Nitin Gadkari

Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Wednesday said the logistics cost in India will come down to 9 per cent within two years. Speaking during bauma Conexpo India, the Road Transport and Highways Minister said that "presently our logistics cost is 14-16 per cent... I assure you that within two years... our logistics cost will be 9 per cent. So we will be more competitive in the international market." In China, the logistics cost is 8 per cent and in the US and European countries it is 12 per cent, the minister said. The minister further said the automobile industry is one of the important industries that is giving maximum revenue as part of GST to the state governments and the Centre. The role of the automobile industry is very important to make India a USD 5 trillion economy, he said. The construction equipment, he said, is also part of this automobile industry. The government is developing infrastructure of international standards, he said, adding that water, power, transport and ..

Detailing the nine projects, the minister said the 110-km-long Northern Jaipur Ring Road, entailing an investment of Rs 6,500 crore, has been approved

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday exuded confidence that India's automobile industry will rise to the number one position globally in the next five years and outlined his ministry's ambitious target to also reduce the logistics costs in India to 9 per cent over two years. Speaking at the Amazon Smbhav Summit, the Road Transport and Highways Minister noted the remarkable growth of India's automobile industry, which he said has surged from Rs 7 lakh crore to Rs 22 lakh crore since he took charge of office. "First is USA -- Rs 78 lakh crore, second-largest automobile industry is in China--Rs 47 lakh crore, and now India is at Rs 22 lakh crore. I am confident that within 5 years, we want to make Indian automobile industry number 1 in the world," he said. The minister said the presence of reputed global automobile brands in India is a clear indication of the country's potential. He further articulated his ministry's target to reduce the logistics costs in India to a single digit .

Around 75 tunnel NHAI projects entailing investment of Rs 49,000 crore are under construction in the country, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said. Addressing the 'World Tunnel Day 2024 Conference on Safe & Sustainable Tunneling', the Minister for Road, Transport and Highways said that huge potential lies in the tunnel sector in India. "Our Prime Minister has a dream to make India the world's third-largest economy. For this target, we need to have an international standard of infrastructure in the country. Our government has given the highest priority for the development of good infrastructure in the country," Gadkari said. There is huge potential for tunnels. NHAI has completed 35 tunnel projects of 49 km in length costing Rs 20,000 crore, he said. Around 75 tunnel projects of 146 km in length are ongoing in the country at a cost of Rs 49,000 core, while 78 tunnels projects worth Rs 1.10 lakh crore are upcoming in the country which would cover a distance of 285 km, Gadkari ...

Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Wednesday made a case for building smart villages on the line smart cities. Speaking at the 42nd Convocation of School of Planning and Architecture, the Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways said, "In urban areas we are making smart city... why we are not thinking on the line that how we should make smart village. "So that thing is in my mind. I am also making a smart village. A plot of 1,000 square feet, a house of 500 square feet in Rs 5 lakh... and for entire life the electricity and water are free," the minister said. He further said that knowledge is very important and added that the conversion of knowledge into wealth is the future of the country. The educated manpower, he said, will play a major role in the prime minister's vision of making India a 5 trillion-dollar economy and self-reliant. "I always say that in every profession knowledge is very important. Besides, the presence of mind and experience are equally important," he ...

Union minister Nitin Gadkari has said politics is a "sea of unsatisfied souls" where every person is sad and aspiring for a higher post than his current position. Life is a game of compromises, compulsions, limitations and contradictions, Gadkari added while speaking at the launch of a book, titled '50 Golden Rules of Life', in Nagpur on Sunday. Whether a person is in family, social, political or corporate life, the life is full of challenges and problems and the person should understand the "art of living" to face them, the senior BJP leader said. The minister recalled a programme he had attended in Rajasthan where he said, "Politics is sea of unsatisfied souls, where every person is sad...the one who becomes corporator is sad because he did not get the chance to become MLA, and an MLA is sad because he could not get a ministerial berth." "The one who becomes a minister is sad because he could not get a good ministerial department and could not become chief minister, and chief ...

