New Delhi, October 17, 2026: India awarded national highway projects covering 2,236.3 km during April–September 2026, a 62.9% increase from the same period last year, while cargo traffic at ports and airports also recorded growth, according to the latest infrastructure data released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI).
The figures were released on October 16 as part of the quarterly update to the PAIMANA Performance Dashboard, which tracks infrastructure development across roads, railways, power, telecommunications, civil aviation, and ports and shipping. The dashboard brings together the latest available data from different sectors, with reporting periods varying according to data availability.
National highway project awards rose to 2,236.3 km during the first six months of the 2026–27 financial year. The figure represents highway projects awarded for development, not roads that have already been constructed or opened to traffic.
Electronic toll collection also increased during April–September 2026. The number of electronic toll transactions rose 24.1% to 225.2 crore, while the value collected increased 11.7% to ₹36,994.5 crore.
In the power sector, India’s installed electricity generation capacity reached 5,32,739.7 megawatts (MW) by the end of March 2026, representing a 12.1% increase during the 2025–26 financial year.
Renewable energy capacity grew faster, rising 29.5% to 2,23,273 MW. Renewable sources accounted for approximately 42% of the country’s total installed power capacity as of March 2026. This refers to their share of installed generation capacity, not the proportion of electricity actually produced.
Telecommunications infrastructure also expanded. By August 2026, the cumulative length of optical fibre cable laid had reached 7,52,113 km, including 29,256 km added during April–August of the current financial year.
India’s major ports handled 390.4 million tonnes of cargo during April–August 2026, an increase of 7.2% from the corresponding period last year.
Petroleum and crude products remained the largest cargo category at major ports, accounting for approximately 29.2% of total cargo handled. Non-major ports recorded a smaller increase of 1.8%, handling 313.4 million tonnes during the same five-month period.
Air cargo traffic rose 12% to approximately 18.6 lakh tonnes during April–August 2026. Delhi airport handled the largest volume, at around 5.3 lakh tonnes.
The PAIMANA dashboard has been expanded to include 184 infrastructure indicators following the addition of 21 new measures. These indicators track infrastructure performance across areas such as accessibility, quality, utilisation, affordability and financial performance.
According to the ministry, the dashboard is intended to provide standardised information to help government departments monitor infrastructure development and support planning and policy decisions.
The next quarterly update is scheduled for January 15, 2027.
The latest figures indicate increased activity across several infrastructure sectors. However, the indicators measure different stages of development, including projects awarded, installed power capacity, infrastructure expansion and actual cargo movement. They should not be interpreted as evidence that all projects have been completed or that every sector recorded growth during the same reporting period.
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