The 16th edition of RAHSTA Expo 2026 officially commenced at the Jio World Convention Centre, Mumbai, bringing together leading policymakers, infrastructure developers, financial institutions, engineers, contractors, consultants, and technology experts to discuss the future of India’s road, highway, bridge, and tunnel infrastructure. Organised by the FIRST Construction Council in association with ASAPP Info Global Group, the event serves as one of India’s premier platforms dedicated to transportation infrastructure and construction innovation.
Industry Leaders Gather to Shape India’s Infrastructure Future
The inaugural day began with a welcome address by Pratap Padode, Founder of ASAPP Info Global Group, who highlighted the importance of collaboration, innovation, and sustainable investment in accelerating India’s infrastructure growth. He emphasised that the country’s ambitious highway and transportation development plans require strong partnerships between government agencies, private investors, contractors, and technology providers.
The conference agenda focused on critical industry challenges, including project financing, digital transformation, construction quality, execution efficiency, and emerging technologies that are reshaping the road construction sector.
Experts Discuss Financing Roads and Highways in a Capital-Constrained Environment
One of the most anticipated sessions of the conference explored “Financing Roads & Highways in a Capital-Constrained Era.” Moderated by Suneet K. Maheshwari, Managing Partner at Udvik Infra and Independent Board Director, the panel featured senior executives from India’s leading infrastructure investment and financial institutions.
The discussion included Bovin Kumar, CEO of Cube Highways & Transportation Asset Advisors; Pratik Panwala, Vice President – Investments at National Investment and Infrastructure Fund Ltd. (NIIFL); Vishal Gupta, Senior Vice President at SBI Capital Markets; Sandeep Upadhyay, Managing Director – Infrastructure Advisory at Centrum Capital; and Vishal Biraia, Portfolio Manager at Bandhan Infra Fund.
The experts examined innovative financing mechanisms, public-private partnership (PPP) models, private capital participation, investment opportunities, and long-term funding strategies required to sustain India’s rapidly expanding transportation infrastructure.
Smart Infrastructure and Digital Engineering Take Centre Stage
The conference also showcased how technology is transforming the infrastructure sector. Tanveer Padode, CEO of IMPACT, presented valuable market intelligence during his session titled “Building Smarter Infrastructure: Market Intelligence for India’s Roads, Bridges & Tunnels.” He shared industry insights on current market trends, investment opportunities, and future infrastructure demand.
Adding to the technology-focused discussions, Preethi Rao, Tech Sales Manager at Autodesk, demonstrated how digital engineering solutions, Building Information Modelling (BIM), and advanced software technologies are enabling faster project execution, improved planning, better collaboration, and enhanced infrastructure resilience.
The session highlighted how digital transformation is becoming an essential component of modern road and highway development across India.
Contractors Highlight Execution Challenges and Quality Standards
Another major highlight of the opening day was the technical panel discussion titled “Contractors’ Perspective: Execution Realities, Risks & the Quality Imperative.”
Moderated by Bharat Parekh, Executive Director at CLSA, the panel brought together senior industry professionals including Ajay Hans of GHV Infra Projects, Abhishek Chaudhary of Welspun Enterprises, Suhas Eklahare of NCC Ltd., T.R. Rao of PNC Infratech Ltd., Puneet Singh of Maccaferri India, Kamal Gupta of J Kumar Infraprojects Ltd., and Jayant Mhaiskar of MEP Infrastructure Developers.
The discussion focused on practical challenges faced during project execution, contract management, maintaining construction quality, risk mitigation, workforce management, digital adoption, and improving project delivery timelines. Industry experts stressed that efficient execution combined with technology-driven project management will be essential for meeting India’s ambitious infrastructure targets.
Official Inauguration Marks the Beginning of the Three-Day Event
The official inauguration ceremony featured the traditional lamp-lighting ceremony attended by prominent government officials and industry leaders.
The gathering was addressed by Dr. Brijesh Dixit, Managing Director of Maharashtra State Infrastructure Development Corporation (MSIDC), while the keynote address was delivered by Bidur Kant Jha, Director – New Technology for Highway Development, Ministry of Road Transport & Highways.
The inaugural programme concluded with a vote of thanks delivered by Kamolika Gupta Peres, Vice President – India & SAARC at Autodesk.
The ceremony reaffirmed the government’s commitment to adopting advanced technologies, improving construction standards, and accelerating infrastructure development across the country.
Exhibition Showcases Latest Construction Technologies
Following the conference sessions, delegates visited the exhibition area where leading companies displayed cutting-edge products and solutions for the infrastructure sector.
The exhibition featured innovations in construction equipment, intelligent transportation systems, digital engineering software, road construction machinery, bridge technologies, tunnelling equipment, construction materials, and infrastructure management solutions.
The exhibition floor provided networking opportunities for government agencies, project owners, contractors, consultants, equipment manufacturers, and technology providers looking to collaborate on upcoming infrastructure projects.
RAHSTA Awards 2026 Recognise Excellence in Road Infrastructure
The opening day concluded with the prestigious RAHSTA Awards 2026, celebrating outstanding achievements across India’s road and highway infrastructure sector.
The evening programme included the RAHSTA Jury Felicitation and the launch of the TMT Steel Quality Report published by the FIRST Construction Council.
The awards ceremony was attended by Shri Ajay Tamta, Union Minister of State for Roads & Highways, as the Chief Guest. Other distinguished speakers included Anilkumar Gaikwad, Vice Chairman & Managing Director of MSRDC, Dr. Sanjay Mukherjee, IAS, Metropolitan Commissioner of MMRDA, and Sanjay Sethi, IAS, Additional Chief Secretary, Transport & Ports, Government of Maharashtra.
The dignitaries shared their perspectives on India’s infrastructure growth, policy reforms, and the importance of quality construction in achieving long-term sustainability. The ceremony concluded with the presentation of awards, mementoes to dignitaries, and a formal vote of thanks.
RAHSTA Expo 2026 Strengthens India’s Infrastructure Vision
With a strong focus on infrastructure financing, digital innovation, engineering excellence, construction quality, and policy collaboration, the first day of RAHSTA Expo 2026 successfully established itself as a valuable platform for knowledge sharing and industry networking.
As the event continues in Mumbai, participants can expect additional technical conferences, product launches, networking opportunities, and discussions that will contribute to the future development of India’s roads, highways, bridges, and tunnel infrastructure.
RAHSTA Expo 2026 continues to reinforce its position as one of India’s leading infrastructure exhibitions, connecting policymakers, investors, technology providers, and construction professionals working together to build the nation’s next generation of transportation infrastructure.
