National Highways Authority of India

National Highways Authority of India (NHAI)

NHAI is the statutory body under the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, responsible for the development, maintenance, and management of National Highways in India. With over 1.46 lakh km of national highways, NHAI manages one of the largest road networks globally and is a key driver of infrastructure-linked startup opportunities.

Innovation & Startup Engagement

NHAI engages with the startup ecosystem through several channels:

• InvITs and PPP Models: Public-private partnerships that create procurement and deployment opportunities for startups with solutions in road monitoring, tolling technology, and EV infrastructure
• Innovation Challenges: Periodic hackathons and challenges for solutions in highway safety, smart tolling, pavement monitoring, drone surveillance, and green highways
• iDEX-style Programs: Collaboration with MoRTH for procurement of innovative products from startups
• Startup India Engagement: Listed as a Central Government Agency supporting startups under Startup India

Target Sectors

Startups building in road technology, smart tolling, electric vehicle infrastructure, drone-based monitoring, pavement health sensing, accident detection, green construction materials, logistics tech, and smart signage are most relevant.

Who Should Apply

Deeptech and infrastructure-tech startups with deployable solutions for large-scale road and highway networks. NHAI's massive procurement budget and willingness to pilot solutions at scale makes it a strong government partner for B2G startups.

Scale

NHAI manages ₹3+ lakh crore in infrastructure assets and is one of the most active government bodies in technology procurement for smart highway management.