Highway Infrastructure Limited has secured a new one-year mandate to manage toll operations on a key national highway stretch in Uttar Pradesh, underscoring the steady flow of operational contracts emerging alongside India’s road expansion programme. The assignment, awarded by the national highways authority, involves user fee collection and on-ground facility management on the Mathura–Devinagar Bypass, a route that supports regional mobility and freight movement.Â
The contract covers toll operations along a 66-kilometre section of National Highway 530B, including responsibility for maintaining public amenities near the fee plaza. For highway users, such operational contracts directly influence travel efficiency, safety and service quality, especially on corridors witnessing rising traffic volumes due to industrial and urban growth in western Uttar Pradesh.
Industry observers note that highway toll operations are increasingly being separated from construction activity, allowing specialised operators to focus on service delivery, technology adoption and compliance. This asset-light model has gained traction as authorities seek predictable revenue collection and better user experience without adding long-term financial risk to the public balance sheet.
With this latest award, the company’s consolidated order book has crossed the ₹1,000 crore threshold, reflecting a mix of engineering contracts and recurring operations-led revenue. Analysts tracking the roads sector say such diversification offers stability at a time when construction timelines are becoming longer and capital costs more volatile. Toll operations, while smaller in value, provide steady cash flows and operational visibility. The Mathura–Devinagar Bypass plays a strategic role in decongesting urban traffic and supporting inter-city movement. Efficient toll management on such links can reduce idling time, cut fuel wastage and lower local emissions an often overlooked but material benefit for climate-sensitive transport planning. Urban planners argue that well-run toll plazas also improve safety by reducing bottlenecks and erratic lane changes near entry and exit points.
Beyond toll collection, the mandate includes upkeep of sanitation facilities, a requirement that reflects growing emphasis on people-first infrastructure. Ensuring clean, functional rest areas along highways is increasingly seen as part of inclusive mobility planning, particularly for women, older travellers and long-distance drivers. The award also highlights continued project activity by the national highways authority, driven by traffic growth and network expansion across states. Market participants suggest that as India’s expressway and bypass network matures, operational excellence will become as critical as physical construction in determining economic returns and public satisfaction.
Looking ahead, sustained demand for highway toll operations is expected as new corridors open and existing ones stabilise. The challenge for operators will be to integrate digital payment systems, manage peak-hour congestion and maintain service standards elements that will shape how India’s highways support equitable growth, safer travel and lower environmental impact in the years ahead.
Highway Infrastructure wins fresh NHAI toll mandate
