Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways Nitin Gadkari on Saturday (August 2, 2025) expressed confidence that India’s logistics cost will fall to below 10% by the end of December, enhancing the nation’s competitiveness against global economies like China (8%) and the U.S. (12%).
He said the government was rapidly transitioning from fossil fuels to electric mobility and biofuels while expanding the national highway network and port infrastructure, noting that water transport remains the most economical mode.
Speaking after virtually laying the foundation for 27 road projects and inaugurating two others worth ₹5,235 crore in Andhra Pradesh, Gadkari stressed that strong infrastructure in water, power, transport, and communications drives national development, citing the U.S. as an example of prosperity built on superior roads.
Highlighting Andhra Pradesh’s 1,000-km coastline, he pointed to ongoing efforts to develop multi-modal logistics hubs, including new ports alongside Visakhapatnam’s major port.
The Minister also noted advances in blending ethanol, isobutanol, and hydrogen with conventional fuels, and even the potential for ethanol-powered aircraft in the near future.
Projects announced include a greenfield highway between Hyderabad and Vijayawada, six-laning of the Vijayawada–Machilipatnam highway, and upgrades to Guntur–Vinukonda, Guntur–Nizampatnam, Akiveedu–Digamarru, Pedana–Lakshmipuram, and Muddanur–Kadapa highways.
Citing a high rate of road accidents in Andhra Pradesh based on a ministry safety audit of 100 highways, Gadkari urged Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and Deputy CM K. Pawan Kalyan to implement district-level safety measures.
