As India builds 40 km of highways per day, sustainability has become a national priority. Road construction consumes nearly:
40% of the country’s bitumen,
11% of aggregates,
and generates massive CO? emissions from material production.
New research suggests India can save up to Rs 22,000 crore annually by adopting greener materials.
Producing 1 km of standard bitumen road emits nearly 28 tonnes of CO?, largely due to:
High-temperature heating
Aggregate mining
Transport of raw materials
India lays roughly 10,000–11,000 km of national highways every year, resulting in 250,000–300,000 tonnes of CO? emissions from materials alone.
Requires no high-temperature heating.
Reduces CO? emissions by 20–25% and lowers project cost by 15–18%.
Using 1 tonne of plastic waste per km, plastic roads resist water damage and rutting.
India has already built over 1.2 lakh km of plastic roads — but scaling it nationwide can save Rs 5,000 crore in maintenance costs.
Replacing 50% of clinker reduces emissions by 400 kg CO? per tonne of cement.
This can save India Rs 8,000 crore annually in material costs and avoided emissions.
Reduces cracking and fatigue failure.
Lifespan extension = long-term cost saving of Rs 3,000 crore.
While traditional materials appear cheaper upfront, greener materials significantly reduce:
Pavement failures
Maintenance cycles
Labour hours
Reconstruction frequency
Moving to LCC-based design can cut overall costs by 20–22%.
To mainstream eco-friendly materials, India needs:
Mandatory LCC analysis for all DPRs
Incentives for contractors using low-carbon materials
Wider testing/validation labs
IT-enabled quality monitoring
Clear BIS and IRC guidelines on emerging materials
India can unlock Rs 22,000 crore in annual savings while reducing millions of tonnes of CO? — simply by choosing smarter, greener road materials.
Sustainability is not an alternative; it’s the next competitive advantage.
