NEW DELHI: The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) will set up the country’s first permanent and independent research centre focused on the economics of transportation, mobility and logistics. The centre will be established at the National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) in Delhi.
The initiative aims to strengthen evidence-based policymaking and promote research in the road transport sector. It is being set up with a contribution from NHAI, while NCAER will mobilise support from allied institutions and partners.
The NHAI has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with NCAER to establish the centre.
“The first of its kind initiative reflects NHAI’s commitment to integrating research, data analytics and evidence-based decision-making into the development and management of the country’s rapidly expanding national highway infrastructure,” said officials of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH).
The centre will focus on applied economic research to support long-term planning, investment and policy formulation in the road and transport sector. It will study areas including national highway economics, freight logistics, modal integration, regional economic impacts, toll policy, asset monetisation, road safety interventions and technology adoption in operations and maintenance.
The research outputs are expected to assist the ministry, NHAI and other government agencies in designing policies and programmes to improve efficiency, sustainability and user experience in the transport sector.
The centre will also function as a knowledge hub by sharing research through policy briefs, working papers, reports, consultations, workshops and academic engagements. It will support capacity building in transportation economics.
An Advisory Committee comprising economists, transportation experts, public policy specialists and academicians, along with NHAI’s Member (Finance) and the Director General of NCAER, will guide the centre. A Steering Committee set up by NHAI will oversee research priorities and outputs. NHAI will support the institution for 10 years.
NHAI Chairman Santosh Kumar Yadav said, “NHAI has been at the forefront of enhancing national connectivity and logistics efficiency. This partnership with NCAER will create a dedicated platform for high-quality research and policy analysis, helping strengthen planning, investment and asset management decisions in the transportation sector.”