How a debt pothole has hit India's drive to improve road infrastructure

Having started with acceleration, India's road-building program increasingly looks like it's going the way of previous infrastructure initiatives

Thousands of people die on India’s notorious roads every year, and the number is rising. A multibillion-dollar plan to extend and improve the highway network promises to save lives. Unfortunately, companies behind the wheel may be guilty of some reckless financial driving.

Fatalities caused by potholes jumped 50 per cent last year to almost 3,600, with a further 4,250 deaths on or around roads under construction, according to government figures cited by the Times of India. Poorly designed and maintained roads are often blamed for India’s accident rate, along with subpar driving skills and deficient vehicle maintenance.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has