More than two decades after launching the original Golden Quadrilateral that revolutionised India’s road infrastructure, the Central government is now preparing to unveil its second phase, ‘Golden Quadrilateral 2.0’, a high-speed expressway grid that will connect India’s key economic, industrial, and logistics hubs through access-controlled corridors.
Officials from the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) confirmed that the plan envisions a seamless network of next-generation expressways built along and beyond the existing East–West and North–South highway routes. The new corridors will be designed for high-speed vehicular movement, enabling faster freight transit and lowering India’s logistics costs, which currently stand among the highest globally.
The expressway expansion forms a crucial component of the government’s ‘Vision 2047,’ a long-term strategy marking 100 years of India’s independence. Under this framework, infrastructure is viewed as a key driver of economic transformation, competitiveness, and regional balance.
Officials noted that the proposed corridors are expected to reduce travel time by up to 40%, enhance supply chain efficiency, and improve access between Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities and major ports. These new high-speed links will supplement the existing national highway grid, extending connectivity to industrial and logistics clusters that were left out of the original Golden Quadrilateral network.
According to MoRTH data, around 9,000 km of expressway projects have already been sanctioned, while another 10,000 km is expected to be awarded between 2025 and 2027.
The final length of the Golden Quadrilateral 2.0 network and the total investment required are yet to be finalised. However, initial estimates suggest that construction costs could exceed Rs 40 crore per kilometre, depending on land acquisition and terrain challenges.
An official quoted in the media reports said, “The new expressways will either run parallel to the existing North–South and East–West corridors or act as complementary routes to decongest them. The focus is on improving freight mobility and industrial connectivity rather than replicating the older network.”
Developing a 17,000 km high-speed expressway network could cost around Rs 11 trillion, according to Bhavik Damodar, Executive Director at Deloitte India. He noted that such a large-scale investment would likely depend on a hybrid funding model, combining public-private partnerships (PPP) with direct budgetary allocations.
Damodar added, “The Golden Quadrilateral 2.0 can become a defining moment in India’s logistics story. Beyond highway construction, it’s about creating an integrated ecosystem that supports multi-modal connectivity, road, rail, and port infrastructure working together.”
The proposed expressways will prioritise connectivity between manufacturing zones, logistics parks, and coastal ports. The new corridors are expected to reduce freight movement time between major industrial centres such as Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, and Ahmedabad, while also linking emerging hubs like Surat, Nagpur, and Hyderabad.
The initiative aligns with India’s broader goals of cutting logistics costs to 8 percent of GDP from the current 14 percent, in line with developed economies. It is also expected to reduce vehicular emissions, enhance road safety, and encourage economic decentralisation by improving access to interior regions.
The Golden Quadrilateral 2.0 will work as a natural progression in India’s infrastructure evolution, one that moves beyond connectivity to speed, efficiency, and sustainability. The original Golden Quadrilateral, launched under the Vajpayee government in 2001, connected Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, and Kolkata, spanning nearly 5,846 km and transforming national commerce.
With Golden Quadrilateral 2.0, the Centre seeks to replicate that success, this time with a sharper focus on high-speed freight corridors, digital tolling systems, and integrated logistics frameworks that meet the demands of a $10-trillion economy by 2047.
As the government prepares to finalise alignments and financing models, Golden Quadrilateral 2.0 stands as one of the most ambitious road projects in India’s post-liberalisation history. If implemented effectively, it could redefine logistics, accelerate exports, and set the foundation for India’s next economic leap, turning highways into engines of growth once again.
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