September 30, 2025: The Samruddhi Mahamarg Expressway, a 701-km corridor connecting Nagpur and Mumbai, has taken a pioneering step by starting solar power generation. The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC), through its renewable energy arm Mahasamruddhi Renewable Energy Ltd., has installed solar panels at two interchanges—Karanja Lad in Washim district and Mehkar in Buldhana district. While Karanja Lad has begun generating 3 MW of solar power, Mehkar has started with 2 MW.
This marks the beginning of a larger plan to produce 204 MW of solar power across multiple interchanges along the route. The power will be used for lighting tunnels and specific stretches of the highway, with surplus electricity supplied to the state grid under an agreement with the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited at a rate of ₹3.05 per unit.
Since opening to the public on December 11, 2022, the expressway has seen over 2.5 crore vehicles, establishing itself as a major high-traffic corridor. The solar initiative is expected to generate additional revenue for MSRDC beyond toll collection, while also earning carbon credits that can support future infrastructure development.
Panels will also be installed along embankments and south-facing stretches of the expressway to maximize energy capture. This effort is aligned with Maharashtra’s renewable energy policy, which promotes clean power generation in public infrastructure projects.
At the national level, the Samruddhi Expressway has become the first expressway to implement solar power on this scale. While other corridors, including the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway and the Purvanchal Expressway, have considered similar projects, they have yet to begin large-scale generation.
With this initiative, the Samruddhi Expressway not only enhances transport efficiency but also contributes to India’s renewable energy goals.
Source: Prop News Time
