Former U.S. President John F. Kennedy once said:
“American roads are not good because America is rich, but America is rich because American roads are good.”
That thought applies beautifully to India too.
Every day, we travel on roads without giving them a second thought—until a pothole jolts us, traffic brings us to a standstill, or a narrow, poorly maintained road turns a short journey into a frustrating one.
We take roads for granted. But roads should never be taken for granted.
Roads are the arteries of an economy. They carry goods from factories to markets, farmers’ produce to cities, workers to their workplaces and tourists to destinations. Good roads save time, reduce costs, improve productivity and create opportunities.
India has shown that we can build excellent highways. The Mumbai–Pune Expressway and several new national highways are proof of what is possible.
But why should this quality stop at the city limits?
Our cities, towns and villages still struggle with potholes, poor maintenance, narrow roads and inadequate infrastructure. If the national government can build world-class highways, surely state governments and municipal corporations can aspire to build world-class roads within our cities as well.
Perhaps we need to change the way we think about roads.
A road is not just a road. It is an economic asset.
Every rupee spent on a well-designed, well-maintained road can save countless hours, reduce transportation costs and make businesses more efficient.
So, when our politicians and civic authorities plan their next infrastructure project, perhaps they should ask themselves:
“What kind of roads do we want to leave behind for the next generation?”
I would love to hear an Indian leader say one day:
“Indian roads are not good because India is rich. India is rich because Indian roads are good.”
Because good roads don’t just connect places—they connect people to opportunity and India to prosperity.