NHAI finalises 17 highway assets for monetisation (Img: Internet)
New Delhi: The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has finalised 17 national highway assets spanning nearly 1,692 kilometres for monetisation during the financial year 2026-27, officials said on Thursday.
The highway stretches will be monetised under the Toll-Operate-Transfer (TOT) and Infrastructure Investment Trust (InvIT) models as part of the government’s strategy to generate funds for future road and infrastructure projects.
According to officials, the identified highway stretches are located across Haryana, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Maharashtra.
These corridors are considered economically important due to their steady traffic movement, freight connectivity and role in supporting logistics and industrial transportation.
NHAI officials stated that the selected assets have stable toll revenue potential, making them suitable for long-term investment participation from private and institutional players.
Under the Toll-Operate-Transfer model, private operators pay an upfront concession fee to NHAI in exchange for the right to operate and collect toll revenue from completed highway projects for a fixed concession period.
Meanwhile, the InvIT model involves pooling operational road assets into an investment trust structure to attract institutional investors and generate recurring returns.
Officials said the monetisation process will be conducted through a transparent bidding framework aimed at ensuring efficient highway operations and improved maintenance standards.
The Centre has increasingly relied on asset monetisation as a funding mechanism to support large-scale infrastructure expansion without placing additional burden on direct government expenditure.
Government estimates indicate that India is aiming to raise nearly Rs 35,000 crore through highway asset monetisation during FY27.
Earlier this year, NHAI had announced that it mobilised over Rs 28,000 crore through various monetisation initiatives in FY26.
Officials said highway monetisation has emerged as a key component of India’s infrastructure financing strategy, helping recycle capital from operational assets into new highway construction projects.
NHAI also clarified that the current monetisation list does not include assets proposed under the Raajmarg Infra Investment Trust for FY27.
