National Highway Monetization Deal: NHAI Accepts Rs 9,500 Crore RIIT Offer for Key Road Assets

National highway monetization has reached a new milestone as the National Highways Authority of India has accepted a Rs 9,500 crore offer from Raajmarg Infra Investment Trust for monetizing five operational national highway stretches covering nearly 260 kilometers across four Indian states. The move reinforces investor confidence in India’s road infrastructure framework.
The approved highway assets include strategically important corridors spanning Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka. These road sections are already operational, ensuring predictable traffic flows and stable revenue visibility, which remain critical for infrastructure-focused investment trusts.

Details of the National Highway Monetization Transaction

The monetized portfolio consists of five highway stretches selected for their operational maturity and regional connectivity significance. Together, these assets form a diversified bundle designed to deliver steady long-term returns while supporting infrastructure expansion goals.
The individual road sections included in the transaction are:

• Gorhar–Barwa Adda stretch in Jharkhand, measuring 80.52 kilometers

• Chilakaluripet–Vijayawada stretch in Andhra Pradesh, extending 69.4 kilometers

• Chennai Bypass section covering 32.6 kilometers

• Chennai–Tada highway stretch of 33 kilometers in Tamil Nadu

• Neelmangla–Tumkur section in Karnataka, spanning 44.6 kilometers

These routes play a vital role in regional mobility and freight movement, making them suitable candidates for highway monetization under a trust-based investment structure.

Investor Participation Through InvIT Structure

Shri Santosh Kumar Yadav, Chairman of NHAI, stated that the Public Infrastructure Investment Trust model enables retail investors to earn returns from operational national highway assets while also building a sense of participation in India’s infrastructure development journey.
The InvIT framework allows long-term investors to access infrastructure-linked yields without directly managing assets. This structure is increasingly seen as a stable investment option amid growing interest in asset-backed financial instruments.

Alignment With the National Monetisation Pipeline

The national highway monetization initiative is aligned with the Government of India’s National Monetisation Pipeline, which aims to unlock value from completed infrastructure assets and attract private sector capital into asset management and operations.
Under this broader strategy, NHAI has indicated plans to transfer additional highway assets totaling nearly 1,500 kilometers to Raajmarg Infra Investment Trust over the next three to five years. This phased approach ensures sustained investor interest while maintaining asset quality and operational efficiency.
The NHAI-sponsored RIIT has been positioned as a long-term investment vehicle focused on retail and domestic investors. The latest transaction represents a significant step in expanding the monetization program and underscores continued confidence in India’s road infrastructure portfolio, supported by stable traffic demand and policy-backed investment frameworks.