NHAI monetises two highway stretches for ₹6,221 crore via NHIT

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has accepted a bid worth ₹6,220.9 crore from National Highways Infra Trust (NHIT) for the monetisation of two operational national highway stretches spanning 310.35 km across Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh, marking another step in the government’s asset recycling strategy.

The monetised assets include the 255.97-km Amravati–Chikhali–Tarsod section of NH-53 in Maharashtra and the 54.38-km Gundugolanu–Chinna–Avutapalli section of NH-16 in Andhra Pradesh. Under the arrangement, NHIT will operate and maintain the highways and collect toll revenue for a fixed concession period, while ownership of the assets will remain with NHAI.

NHAI Chairman Santosh Kumar Yadav said Infrastructure Investment Trusts (InvITs) are playing a critical role in channelising financial capital for expanding India’s highway network. With this latest award, total assets monetised through NHIT have reached ₹49,858 crore.

NHIT, an InvIT sponsored by NHAI, has completed four rounds of capital raising and counts marquee investors such as CPPIB, Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, EPFO, NHAI and SBI Group among its backers. The trust has over 700 investors and its listed units currently have a market capitalisation of about ₹28,000 crore, trading on both the NSE and BSE.

Asset monetisation has emerged as a key financing tool for NHAI, allowing it to unlock value from operational road assets and reinvest proceeds into new highway construction. During the current financial year, NHAI has monetised highway assets worth around ₹28,077 crore through models such as Toll-Operate-Transfer (ToT) and InvIT structures.

Officials say the strategy not only strengthens NHAI’s balance sheet but also brings private-sector efficiency and technology into highway operations, improving maintenance standards and asset longevity while enabling faster rollout of new road projects.