In October 2025, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, Ministry of Road, Transport & Highways (MoRTH), inaugurated and laid foundation stone for 3 key National Highway (NH) projects worth over Rs 2,000 crore in Union Territory (UT) of Puducherry.
- N. Rangaswamy, Chief Minister (CM) of Puducherry ; Kuniyil (K.)Kailashnathan, Lieutenant (Lt.) Governor of Puducherry; Union Minister of State (MoS) L. Murugan, Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs (MoPA) and other senior officials were also present at the event.
- During the event, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari also announced 5 new NH projects for Puducherry, including strengthening NH-32 in Karaikal and a 6-lane elevated corridor on NH-48, along with Rs.100 crore under the Setu Bandhan Scheme for small bridge construction.
Exam Hints:
- What? Inauguration and laying of foundation stone for 3 NH Projects
- By Whom? Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, MoRTH
- Where? Puducherry
- Total Projects Cost: More than Rs 2,000 crore
- 3 NH Projects: 4-lane on NH-32 (Rs 1,588 crore); elevated corridor on NH-32 (Rs 436 crore); and improvements on NH-332A (Rs 25 crore)
- New NH Projects Announcements: 4-lane elevated corridor (Rs 650 crore); 4-lane on NH-332A (Rs 2,200 crore); strengthening of NH-32 section (Rs 60 crore); 6-lane elevated corridor on NH-48 (Rs 1,600 crore), among others
About 3 NH Projects:
4-lane NH : Union Minister Nitin Gadkari inaugurated the 38 kilometer (km)-long 4-lane Puducherry-Poondiyankuppam section of NH-32, constructed at a cost of Rs 1,588 crores.
Elevated Corridor on NH-32: He laid the foundation stone for the construction of a 3.88 km-long elevated corridor between Indira Gandhi Square and Rajiv Gandhi Square on NH-32, with estimated budget outlay of Rs 436 crore.
- This corridor is projected to handle 60,000 Passenger Car Units (PCUs) daily, reducing travel time from 35 minutes (mins) to 10 mins.
Upgrade of ECR Road on NH-332A: In addition to these projects, he also laid the foundation for the improvement works of 13.63 km long East Coast Road (ECR) on NH-332A with estimated cost of Rs 25 crore.
Key Projects Announced:
4-lane Elevated Corridor: This 3 km long corridor is expected to connect Natesan Nagar to Marapalam Junction and 13.5 km-long 4-lane Ariyankuppam Mullodai section, will be constructed at a cost of Rs 650 crore.
4-lane Section of NH 332A: 46 km-long 4-lane Marakkanam-Puducherry section of NH-332A is estimated to be built at a cost of Rs 2,200 crore.
6-lane Elevated Corridor on NH-32: This corridor stretches from Kilambakkam bus stand (KCBT) to Mahindra City at Chengalpattu on NH-32, will be constructed at a cost of Rs 3,000 crore.
6-lane Elevated Corridor on NH-48: This 8 km-long corridor stretches from Madurai to Sriperumbudur on NH-48, will be constructed at a cost of Rs 1,600 crore.
Strengthening of NH-32 Section: This includes the strengthening of 22 km-long NH-32 section in Karaikal district, Puducherry, at an estimated cost of Rs 60 crore.
Current Status of Road & Transportation Sector in India:
Global Dominance in Automobile Sector: While addressing the event, Union Minister Gadkari highlighted that India now ranks 3rd globally in automobile manufacturing sector, with industry valued at Rs 22 lakh crore which generates 4.5 crore jobs and significant Goods and Services Tax (GST) revenue.
Reduction in Logistics Cost: Union Minister further informed that India’s logistics cost has reduced to 10% compared to 16%.
About Union Territory (UT) of Puducherry:
Chief Minister (CM)- N. Rangaswamy
Lieutenant (Lt.) Governor- Kuniyil (K.)Kailashnathan
Stadium- Indira Gandhi Sports Complex (outdoor)
