In an interview with Construction Business Today, Dheeraj Panda, Managing Director, Ammann India, discusses the company’s contribution to India’s vision of Viksit Bharat through the development of world-class, resilient, and sustainable infrastructure, with a focus on innovation, quality, and long-term value creation in road and highway construction.
India is investing heavily in road infrastructure with a sharp focus on scale and speed. But are we moving equally fast in engineering innovation? How can India build not just more roads, but better roads?
India’s road infrastructure spending continues to accelerate, with the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways receiving a Rs 1,16,292 crore allocation for roads and bridges in 2025–26- a 5 per cent increase over last year. The infrastructure boom is now matching its ambition with technological transformation; innovations like automated and intelligent machine-aided construction (AIMC), increased use of recycled asphalt pavement (RAP), and embedded IoT sensors for predictive maintenance are gaining traction. These innovations translate to more durable roads with longer lifespans, lower environmental impact, and improved safety.
Scaling these innovations demands institutionalisation, clear regulatory mandates for the use of recycled and low-carbon materials, incentives in public procurement for projects that meet advanced sustainability and lifecycle performance benchmarks, and substantial investment in R&D and workforce skill development focused on digital and green engineering competencies. The future lies in integrating IoT-enabled smart sensors on road infrastructure to monitor wear and tear in real time, enabling predictive maintenance that minimizes expensive repairs and downtime. Better roads contribute far beyond transportation metrics; they enable rural communities to access markets, education, and healthcare more reliably, fostering inclusive economic growth. Therefore, the goal is not merely building more road km, but ensuring every km delivers maximum value through enhanced longevity, safety, resource efficiency, and positive societal impact.
What’s the real-world impact of technology partnerships and indigenous innovation on cost, speed, and sustainability in highway development? Could you share a recent example?
Technology partnerships and indigenous innovation are playing a transformative role in the real-world delivery of highway infrastructure in India—driving down costs, expediting project timelines, and embedding sustainability at the core of development. At Ammann India, we see these collaborations not merely as vendor relationships but as strategic enablers of essential technology transfers. Such partnerships are critical for developing world-class know-how that is vital to building infrastructure that’s both resilient and future-ready.
Equally important is the role of indigenous innovation in translating this global expertise to the Indian context. Whether it’s adapting to diverse geographies, varying climatic conditions, or local workforce requirements, localized R&D and application engineering ensure that advanced technologies can be practically deployed on ground. For instance, innovations like warm-mix asphalt and slow-heating recycling systems—developed through collaborative efforts between international technology providers and Indian teams—have reduced fuel consumption by 10–15 per cent, eliminated harmful greenhouse gas emissions by similar percentages, and enabled higher usage of reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP). This directly reduces reliance on virgin aggregates, cutting material costs and carbon footprints simultaneously.
A recent example is the deployment of Ammann’s ValueTec asphalt-mixing plants integrated with our proprietary recycling and energy-efficient systems in several National Highway projects. These plants are achieving not only faster paving cycles but also significantly improved lifecycle sustainability metrics, thanks to the synergy between imported technology and local innovation.
Another recent milestone is the record-breaking pace of construction on the Ganga Expressway, where Ammann was also involved- engineers laid 34.24 km of asphalt road in just 24 hour. This feat was achieved through meticulous planning, efficient scheduling, and seamless teamwork, supported among others by three Ammann ValueTec asphalt batch mix plants working in sync.
How is world-class quality being embedded into locally manufactured equipment, especially for international markets? Are Indian-made machines competing effectively on global benchmarks of durability and precision?
India’s manufacturing ecosystem in infrastructure equipment has matured profoundly in recent years. What was once largely assembly-based production has evolved into end-to-end manufacturing of high-precision, mission-critical machinery. Many OEMs (Original equipment manufacturers) now build to international standards (ISO/BIS norms and beyond) and subject their machines to the same durability tests as in Europe or Japan. The results are evident through the growth in India’s CE exports in recent times, and industry bodies’ forecasting India’s CE sector rising from the world’s third-largest to second-largest by 2030.
Indian-made road construction equipment is now widely deployed in Africa, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Europe—competing effectively on parameters such as durability, precision, fuel efficiency, and lifecycle cost. This evolution reflects a broader trend: India is no longer just a manufacturing base for domestic consumption, but a competitive global hub for high-performance infrastructure equipment.
The competitive advantage goes beyond cost; it resides in designing machines that withstand challenging environments (extreme heat, humidity, varying terrains) and adapt to diverse operational conditions.
In a price-sensitive market like India, how is demand for lowest cost balanced with the need for advanced equipment and quality outcomes? What role do lifecycle costing models play?
This is a critical point. Focusing only on the cheapest bid may not always be the approach and the industry is well recognizing the same. Lifecycle Costing (LCC) is a proven approach- by comparing 15–20 year costs (including fuel, maintenance, downtime and repaving) rather than just initial capital outlay, one often finds that investing in a slightly higher-grade machine pays off. We emphasize that road tenders should use lifecycle cost analysis to reward durable, sustainable methods over short-term savings.
In practice, this means showing customers that an advanced asphalt plant or an compactor with higher centrifugal force may cost marginally higher, but considering the savings in raw materials used, virgin aggregates being used being lower, far fewer repairs and can work faster, so the annualized cost is lower. We also leverage digital tools to for optimizing resource usage and reduce operating costs.
What does India’s infrastructure roadmap look like for the next 5 years with Gati Shakti and Bharatmala? Are there new technologies or product lines emerging for this growth?
India’s infrastructure roadmap for the next five years is both ambitious and transformative, shaped by strategic initiatives like Gati Shakti and Bharatmala, which aim to unify logistics, boost connectivity, and accelerate multimodal infrastructure development.
At Ammann India, we see this decade as a defining one, with technology and sustainability emerging as the twin pillars of future infrastructure. The industry is undergoing a profound shift from traditional construction practices to digitally integrated, eco-conscious systems that deliver longer-lasting roads, faster execution, and lower lifecycle costs.
Emerging technologies are rapidly reshaping road construction in India. The growing use of recycled and warm mix asphalt is cutting emissions and energy use, while smart equipment with digital controls and telematics is enabling real-time quality monitoring and improved efficiency on-site. Innovations like nano-modified bitumen, polymer composites, and self-healing materials promise to extend road lifespan and reduce maintenance.
At Ammann India, we’re committed to co-creating products that can support the government’s vision and industry partners by localizing global best practices, upskilling workforce, and investing in next-gen equipment and digital ecosystems. The next five years will define the quality, intelligence, and sustainability of India’s road network and we’re proud to be a part of this national mission.