NHAI to Deploy Network Survey Vehicles for 20,000-Plus km Highway Audit Across 23 States
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Qualified firms with expertise in pavement condition assessment and digital infrastructure mapping have been invited to bid for the initiative, which aims to enhance commuter experience through improved road surface quality and highway upkeep.

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), the country’s premier highway development and maintenance agency, will deploy Network Survey Vehicles (NSVs) across 23 states to assess and analyse 20,933 km of national highway stretches. The initiative, announced by the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways on Wednesday, aims to enhance commuter experience by improving road surface quality and infrastructure upkeep.

The NSVs will collect high-resolution data on road inventory and pavement condition, identifying defects such as surface cracking, potholes, and patching. This data will be uploaded to NHAI’s AI-powered Data Lake portal, where it will be processed by a dedicated team of experts to generate actionable insights. These insights will guide timely maintenance interventions and support long-term asset management planning.

The surveys will be conducted using 3D laser-enabled NSVs equipped with advanced sensors, including 360-degree cameras, differential global positioning systems (DGPS), inertial measurement units (IMU), and distance measuring indicators (DMI). These systems allow automated, non-intrusive detection of road defects, eliminating the need for manual inspection. Data will be collected for all highway projects involving two, four, six, and eight lanes, both before project commencement and at six-month intervals thereafter.

To operationalise the initiative, NHAI has invited bids from qualified companies with expertise in pavement condition assessment and digital infrastructure mapping. The collected data will be archived in prescribed formats for future technical reference under the national road asset management system.

The NSV system is a specialised infrastructure management tool designed to support evidence-based decision-making in highway maintenance, safety enhancement, and long-term planning. By deploying NSVs at scale, NHAI is reinforcing its commitment to data-driven governance and improved service levels across India’s expanding national highway network.