RAHSTA 2026 Maps the Future of India’s Roads

Mumbai: India’s road infrastructure sector is approaching a defining moment. After years of record highway construction, the focus is 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 16^thRAHSTA Expo 2026 (Roads and Highways Sustainable Technologies & Advancement), to be held on July 8-9, 2026, at the Jio World Convention Centre, Mumbai.

Organised by ASAPP Info Global Group, in association with the FIRST Construction Council, the 16th RAHSTA will build on these discussions by bringing together the complete roads and highways ecosystem to explore solutions for India's next phase of infrastructure development.

With the theme “Roads, Highways, Bridges & Tunnels – Connecting Sustainably, Safely, Smartly,” the event will showcase how innovation, digitalisation, advanced construction equipment, sustainable materials and collaborative policymaking are reshaping the country’s transport infrastructure.

At a time when India’s infrastructure ambitions are accelerating under Vision 2047, the industry is also confronting new realities. Contractors are becoming more selective, project financing models are evolving, technology adoption is gathering pace, sustainability is becoming integral to infrastructure development, and lifecycle performance is increasingly taking precedence over lowest-cost construction.

These issues formed the basis of two high-level industry roundtable discussions organised in the run-up to RAHSTA 2026, bringing together leading contractors, infrastructure developers, equipment manufacturers, consultants, technology providers and policymakers.

“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,” said Pratap Padode, Founder, FIRST Construction Council, while discussing the impact of rising global uncertainties on India’s road construction sector. “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,” he added.

Lt Gen Rajeev Chaudhry (Retd.), Former Director General, Border Roads Organisation and Chairman, 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.”

Highlighting the growing importance of RAHSTA as a national infrastructure platform, Deepak Kumar, IAS, Infrastructure & Industrial Development Commissioner, Government of Uttar Pradesh, commented 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.”

A comprehensive industry platform

RAHSTA Expo 2026 will showcase the latest 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 and advanced construction materials, digital construction technologies, asset management and maintenance solutions, and sustainable and green infrastructure technologies.

Leading companies exhibiting include Caterpillar, Tata Hitachi, Volvo, LiuGong India, Electrotherm India, Kaushik Engineering Works, Suntech Geotextile, Kataline Infra Products, Lysaght Taperline Poles, Alcolite India Road Safety, Shakambhari Group, among several other national and international exhibitors.

RAHSTA Conference

Running alongside the exhibition, the RAHSTA Conference will feature thought leaders from government, industry, academia and infrastructure institutions discussing the future of India’s road sector.

Among the distinguished speakers are Sanjay Sethi, Additional Chief Secretary (Transport), Government of Maharashtra; Deepak Kumar, IAS, Additional Chief Secretary & Infrastructure & Industrial Development Commissioner, Government of Uttar Pradesh Bidur Kant Jha, Director – New Technology for Highway Development, MoRTH; Dr Sanjay Mukherjee, Metropolitan Commissioner, MMRDA; Dr Brijesh Dixit, Managing Director, Maharashtra State Infrastructure Development Corporation , Anilkumar Gaikwad, Vice Chairman & MD, MSRDC; Dr Brijesh Dixit, MD, MSIDC; Sandeep Singh, MD, Tata Hitachi; Ajay Hans, Managing Director, GHV Infra Projects, Bovin Kumar, CEO, Cube Highways; TR Rao, Whole Time Director, PNC Infratech; to name a few.

Recognising excellence

The event will also host the RAHSTA Awards 2026, recognising excellence across the roads and highways ecosystem. The awards will honour outstanding achievements across 24 categories, covering road developers, contractors, construction equipment manufacturers, technology innovators, material suppliers, sustainability initiatives, smart mobility solutions and project execution excellence.

The awards aim to recognise organisations and professionals driving innovation, quality, safety and sustainability across India's rapidly expanding road infrastructure sector.

Strong industry support

RAHSTA 2026 has received extensive support from industry stakeholders.

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.

The event is also supported by several industry bodies and associations, including the Builders Association of India (BAI), Construction Equipment Rental Association (CERA), Consulting Engineers Association of India (CEAI), International Road Federation (IRF), CSIR-CRRI, CILT India, All India Transporters Welfare Association, Hydraulic Trailer Owners Association (HTOA), Gujarat Contractors Association, Bitumen Forum, Fluid Power Society of India, Indian Institute of Material Management, Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya, Mumbai First, and other leading organisations.

With participation expected from senior government officials, infrastructure developers, EPC contractors, consultants, investors, equipment manufacturers, technology providers and material suppliers, RAHSTA 2026 is expected to become one of the country’s most significant knowledge-sharing and business networking platforms for the roads and highways sector.

Event: RAHSTA Expo 2026

Date: July 8-9, 2026

Venue: Jio World Convention Centre, Mumbai

Inquiries: Rohan 84240 82455

About RAHSTA

RAHSTA (Roads and Highways Sustainable Technologies & Advancement) is Asia's leading exhibition and conference dedicated to roads, highways, bridges and tunnels. Organised by FIRST Construction Council in association with ASAPP Info Global Group, the platform brings together policymakers, infrastructure developers, contractors, consultants, technology providers, equipment manufacturers and investors to accelerate innovation and sustainable development in India's road infrastructure sector.

The 16^th edition of this annual conference will deliberate on topics including next-generation highways, digital construction, road safety, sustainable materials, financing models, tunnel and bridge construction, intelligent asset management, policy reforms and emerging technologies.