Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari on Saturday urged BRICS nations to strengthen cooperation in building sustainable, resilient and future-ready transport systems, saying the bloc is well placed to drive the next phase of global mobility through innovation and collaboration.
Speaking at the third BRICS Transport Ministers' Meeting in Nagpur, Gadkari said India's presidency of the bloc is guided by the theme "Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability", reflecting a people-centric approach aimed at promoting cleaner, safer and more efficient transport networks.
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Highlighting India's infrastructure expansion, the minister said the country now has the world's second-largest road network and has significantly strengthened multimodal connectivity through expressways, economic corridors and other strategic projects.
He said initiatives such as the Delhi-Dehradun Economic Corridor, the Sonamarg Tunnel and more than 10,000 km of greenfield expressways demonstrate India's focus on combining infrastructure growth with environmental sustainability.
Gadkari also outlined progress across railways, ports and aviation, citing the near-complete electrification of the broad-gauge railway network, expansion of Vande Bharat trains, work on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad high-speed rail corridor and digital reforms in the maritime sector.
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He added that programmes such as PM Gati Shakti and UDAN have improved logistics planning and regional connectivity.
The minister said sustainability remains central to India's transport strategy, pointing to the use of recycled materials in road construction, promotion of electric mobility and the PM-RAHAT scheme for cashless treatment of road accident victims.
Calling for stronger cooperation within BRICS, Gadkari said member countries should work together on infrastructure financing, road safety, digital transport systems, green hydrogen, alternative fuels and electric mobility through knowledge sharing, technology partnerships and joint research to build future-ready transport networks.
(With PTI inputs)
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