Time and money: The impact of govt projects missing their deadline

Average delays of more than three years mean large cost overruns for the country

The Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla railway line was sanctioned in 1995: it is still work in progress, making it one of India’s longest-delayed government infrastructure projects. The Taj Mahal took 20 years to build in contrast.

Project delays were improving in recent years—legacy initiatives aside—but show signs of slipping again as the country makes a renewed push for infrastructure. The share of delayed central government projects hit a low of 19.3 per cent in 2018. It increased to 56.7 per cent as of March 2023. Such delay for central government projects is currently likely to be the highest in around 20 years, according