Highways ministry budget pegged at Rs 2.87 lakh cr for FY26

New Delhi: The government on Saturday allocated Rs 2,873,33.16 crore for the road transport and highways ministry for 2025-26, marginally 2.41 per cent up from last year's outlay of 2,805,18.80 crore.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday also increased the allocation to state-owned National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to Rs 1,878,03 crore from last year's Rs 1,693,71 crore.

The NHAI's total debt at the beginning of the current fiscal year was pegged at Rs 3.35 lakh crore, which stood about Rs 2.76 lakh crore at the end of third quarter of FY25.

The Budget for 2025-26 makes no provision for borrowings by the NHAI for the next financial year, to reduce the highway developer's debt.