Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Shri Nitin Gadkari delivered the opening address at the 3rd BRICS Transport Ministers' Meeting in Nagpur, calling for deeper cooperation among BRICS nations to build transport systems that are sustainable, resilient, inclusive and future-ready. The meeting, held under India's BRICS Chairship with the theme "Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability", represents nearly half of the world's population and aims to develop cleaner, safer, smarter and more efficient transport systems while advancing sustainable economic growth and regional connectivity.
Minister Gadkari highlighted India's rapid transformation across transport sectors, noting the country has developed the world's second-largest road network with significant expansion of access-controlled expressways and multimodal connectivity. Specific projects mentioned include the Delhi-Dehradun Economic Corridor, Sonamarg Tunnel, and over 10,000 kilometres of Greenfield Expressways, demonstrating India's commitment to combining infrastructure development with environmental sustainability and technological innovation. The Hybrid Annuity Model was highlighted as a successful framework for mobilizing private investment in infrastructure.
India's railways have undergone unprecedented modernization through near-complete electrification of the broad-gauge network, expansion of Vande Bharat services, progress on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail Corridor, and landmark engineering achievements including the new Pamban Bridge. Maritime initiatives include the Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047, digital platforms e-Navik and e-Samudra, and the Green Shipping initiative to strengthen maritime infrastructure and logistics efficiency.
Sustainable mobility efforts include deployment of electric buses, the Green Urban Mobility Scheme, and the success of the UDAN initiative in improving regional air connectivity. The PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan has transformed infrastructure planning through integrated multimodal development, reducing logistics costs and accelerating project implementation. Safety and sustainability initiatives include the PM-RAHAT scheme for cashless treatment of road accident victims and innovative use of recycled plastic waste, municipal waste, fly ash, steel slag, bamboo crash barriers and end-of-life tyres in road construction.
Minister Gadkari called for stronger BRICS collaboration to address common challenges relating to infrastructure financing, congestion, emissions, road safety and last-mile connectivity through collective solutions. India reaffirmed readiness to deepen cooperation through knowledge sharing, capacity building, technological collaboration and joint research in green hydrogen, electric mobility, alternative fuels, digital transport systems and sustainable multimodal infrastructure. The deliberations aimed to strengthen BRICS transport cooperation and contribute to practical, innovative and people-centric mobility solutions that promote inclusive growth, strengthen regional connectivity, and protect the environment.