India cannot address the problem of pollution without reducing import of fossil fuels, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said on Wednesday. Addressing 'Times Drive Green Conclave & Awards 2024' event, Gadkari further said a bio-fuel economy is very import today and it is in good position in India. He said 40 per cent of air pollution in the country is because of the transport sector. "Pollution is a big concern in India.. without reducing import of fossil fuels, we cannot reduce pollution in the country. In the transport sector, we need to find out alternative for fossils fuels... We need to develop sustainable development model," Gadkari said. The road transport and highways minister also noted that India is facing problems in the agriculture sector due to surplus production of wheat, rice and sugar. In this context, he said the government has taken decision to diversify agriculture into energy sector. "Today there are 400 projects in Punjab, Haryana, and Maharashtra where they are ..

Union Minister and senior BJP leader Nitin Gadkari congratulated the Mahayuti for the stellar performance in the Maharashtra assembly polls and said the ruling alliance prioritised development under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. As per trends available on the Election Commission data, the Mahayuti was leading in more than 210 of the 288 assembly seats, with BJP itself having the upper hand on more than 120 seats. The half way mark is 144. "Heartfelt congratulations to the people of Maharashtra for the historic victory of the BJP-Mahayuti alliance in the Assembly elections! Under the leadership of PM Narendramodi Ji, the BJP-Mahayuti has consistently prioritised development and remains committed to Maharashtra's holistic progress and the aspirations of its people," Gadkari said in a post on X. "I firmly believe that the double-engine government, inspired by PM Modi Ji's vision, will accelerate the state's growth to greater heights. I extend my sincere ...

Maharashtra, Jharkhand Election Voting: Catch all the updates on the Assembly elections here

Union minister and senior BJP leader Nitin Gadkari on Wednesday urged the Election Commission to address issues in the voter enrolment process, citing irregularities in the inclusion of names in the voters' list. The Maharashtra assembly polls were underway from 7 am on Wednesday. Gadkari cast his vote in Nagpur city located in the state's Vidarbha region. Speaking to reporters in Nagpur, Gadkari said, "Some names of the people who have passed away are still in the voters' list, while names of those who have filled the forms for enrolment are missing. The EC should take serious cognisance of this and review its methods for including names in the voter list." The current system was causing disappointment to many people, he said. "The system is not appropriate, and several people have expressed their disappointment to me. The EC must make the process leak-proof to ensure that all voters have their rightful opportunity to exercise their franchise," he said.

Union minister Nitin Gadkari has said the proposed water taxi services would enable people to reach the upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport from anywhere in Mumbai in 17 minutes, thus effectively reducing the travel time. The Minister for Road Transport and Highways was addressing a poll rally in Maharashtra's Thane city on Sunday night where he spoke about the government's plans aimed at transforming connectivity and alleviating traffic congestion in Mumbai and Thane. The state assembly polls are scheduled on November 20. The international airport in Navi Mumbai is expected to start operations in March 2025. Gadkari said the proposed water taxi services, once operational, would enable commuters to reach the Navi Mumbai International Airport from any part of Mumbai "in just 17 minutes". The minister said jetties have already been constructed near the airport to support this initiative. "By harnessing the vast sea routes around Mumbai and Thane, we can significantly reduce

Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Sunday said that nobody should take Congress leader Rahul Gandhi seriously, and asserted that people of Maharashtra will repose trust in the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance in the November 20 state assembly elections. The way Rahul Gandhi speaks, nobody takes him seriously.. I think people should not take his remarks seriously, Gadkari said in an interview to PTI. On Gandhi's allegations about PM Modi "suffering from memory loss like US President Joe Biden", Gadkari said the Congress leader speaks irresponsibly. Asked about the challenges faced by the Mahayuti alliance after a dismal show during the Lok Sabha elections, Gadkari said, voters were confused (by the opposition) on a large scale during the Lok Sabha polls. A narrative was created that if we win 400-plus seats, we will amend the Constitution drafted by Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar, the senior BJP leader said. There is no question of changing the Constitution. We will neither do it, nor allow others ..

