In the meeting of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture, the impact of geopolitical developments arising out of the West Asia crisis on India’s road infrastructure sector was discussed in detail. According to sources, the Transport Ministry told the committee that the West Asia crisis has affected road construction in India, hindering the development of the country’s road infrastructure.
Due to obstruction in movement through the Strait of Hormuz, there have been difficulties in importing bitumen (asphalt), which has had a direct impact on road construction works. As a result, the Transport Secretary told the committee that emphasis was being laid on the use of alternative methods for road construction. According to information received from government sources, the road construction season in India is from February to May, during which the West Asia crisis remained intense and its direct impact has been on the volume of tankers transporting bitumen (asphalt).
Requirement of 90 lakh tonnes of asphalt annually
It is noteworthy that India requires about 90 lakh tonnes of bitumen (asphalt) annually, of which 30-40% is imported. Out of this, 54 lakh tonnes is produced domestically while the remaining 36 lakh tonnes is imported from West Asian countries. In which Iran, Iraq, UAE, Bahrain and Oman are prominent. This import mainly takes place through the sensitive Strait of Hormuz.
Use of concrete instead of bitumen in construction
According to the information received from the committee, due to this interruption in bitumen (asphalt) supply, it is facing challenges in meeting the targets set for the financial year 2026-27. Therefore, the government has started using alternative methods to deal with this crisis. Now main and major roads are being constructed using cement (concrete) instead of bitumen.
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