India opens $4 billion expressway spanning 600 km in most populous state

Adani Enterprises

29/04/2026 09:16

By Tanvi Mehta

NEW DELHI, April 29 (Reuters) - Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi opened one of the country's longest expressways on Wednesday, connecting 12 districts over nearly 600 km (370 miles) in the most populous state of Uttar Pradesh.

Here are some details:

The expressway has been built at a cost of 362.30 billion rupees ($3.82 billion) by Adani Enterprises  ADEL.NS and IRB Infrastructure Developers IRBI.NS.

The six-lane greenfield corridor, the longest in the northern state, will significantly reduce the time taken to travel from Meerut in the east to Prayagraj in the west, covering 594 km.

Named after the holy Ganga river that flows through the state, the government expects the expressway to be a launchpad for industrial corridors.

The Indian government has significantly increased its spending on infrastructure after the COVID-19 pandemic, with a record 12.2 trillion rupees allotted for spending in this year's budget.

A slew of recent projects connecting major cities have been part of a broader push by the government to enhance agricultural and industrial development and boost tourism in cities and towns.

(Reporting by Tanvi Mehta; Editing by YP Rajesh)

((tanvi.mehta@thomsonreuters.com))