VMPL

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], July 9: 'Technology is becoming central to highway development', stated Shri Ajay Tamta, Union Minister of State for Road Transport & Highways while presenting RAHSTA Awards to 24 companies at the RAHSTA Expo on July 8th at Jio World Convention Centre, Mumbai. Some winners included Mhari Sadak from Haryana Public Works Department, Border Roads Organisation, GHV Infra Projects, Ceigall, Welspun, L&T, Rajpath Infracon, Dineshchandra R Agrawal Infracon, J Kumar Infraprojects among road builders. OEMs like Tata Hitachi, Dynapac, Terex Powerscreen, Escorts Kubota and other product manufacturers like Zydex, Tata Steel among others.

RAHSTA Awards were held on the sidelines of 16th RAHSTA Expo where exhibitors include Terex, Caterpillar, Tata Hitachi, Dynapac, Liugong, Alltech, SRMB, Elegant, Electrotherm, Tata Steel, Jindal Steel, Maccaferri, UP Invest, MMRDA, Monte Carlo, Zydex and many more.Emphasising priorities set for the government, the minister Ajay Tamta stated that 'Technology is becoming central to highway development. However, not all technologies are suitable for all ecosystems. Technologies like TBM used by MMRDA in Mumbai cannot be used in fragile terrains and hilly regions. There we must use blasting which also needs to be tempered to protect the ecology.'

Bidur Kant Jha, Director, New Technology for Highway Development, Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, highlighted how innovation and emerging technologies are transforming the way India's highways are designed, built and managed, making them safer, smarter and more resilient.Highlighting the Ministry's approach to innovation, Jha said MoRTH has established a structured framework for adopting proven technologies, alternative materials and innovative designs. New technologies must obtain Indian Roads Congress (IRC) accreditation and demonstrate their performance through pilot projects before wider implementation.Founder, FIRST Construction Council, Pratap Padode, expressed that, 'What has been most satisfying for us is the discovery of outstanding work being done across the country. Many companies, some well-known and some quietly doing exceptional work, have demonstrated remarkable achievements in execution, technology, innovation, materials, safety, sustainability and project delivery.' He also informed that RAHSTA Expo would be held on May 20-22 in 2027.The discussions reinforced a common message: creating safer roads requires more than infrastructure investment--it demands visionary leadership, engineering excellence and continuous innovation. It was this spirit that the RAHSTA Awards 2026 sought to recognise.Among the evening's highest honours were the Special Recognition Awards, presented to Dr. Sanjay Mukherjee (IAS), Metropolitan Commissioner, Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), for his exemplary leadership in advancing the underground tunnel network across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR). His leadership has helped shape projects that combine rapid development with sustainable and people-centric planning, demonstrating how effective governance can drive safer infrastructure.Dr. Mukherjee underscored the importance of integrated urban planning and multimodal mobility, noting that Mumbai's infrastructure success has been driven by coordinated efforts across engineering, planning and execution teams. He highlighted the city's historic underground water and sewerage network, the role of technology in improving civic infrastructure, and the need to integrate roads with metro and bus systems to create seamless urban mobility.RAHSTA Awards 2026 winners:- Best Earthmoving Equipment for Road: Tata Hitachi Construction Machinery- Best Compaction Equipment: FRED India (Formerly Dynapac Road Construction Equipment)- Most Innovative Road Construction Equipment: Powerscreen- Most Sustainable Road Construction Equipment: Alltech India- Best Equipment for Productivity Enhancement: Escorts Kubota- Most Innovative Road Construction Material -- Rank 1: Zydex Industries- Most Innovative Road Construction Material -- Rank 2: Ramuka Global and CSIR - CRRI- Best Sustainable / Low-Carbon Material for Roads: Tata Steel Ltd Industrial By-Products Management Division- Best Road Safety Technology -- Rank 1: Border Roads Organisation- Best Road Safety Technology -- Rank 2: Subtronics (India)- RAHSTA Excellence in Innovation: L&T Transportation Infrastructure IC- Outstanding Contribution to Road Infrastructure: Mhari Sadak Application from Haryana Public Works Department- Best Smart Highway/Intelligent Transport Solution -- Rank 1: Salaipudhur Madurai Tollway, SPV of Cube Highways- Best Smart Highway/Intelligent Transport Solution -- Rank 2: Zen Microsystems- Best Bridge Execution: Welspun Enterprises- Best Tunnel Execution: Border Roads Organisation- Emerging Contractor of the Year: GHV Infra Projects- Excellence in Project Execution (Timely Delivery): Ceigall India- Excellence in Highway Construction -- Joint winner: J. Kumar Infraprojects- Excellence in Highway Construction -- Joint winner: Rajpath Infracon- Best Highway Project (BOT / HAM / PPP): Dineshchandra R. Agrawal Infracon- Green Highway Developer of the Year: INTERISE- Excellence in Highway Asset Management: Ghaziabad Aligarh Expressway, SPV of Cube Highways- Jury Award for Excellence in Highway Asset Management: Roadstar Investment ManagersBeyond these individual honours, the RAHSTA Awards celebrated organisations that are raising the bar in road safety, infrastructure development and technological innovation. From pioneering engineering solutions to adopting advanced safety technologies, this year's winners exemplified the industry's commitment to creating safer and more resilient transport networks.The RAHSTA Awards continue to serve as a platform that recognises not only excellence but also the shared responsibility of government, industry and technology providers in shaping the future of road safety. As India accelerates its infrastructure growth, the achievements recognised this year demonstrate that the true measure of progress lies not just in building more roads, but in making every road safer.For more information: www.RAHSTAexpo.comTo participate in RAHSTA Expo 2027 contact:Ninad (Gujarat, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Indore, Pune and East): Mob: 8657758122 | Email: [email protected] (South and Pune): Mob: 8422874045 | Email: [email protected] (Mumbai & North): Mob: 8652493000 | Email: [email protected]

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