New Delhi, May 23. India is investing unprecedented sums in the backbone of its growth story — infrastructure. With a goal of becoming a $30-trillion economy by 2047, the government has steadily ramped up capital expenditure.
Record capital spending
Public capital expenditure has risen from about Rs 2 lakh crore in FY2014-15 to a Budget Estimate of Rs 12.2 lakh crore in FY2026-27. The finance ministry recently launched a three-year pipeline of 852 projects worth over Rs 17 lakh crore, mostly in roads and highways under the PPP model.
Roads, rail, and airports
The national highway network has expanded by over 60% since 2014 to 1,46,572 km by the end of 2025, while expressways have grown from 93 km to over 5,000 km. The railways' broad-gauge network is almost fully electrified, and over 160 Vande Bharat trains are in service. The number of airports has doubled from 74 in 2014 to 164 by 2025.