OTV Foresight 2026: MoS Harsh Malhotra highlights coastal road and ring road projects for Odisha

OTV Foresight 2026, Odisha Television Limited’s flagship annual convention themed 'Changing Times, Changing Minds', was held in New Delhi on Tuesday, bringing together policymakers, leaders and experts to deliberate on evolving social realities, values and responsibilities.

Addressing the gathering, Union Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways Harsh Malhotra highlighted the transformative role of infrastructure development, particularly highways, in driving India’s economic growth.

Highway construction accelerated

Malhotra said that India’s highway construction pace has more than doubled over the past decade.

“Before 2014, highway construction was limited to about 12 km per day. Today, it stands at nearly 30 km per day,” he said.

Emphasising the economic impact, the minister noted that every rupee spent on highways adds Rs 3.2 to the country’s GDP. “These highways are not just concrete and bitumen, they are pathways to development and economic progress,” he added.

Rural connectivity and economic inclusion

Highlighting rural development, Malhotra said over four lakh kilometres of roads have been built under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana in the last 11 years.

“As a result, there is no village today that is more than 100 km away from a National Highway. Improved connectivity has enabled perishable goods such as vegetables, fruits and milk to reach markets within five to six hours, contributing to rural prosperity and strengthening the national economy, which is now the world’s fourth largest," said Malhotra.

Major projects for Odisha

Speaking on Odisha-specific initiatives, Malhotra said the BJP government fulfilled its commitment by rolling out the Ayushman Bharat Yojana and Ayushman Vaya Vandana Yojana soon after coming to power in the state.

The Minister announced that a 2,500-km gas pipeline under the Urja Ganga Project will pass through five states, including Odisha, benefiting households as well as industries.

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"Odisha currently has around 6,000 km of National Highways. Sixty-five National Highway projects covering nearly 1,200 km are currently under construction in the state at a cost of Rs 26,300 crore,” Malhotra said, adding that projects worth Rs 55,000 crore have already been sanctioned for the State.

Key projects include-a six-lane, access-controlled Raipur-Visakhapatnam corridor, with a 240-km stretch in Odisha costing Rs 8,000 crore, to be completed by June this year and an eight-lane highway between Chandikhol and Paradip, covering 77 km at a cost of Rs 3,500 crore.

Coastal highway, bypasses and ring roads

Malhotra said the Coastal Highway in Odisha will be completed by June 27, boosting coastal trade and ensuring smoother transportation.

"To ease congestion in growing cities, bypasses and ring roads are being prioritised. A bypass in Nayagarh will be built at a cost of Rs 300 crore and completed by March 2026. Similarly, a bypass in Jharsuguda, costing around Rs 600 crore, is expected to be completed by July 2027," said Malhotra.

The Minister also announced that Bhubaneswar will soon get a ring road. 

“Across the country, ring roads or bypasses will be constructed in 89 major cities facing traffic congestion. Over 70 per cent of the work is already underway,” he said.

Road safety and accident prevention

Expressing concern over road safety, Malhotra said India witnesses nearly five lakh road accidents every year, of which around 1.8 lakh are fatal.

"To address the issue, the ministry has identified and rectified about 14,000 accident-prone dark spots. The main causes of accidents are violation of traffic rules, not wearing helmets, and drunken driving,” said Malhotra, adding that a cashless treatment scheme for road accident victims has been introduced, and strict adherence to traffic rules will save lives.