Key Takeaways:
- NHAI and NCAER have signed an MoU to establish the NHAI Centre for Economics of Transportation, Mobility and Logistics at NCAER.
- The centre will serve as a dedicated platform for applied economic research in transportation, mobility, and logistics.
- Its primary goal is to generate actionable insights for long-term planning, investment decisions, and policy formulation in the road sector.
- The centre will also act as a knowledge hub, publishing policy briefs, working papers, and flagship reports.
- An Advisory Committee of leading economists, transport specialists, public policy experts, and academicians will oversee the centre.
- NHAI’s Member (Finance) and the Director General of NCAER will be part of the Advisory Committee.
- The initiative supports India’s push for evidence-based infrastructure planning and aims to reduce logistics costs nationwide.
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER). The partnership aims to establish a dedicated research body focused on India’s road transport sector.
What Is the New Centre?
The two organisations will jointly set up the NHAI Centre for Economics of Transportation, Mobility and Logistics at NCAER. This centre will work as a specialised platform to carry out applied economic research in the transport and logistics space.
What Will the Centre Do?
The centre aims to generate actionable insights to support long-term planning, investment decisions, and policy formulation in the road and transport sector.
It will not only conduct research but also share knowledge widely. The centre will serve as a knowledge hub for the transportation sector by releasing policy briefs, working papers, and flagship reports.
Who Will Guide the Centre?
An Advisory Committee comprising leading economists, transportation specialists, public policy experts, and eminent academicians will guide the centre. NHAI’s Member (Finance) and the Director General of NCAER will also be part of the committee.
Why Does This Matter?
India is one of the world’s largest road networks. Yet, data-driven policy research in transport economics has remained limited. This centre fills that gap directly. It brings together government authority and academic expertise under one roof.
The move aligns with India’s broader push to make infrastructure planning more evidence-based. It is also in line with the government’s vision to modernise logistics and reduce the cost of transportation across the country.
