Bharatmala projects may put Rs 194.35 bn debt at risk: Icra report

25 NH road projects likely to face direct competition from new economic corridors

The National Democratic Alliance government’s Bharatmala project, which seeks to improve the country’s national highway network, might put existing road projects in a tight spot, leading to lower traffic and disputes. 

According to a report of rating agency Icra, 25 road projects with a debt of Rs 194.35 billion might be at risk. 

“The Bharatmala network, designed on the shortest possible route connecting the origin and destination, though well-thought-through and a step in the right direction, is bound to impact the existing network by directly competing with a few stretches, including some of the existing build-operate-transfer (BOT) (Toll) road projects,”