India’s road transport sector is set to get a major research boost as the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and the National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish the NHAI Centre for Economics of Transportation, Mobility and Logistics.
Backed by NHAI’s founding contribution and NCAER’s plan to bring in additional partners, the new centre will be India’s first permanent, independent hub dedicated to advancing evidence-based research in transport, mobility, and logistics to support smarter policymaking.
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.”
The centre will undertake applied economic research on transportation, mobility and logistics, with a focus on generating actionable insights to support long-term planning, investment and policy formulation in the sector. It will undertake policy-relevant research across areas, including national highway economics, freight logistics, modal integration, regional economic impacts of highway investments, toll policy, asset monetisation, road safety, and technology adoption in highway operations and maintenance.
The research outputs will assist the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, NHAI and other government agencies in designing policies and programmes that will enhance efficiency, sustainability and user experience across the transportation ecosystem.
Beyond research, the centre will serve as a knowledge hub, disseminating findings through policy briefs, working papers, flagship reports, stakeholder consultations, workshops and academic engagements. It will also focus on developing future talent and institutional capacity in transportation economics.
The centre will be anchored by an advisory committee comprising leading economists, transportation specialists, public policy experts and academicians, along with NHAI’s Member (Finance) and the Director General of NCAER.
Additionally, a steering committee constituted by NHAI will oversee research priorities, review outputs and facilitate alignment with the authority’s policy and operational requirements.
NHAI will support the establishment and operation of the institution for a period of 10 years.
The initiative would deepen understanding of the economic dimensions of transportation infrastructure, mobility systems and logistics networks, enabling more informed decision-making and contributing to the development of a robust, modern and world class national highway network.
