The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) to establish a dedicated Centre for Transportation, Mobility and Logistics in New Delhi. The initiative marks an important step towards strengthening research-driven policymaking and long-term planning for India’s rapidly expanding transport infrastructure sector.
The proposed centre will be the country’s first permanent independent institution dedicated exclusively to the economics of transportation systems. It will undertake applied research to support policy formulation, investment planning and infrastructure development while creating a robust knowledge base for the highways and logistics sectors.
Its research agenda will cover a broad range of areas, including National Highway economics, freight transportation, multimodal connectivity, regional economic impacts of highway development, tolling policies, asset monetisation strategies, road safety, traffic management and the adoption of emerging technologies in highway construction, operation and maintenance. The centre is also expected to analyse evolving mobility trends and provide recommendations to improve efficiency, sustainability and resilience across India’s transport network.
To ensure academic excellence and policy relevance, the institution will function under the guidance of an advisory committee comprising economists, transport specialists, public policy experts and leading academicians. NHAI will provide financial support for the initiative, while additional contributions are expected from partner institutions and research organisations.
The establishment of the research centre reflects the growing importance of data-driven decision-making as India continues to invest heavily in highways, logistics corridors and multimodal transport infrastructure. By generating evidence-based insights and supporting informed policy decisions, the initiative is expected to contribute significantly to improving the performance, safety and sustainability of the country’s transportation ecosystem while supporting future infrastructure investments.