As India focuses on strengthening infrastructure, activities around construction of roads and highways picked up with an average of 33 kilometres being laid in a day — which might be a world record, Nitin Gadkari, Minister for Road Transport & Highways and MSME said at a Ficci function.

“My aim is to construct over 60,000 kms of highway in the next five years at the rate of more than 40 kms per day,” he said. The government is also developing 22 greenfield expressways along with access control corridors as a part of Bharatmala Pariyojna at a cost of Rs 3.32 lakh crore. These corridors will be completed before 2025.

Meanwhile, the minister added that India is set to achieve the national determined contribution targets for increasing renewable energy share through its ambitious target of achieving 450 MW renewable energy capacity by 2030. “One of the largest such expansion plans in the world is already underway,” the minister said.

Addressing a virtual session ‘India and the UK – Partners for Growth: Unlocking Sustainable and Climate-resilient Infrastructure Opportunities’, organized by industry body Ficci, Gadkari said that as per the Paris Climate Agreement, India is committed to reduce its carbon emissions by 30-35 percent by 2030.

Gadkari added that even as India has limited resources, huge low-middle income population, demographic and cultural diversity it is determined to work towards a clean and green future. “I strongly believe that societies must be liveable, workable and sustainable. India has a surplus of solar energy potential that we can use for electricity generation. This is the time for us to act upon delivering a sustainable infrastructure without compromising on the values of ecology and environmental,” he said.