"This election is being held under the leadership of Eknath Shinde, Ajit Pawar and Devendra Fadnavis. All three- and the party high command and the representatives elected after the election

Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Saturday said Congress made amendments to the Constitution when in power, but makes an "emotional pitch" now that the BJP will make changes to it. Speaking at multiple campaign rallies in Wardha district of Vidarbha ahead of the November 20 Maharashtra assembly elections, Gadkari also said the BJP was a party of workers, while the Congress indulges in dynastic politics. "They make an emotional pitch that if the BJP gets 400 seats (in the Lok Sabha), the Constitution will be changed. They lie," he said at Deoli. As per the Supreme Court judgement in the Kesavananda Bharti case, the salient features of the Constitution cannot be changed, said the Union road transport and highways minister. The Congress government led by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi amended the Constitution, he said. "They changed the Constitution, and they blame us. The Janata Party rectified it. How many times was the Constitution amended during Indira Gandhi's tenure? But the Congre

Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Saturday accused the Congress of not prioritising rural India, saying had that been the case, farmers would not be dying by suicide and there would have been less poverty in villages. Addressing a rally at Arvi in Wardha district ahead of the November 20 assembly polls, Gadkari said the BJP is neither a party of Prime Minister Narendra Modi nor himself but the workers who dedicated their lives to it. He also hailed the contribution of party workers in his political journey. The Nagpur MP recalled his days as a party worker when he would visit the neighbouring Wardha district, in the state's Vidarbha region, on a scooter with a third pillion rider. The region elects 62 of Maharashtra's 288 MLAs. In 75 years of India's history, the Congress never gave priority to the development of the country's rural side. There were no roads in villages or drinking water. Congress never seriously thought of the development of rural India. Had the rural India got ...

Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari announced plans to work with private sector experts on traffic solutions to prevent road accidents, claiming India's road infrastructure will soon surpass the US

Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Wednesday said the government has decided to double the 'defect liability period' to 10 years for contractors of engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) projects. Currently, under EPC projects, the responsibility for maintenance of national highways lies with the government after the defect liability period (5 years) is over. "The quality of roads built under EPC mode is not good. The defect liability period under EPC mode is 5 years... and within 3 years, there are lots of problems on roads," Gadkari said at an event here. The road transport and highways minister noted that the roads built under BOT (build-operate-transfer) or HAM (Hybrid Annuity Model) mode are in good condition because the responsibility of maintenance of roads lies with the contractor and he has to pay the price. "So now we have taken a decision, any road (built) under EPC mode, we will increase the defect liability period to 10 years from 5 years," he said. The minister

For the upcoming Annual Plan of FY25, the Ministry has allocated funds for two more National Highway projects worth Rs 1,350 crore, which will cover a further 90 kilometres in the hilly regions

The terrorists opened indiscriminate fire on workers from a private company at the under-construction Z-Morh tunnel in J&K's Gund area, which connects Gagangeer to Sonamarg in central Kashmir

Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Saturday asserted that India's road infrastructure will be better than that of America in the coming time, underscoring that efficient highways, waterways and railways can lower logistics costs and boost the economy. He also took potshots at consultants making detailed project reports (DPR) for roads, saying they prepare this document by sitting at home. The Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways was addressing the inaugural session of a two-day seminar in Bhopal on Latest emerging trends and technologies in road and bridge construction'. Gadkari recalled that when he was a minister in Maharashtra, he had a quote by former US President John F Kennedy in his office: American roads are not good because America is rich, but America is rich because American roads are good. The senior BJP leader said his friend Ratan Tata, who died earlier this month, had asked him several times about the quote during his visits to the minister's office. In the .