India's Road Sector at a Crossroads
India's road infrastructure sector is approaching a defining moment, with the focus shifting from building more roads to building better ones—roads that are more durable, technology-enabled, sustainable and capable of delivering greater lifecycle value. These priorities will take centre stage at the 16th RAHSTA Expo 2026, to be held on July 8-9, 2026, at the Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai.
Organised by ASAPP Info Global Group in association with the FIRST Construction Council, the event will bring together the complete roads and highways ecosystem to explore solutions for India's next phase of infrastructure development. The theme is "Roads, Highways, Bridges & Tunnels - Connecting Sustainably, Safely, Smartly."
Industry Roundtables Highlight Challenges
Two high-level industry roundtable discussions were held in the run-up to RAHSTA 2026, bringing together leading contractors, developers, equipment manufacturers, consultants, technology providers and policymakers. They discussed rising global uncertainties, project financing evolution, technology adoption, and sustainability.
Pratap Padode, Founder of the FIRST Construction Council, said: "What this has done is create a 360-degree attack. Materials, equipment, labour, capital—everything is being affected simultaneously. Our industry already works on very thin margins, and this has added another layer of pressure." He added: "How sustainable is road construction when input costs are rising but bids are still falling? On one hand, negative bids show appetite. On the other, they also indicate serious inherent risk in project execution, quality and completion."
Lt Gen Rajeev Chaudhry (Retd.), Former Director General of the Border Roads Organisation and Chairman of the RAHSTA Committee, cautioned that India's infrastructure ambitions must be supported by better procurement practices and long-term thinking. "The 'easy' highway projects are largely behind us. The future lies in technically demanding projects across difficult terrains. Success will depend on stronger collaboration between policymakers, contractors, financiers and technology providers," he said.
State Governments Showcase Progress
Deepak Kumar, IAS, Infrastructure & Industrial Development Commissioner of Uttar Pradesh, said in a video interview: "RAHSTA provides an excellent platform for states to showcase our infrastructure progress and investment ecosystem. Uttar Pradesh has transformed significantly over the past decade, backed by more than 34 investor-friendly industrial policies, and platforms like RAHSTA help communicate these developments to industry stakeholders from across the country."
Exhibition and Conference Details
RAHSTA Expo 2026 will showcase innovations across the entire roads and highways ecosystem, including road construction equipment, earthmoving and paving machinery, bridge and tunnel technologies, intelligent transport systems, road safety solutions, geosynthetics, advanced construction materials, digital construction technologies, asset management and maintenance solutions, and sustainable green infrastructure technologies.
Leading exhibitors include Caterpillar, Tata Hitachi, Volvo, LiuGong India, Electrotherm India, Kaushik Engineering Works, Suntech Geotextile, Kataline Infra Products, Lysaght Taperline Poles, Alcolite India Road Safety, and Shakambhari Group, among many others.
The RAHSTA Conference will feature speakers such as Sanjay Sethi, Additional Chief Secretary (Transport) of Maharashtra; Deepak Kumar, IAS, Additional Chief Secretary & Infrastructure & Industrial Development Commissioner of Uttar Pradesh; Bidur Kant Jha, Director of New Technology for Highway Development, MoRTH; Dr Sanjay Mukherjee, Metropolitan Commissioner of MMRDA; Dr Brijesh Dixit, MD of MSIDC; Anilkumar Gaikwad, VC & MD of MSRDC; Sandeep Singh, MD of Tata Hitachi; and others.
Awards and Industry Support
The RAHSTA Awards 2026 will recognise excellence across 24 categories, covering road developers, contractors, equipment manufacturers, technology innovators, material suppliers, sustainability initiatives, smart mobility solutions and project execution excellence.
Major sponsors include BKT Tires, Autodesk, Invest UP, Monte Carlo, Electrotherm India, Tata Hitachi, SRMB, Balaji Loha, LiuGong India, Shakambhari Group, Ammann, Maccaferri Infrastructure and UltraMax Steel. Supporting bodies include the Builders Association of India, Construction Equipment Rental Association, Consulting Engineers Association of India, International Road Federation, CSIR-CRRI, and others.
With participation from senior government officials, infrastructure developers, EPC contractors, consultants, investors, equipment manufacturers, technology providers and material suppliers, RAHSTA 2026 is expected to become a key knowledge-sharing and business networking platform for the roads and highways sector.
Event details: RAHSTA Expo 2026, July 8-9, 2026, at Jio World Convention Centre, Mumbai. Inquiries: Rohan 84240 82455.
