'British consortium to build roads in India'

A group of three British construction companies have set up a consortium to build roads and highways in India, Road Transport and Highways Minister Kamal Nath said.

A group of three British construction companies have set up a consortium to build roads and highways in India, Road Transport and Highways Minister Kamal Nath said on Tuesday.

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The British-India Roads Group (BRIG) met Kamal Nath Monday and is expected to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the government within two months.

The consortium comprises more than 20 leading British firms and is likely to enter into joint ventures or special purpose vehicles (SPV) with Indian partners to help facilitate India's ambition to build 20 km of highways per day over the coming years.

The consortium will work in a range of areas, including reform of the certification and licensing procedure, road safety, financing and construction.

"India has the worst road safety record in the world, and that is not acceptable," Kamal Nath told a meeting of infrastructure investors, organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).

The minister said the formation of the BRIG will go a long way forward in addressing the issue of road safety.

"I had an extensive, productive meeting with the consortium," Kamal Nath said, adding the infrastructure deficit is the biggest challenge for India in this decade.