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The World Bank has approved a USD 225 million loan for a highway modernisation project in Rajasthan aimed at improving road efficiency, safety, and climate resilience. The project will upgrade and maintain around 800 km of state highways and benefit more than 3 million people. It also seeks to strengthen the institutional capacity of the Rajasthan State Highway Authority and support job creation across key economic corridors spanning agriculture, industry, mining, and tourism. The funding, provided through the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, includes a 35-year maturity with a five-year grace period. The initiative addresses infrastructure gaps in a state that connects nearly 40% of India's markets.
The World Bank has approved a USD 225 million loan for the Rajasthan Highway Modernisation Project, aimed at improving highway efficiency, resilience, and safety across the state, with the decision announced earlier this week. Advertisement
The financing, cleared by the World Bank's Board of Executive Directors, will support the upgrade and maintenance of approximately 800 km of selected highway corridors in Rajasthan. The initiative is expected to benefit more than 3 million people by enhancing connectivity and facilitating economic activity across key sectors including agriculture, industry, mining, and tourism.
The project also focuses on strengthening the institutional capacity of the Rajasthan State Highway Authority by transforming it into a more service-oriented agency. This includes adopting modern asset management practices and improving operational efficiency across the highway network.
Rajasthan, one of India's largest states, serves as a strategic gateway linking nearly 40% of the country's markets. Despite recording an annual growth rate of around 11% between 2015-16 and 2023-24, road infrastructure development has not kept pace with economic expansion, creating capacity and efficiency gaps across key corridors.
The modernisation programme incorporates a focus on road safety, with measures aimed at reducing fatalities and improving traffic management. Digital systems are expected to be deployed to strengthen enforcement and monitoring across high-density and high-risk stretches, including routes connecting major urban and tourist centres such as Jaipur and Jodhpur.
In addition to physical upgrades, the project introduces a service-based approach to highway management, shifting the emphasis from construction-led delivery to lifecycle-based maintenance and performance. This is intended to improve long-term sustainability and reliability of road infrastructure in the state.
The loan is being extended by the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), with a final maturity of 35 years and a grace period of five years. The financing structure also includes a step-up loan feature, providing flexibility in repayment over the lifecycle of the project.
The development is expected to support job creation by strengthening connectivity across economic corridors, enabling more efficient movement of goods and services. Improved highways are also likely to enhance access to markets, industrial clusters, and tourism destinations across the state.
The project forms part of broader efforts to upgrade state highway networks and align infrastructure development with economic growth trajectories. By combining physical upgrades with institutional strengthening, the initiative seeks to address both capacity constraints and operational inefficiencies within Rajasthan's road infrastructure system.
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