Union Government has officially confirmed plans for the development of a direct Nagpur-Vijayawada Expressway, a major infrastructure project aimed at significantly improving connectivity between central Bharat and the eastern coast of Andhra Pradesh. Once completed, this Rs.14,500 Crore high-speed corridor will provide a direct link from Nagpur to Andhra Pradesh’s strategically important eastern ports, boosting trade, logistics efficiency, and regional economic growth.
This ambitious expressway will become the third high-capacity road network originating from Nagpur, further strengthening the city’s position as a crucial transportation hub in Bharat. It will join the operational Nagpur-Mumbai Samruddhi Mahamarg, which connects Nagpur to Maharashtra’s financial capital, and the Nagpur-Goa Shaktipeeth Expressway, which is currently under construction and will provide a fast, seamless route to the Konkan coast.
By opening up a direct route to Andhra Pradesh’s ports, the Nagpur–Vijayawada Expressway is expected to not only reduce travel time by 7-8 hours but also facilitate faster movement of goods between inland industrial centers and coastal trade gateways, paving the way for enhanced economic integration across states. This expressway covering the states- Maharashtra, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh is expected to commence operations in 2026/2027.
Other important benefits from this project include:
Strategic lift from access to eastern ports
- Andhra Pradesh has 12 developing ports and exporters from Vidarbha will gain faster, cheaper access to global markets.
- The Rs. 37,000-crore Raipur–Vizag corridor, now 88% complete, will enhance links between Vidarbha’s steel sector and key coastal shipping hubs. Meanwhile, the Raipur–Hyderabad Expressway will further boost freight and passenger connectivity between central and southern Bharat.
Investments in tourism, defence and industries
- Plans are also in motion to establish a dedicated defence manufacturing cluster in Nagpur, positioning the city as a significant hub for Bharat’s strategic and industrial capabilities. This initiative aims to attract major defence sector investments, promote indigenous manufacturing under the ‘Make in India’ program, and create employment opportunities in high-tech engineering and allied services.
- Additionally, a proposal has been put forward to develop an airstrip at Ambhora in Kuhi tehsil, a scenic location where five rivers converge. This unique confluence, already earmarked for tourism promotion, is envisioned as a dual-purpose site, serving both as a regional aviation facility to improve connectivity and as a tourist attraction showcasing natural beauty, water-based recreation, and cultural heritage. Together, these projects are expected to bolster Nagpur’s profile as both an economic powerhouse and a destination for leisure and investment.
Vidarbha’s location is strategically advantageous and the eastern ports in Andhra Pradesh are much closer to Nagpur than Mumbai, and they’re less congested too. A direct road link means reduced fuel consumption, shorter travel time, and lower logistics costs — key for making exports viable. Government’s target is to reduce Bharat’s logistics cost to 9% by December 2025, lower than the US and EU averages. According to various studies, good roads in Bharat have reduced the logistics costs to 10% from 16%. This will go a long way in increasing export viability. Another important artery being laid is the Raipur-Hyderabad expressway, further strengthening Vidarbha’s multi-directional connectivity with south and eastern Bharat.
Union Minister Mr. Nitin Gadkari said Samruddhi Mahamarg will eventually connect to the eastern port city of Vizag through Gondia, bringing even backward districts like Gadchiroli and Chandrapur into the national logistics map. Long seen as a landlocked underdeveloped region, Vidarbha is now expected to emerge as a central hub in Bharat’s infrastructure and logistics blueprint.
Krishnapatnam port – a case study on improving hinder land connectivity
Krishnapatnam port located in Andhra Pradesh has direct access to the national highways network (NH-16) and a specific rail corridor with the coal-rich hinterlands of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh. This multimodal connectivity cuts transit times, lowers carbon footprints, and provides a clear competitive advantage for exporters and importers.
Though Krishnapatnam is not yet matching its neighbouring Chennai port’s (which is located around 180 KMs) volumes for vehicle exports, it is becoming an increasingly viable alternative, particularly for cost, flexibility, and capacity reasons.
The port has rail and road links, including on-dock rail and rail links to parts of the hinterland (Telangana, parts of Karnataka, Maharashtra) which helps exporters/importers reduce transit times and costs. Krishnapatnam Port has reported its highest-ever monthly dry cargo handling, clocking an impressive 5.74 million metric tonnes (MMT) in May, 2025 indicating its penetration into southern hinder lands.
Under the Sagaramala Project several developmental works related to port connectivity, port modernisation, coastal community development etc., in Andhra Pradesh are at various stages of implementation by NHAI, Bharatiya Railways and several other government agencies.
Recently Government of Bharat has cleared the Great Nicobar Island Project, an integrated development plan of strategic and economic importance in the Indian Ocean Region. This is a multi-component mega development project to transform Great Nicobar into a logistics, trade, and defence hub, improving Bharat’s presence in the Indian Ocean. This project is expected to support Sagarmala and Maritime Bharat Vision 2030 by making Bharat a major transhipment and shipping hub in the Indo-Pacific. However, there are certain challenges to be addressed like- ecological , safeguarding the tribals’ welfare, disaster risk (Nicobar lies in a high seismic zone), etc., to move ahead with this Island project. While these challenges are to be addressed to take on board all the stakeholders, needless to mention that this project is critical for Bharat to position itself as a key player in the Indian Ocean Region to counter Chinese aggression and safeguard Bharat’s defence and global trade in the long run.
As per the World Bank’s Logistics Performance Index (LPI), 2023 Bharat moved up to 22nd Rank in the Global Ranking in International Shipments category and the Overall 38th Rank in Logistics Performance Index score. Bharatiya Ports have registered quantum improvement in “Turn Around Time”. Global comparison of Bharatiya Ports on “Turn Around Time” parameter, as published in World Bank’s Logistics Performance Index (LPI) Report-2023, acknowledges Bharat Ports “Turn Around Time” as 0.9 days which is better than USA (1.5 days), Australia (1.7 days), Belgium (1.3 days), Canada (2.0 days), Germany (1.3 days), UAE (1.1 days), Singapore (1.0 days), Russian Federation (1.8 days), Malaysia (1.0 days), Ireland (1.2 days), Indonesia (1.1 days), New Zealand (1.1 days) and South Africa (2.8 days).
The Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047 was developed in alignment with the principles of the blue economy. The vision aims to transform the sector through various key initiatives, including the expansion of port capacity through greenfield and brownfield developments, enhancing operational efficiency by leveraging automation and digitization, and making the sector more sustainable through green initiatives such as the development of hydrogen hubs. In addition to sustainability, the vision emphasizes the development of islands and the cruise sector, aiming to boost coastal tourism and related infrastructure. It also focuses on strengthening maritime capacity building by enhancing workforce training and skill development. Furthermore, the vision aspires to elevate Bharat’s global maritime presence by increasing participation in international maritime platforms. Another critical area of focus is the shipbuilding and repair sector. The vision seeks to position Bharat as a global leader in shipbuilding while also working toward increasing the country’s shipping tonnage. To achieve these ambitious objectives, the strategy proposes a comprehensive set of interventions spanning infrastructure development, policy reforms, technological advancements, institutional strengthening, and regulatory enhancements. GMIS (Global Maritime India Summit) 2023 attracted investment commitment of ₹10 lakh crore. This investment commitment has to translate into implementation of projects in the near future in order to catapult Bharat’s Rank in Logistics Performance Index to the top 10 category.
To counter US’s tariff penalties and move ahead in the global trade continuous improvement in the quality of the export products and speed of delivery (i.e., reduction in the shipping time) are very important. The above initiatives of the Government, once grounded and executed without delay will be a shot in the arm.
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