January 5, 2026: The completion of the over Rs 1 lakh crore Delhi–Mumbai Expressway has encountered another hurdle, with work on a crucial 35-km Vadodara–Mumbai stretch delayed due to a dispute between the road developer and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI). The Pune-based contractor, Roadway Solutions India Infra Ltd, has cited the lack of encumbrance-free land as the primary reason for the slowdown, reigniting a long-standing challenge that has affected infrastructure development across India.
The contested stretch, part of the Vadodara–Mumbai Expressway, was awarded to Roadway Solutions India Infra, which claims that NHAI has failed to hand over the contractually mandated 90% encumbrance-free land, including a continuous five-km segment required to begin construction. According to the developer, a joint land verification exercise conducted in early December 2025 revealed obstructions across 6.65 km of the 35.4-km stretch, leaving land availability at just 81.2%—below the stipulated threshold. “However, the latest attempt for joint verification of land availability in early December 2025 by both parties revealed a hindered length of 6.65 km out of 35.4 km, resulting in land availability of only 81.2%, which is short of the contractual threshold,” the company said.
Encumbrance-free land, defined as land free from legal, financial, or ownership disputes, has consistently been flagged as a major bottleneck in highway projects. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways recently acknowledged in Parliament that several national highway projects were delayed due to land-related issues. However, NHAI officials have reportedly attributed the delay on this stretch to the developer’s “poor performance,” a charge strongly denied by Roadway Solutions India Infra.
“National-level infrastructure corridors such as the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway are central to India’s economic integration and long-term growth. Any failure by a contract awarding agency in meeting contractual land handover thresholds has a direct impact on project timelines. However, we remain firmly aligned with contractual provisions and the larger objective of timely completion of critical infrastructure,” said Navjeet Gadhoke, Director, Roadway Solutions India Infra.
The developer further noted that similar land availability challenges persist on other packages it is executing on the Vadodara–Virar section. The Jujuwa–Gandeva stretch was originally awarded under the Hybrid Annuity Model in 2019 but was terminated in 2023. Following this, an arbitral award of Rs 535 crore was granted to the company. The project was re-awarded under the EPC model in November 2023, with land acquisition responsibility now placed on the government.
With Roadway Solutions India Infra issuing a Notice of Intent to Terminate over alleged non-compliance by NHAI, the Delhi–Mumbai Expressway—earlier targeted for completion by October 2025—is now expected to face further delays.
Source: ET Infra
