Budget in February.
Chaudhary emphasized the growth of the national highway network, which has expanded by 1.6 times, from 91,287 km in 2014 to 1,46,195 km by November 2024. Additionally, the length of high-speed corridors and four-lane national highways has increased substantially. The Bharatmala Project, aimed at constructing 34,800 km of highways, has already completed 18,714 km. The government has also focused on road safety, identifying nearly 13,000 black spots on highways to address by 2029.
In the aviation and railway sectors, significant progress has been made. The number of airports has more than doubled from 74 in 2014 to 158 in 2024, and domestic air traffic has surged. In railways, 97% of the network is now electrified, with the addition of 68 Vande Bharat trains and the development of 1,337 stations. The completion of 96% of the Dedicated Freight Corridor is also a major achievement.
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