The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI)’s first public infrastructure investment trust (InvIT) was listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) on Tuesday, marking a key step towards bringing retail investors into highway asset monetisation.
“Road users can now become actual owners of the roads. This will provide them with a steady stream of income and also help in the decentralisation of wealth,” said Union road transport and highways minister Nitin Gadkari at the listing ceremony. He said the move would allow ordinary road users to become stakeholders in national highway assets.
Gadkari said that the initiative was aimed at expanding participation beyond large investors. “Our road users largely belong to lower and lower-middle income groups. We want them to benefit from road development. If bank deposits offer 4-5% returns, we are trying to create an avenue where small investors can invest in roads and also earn returns.”
NHAI’s earlier InvIT offerings were limited to institutional investors, making this the first time retail investors have been allowed to participate directly in such an instrument.
The listing comes amid the government’s broader push to monetise operational infrastructure assets. The NHAI raised over ₹1.42 lakh crore through asset monetisation modes such as toll-operate-transfer, InvITs, and securitisation until 2024-25.
{{/usCountry}}The listing comes amid the government’s broader push to monetise operational infrastructure assets. The NHAI raised over ₹1.42 lakh crore through asset monetisation modes such as toll-operate-transfer, InvITs, and securitisation until 2024-25.
{{/usCountry}}The government has set a target of mobilising around ₹30,000 crore through asset monetisation in the current financial year. InvITs are expected to play a key role in funding highway expansion. The move aligns with the government’s strategy under the National Monetisation Plan to unlock value from brownfield assets and reinvest the proceeds into new infrastructure projects.