India opens first stage of $13bn Delhi to Mumbai expressway
Route linking two cities is part of concerted infrastructure push to catch up with geopolitical rival China Section of the new expressway that will connect Delhi with Mumbai. India has inaugurated the first stage of its longest expressway, a route linking Delhi and Mumbai, as it makes a concerted infrastructure push to catch up with its geopolitical rival China. The $13bn (£10.8bn) project will eventually cut the road travel time between the country’s two biggest cities in half, to 12 hours. India is the world’s fastest-growing major economy and will soon be recognised as its most populous country, but its infrastructure remains decades behind that of its northern neighbour. A sign over one of the new four-lane carriageways proclaimed “Welcome to Delhi-Vadodara-Mumbai expressway” – a route that spans 1,386km (861 miles). The prime minister, Narendra Modi , opened the 246km first stage on Sunday, linking the capital with the tourist city of Jaipur in Rajasthan. He said it was a “si...