NHAI identifies 33 highway stretches for monetisation in FY25

State-owned National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has identified 33 highway stretches cumulatively spanning 2,741 kilometres to monetise during the current financial year through toll operate transfer (TOT) and infrastructure investment trust (InvIT) modes. The identified stretches include Lucknow-Aligarh, Kanpur-Ayodhya-Gorakhpur, and Bareilly-Sitapur in Uttar Pradesh, Gurugram-

Kotputli-Jaipur bypass and Jaipur-Kishangarh in Rajasthan, Panikoili-Rimuli in Odisha, Chennai bypass in Tamil Nadu, and Muzaffarpur-Darbhanga-Purnia highway in Bihar. "The asset would be monetized through ToT/InvIT modes. "NHAI will have discretion to review and change the above list and modes of monetization," the agency said.

NHAI has raised Rs 40,314 crore through various modes of asset monetisation in 2023-24 against the target of Rs 28,868 crore. NHAI's asset monetisation has crossed Rs 1 lakh crore till date.

The Ministry of Road, Transport and Highways (MoRTH) had raised Rs 32,855 crore in 2022-23 through various modes of asset monetisation. Currently, MoRTH monetises its assets under three modes -- toll-operate-transfer (TOT) model, Infrastructure Investment Trust (InvIT) and project-based financing to provide all categories of investors an opportunity to invest in assets pertaining to highways and associated infrastructure. InvIT is an instrument on the pattern of mutual funds, designed to pool money from investors and invest in assets that will provide cash flows over a period of time.