Opening Highways to Opportunities: Rajmarg Pravesh Portal Makes Access Permissions from NHs to Fuel Stations, Restaurants and Wayside Amenities Easier than Ever
Opening Highways to Opportunities: Rajmarg Pravesh Portal Makes Access Permissions from NHs to Fuel Stations, Restaurants and Wayside Amenities Easier than Ever
Imagine planning to set up a fuel station, a restaurant or a rest stop along one of India’s busy National Highways. Not long ago, the process of getting the required access permissions could involve multiple offices, paperwork and long waiting periods. Today, that journey has become far simpler. With the upgraded Rajmarg Pravesh online portal, obtaining permissions to build along National Highways is set to become faster, more transparent and more convenient.
The platform has been designed to streamline the process of securing No Objection Certificates (NOCs) for facilities such as fuel stations, wayside amenities, residential properties, rest area complexes and connecting roads seeking access to National Highways. Recently launched by Shri Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways, the portal marks another step in the Government’s efforts to bring greater efficiency and transparency through tech-enabled governance.
By bringing multiple approvals onto a single digital platform, the upgraded Rajmarg Pravesh aims to make it easier for businesses, organisations and citizens to develop the infrastructure that supports India’s expanding highway network. They can apply online for permissions related to access from the highways in just a few clicks for private properties, industries and wayside amenities.
The same national platform also allows both Government and private parties to obtain approvals for laying critical utilities such as water and gas pipelines, optical fibre cables and electrical lines along or across National Highways.
With the digitising of the application system, MoRTH aims to make the process more time-bound and efficient, with accountability at its core. The online portal is expected to significantly reduce paperwork, enable application tracking and minimise delays, saving valuable time and operational costs for stakeholders. The upgraded Rajmarg Pravesh portal is expected to further strengthen digital governance in the highways sector while improving coordination between authorities and applicants through real-time tracking and making the process more hassle-free.
As India’s National Highway network expands to over 1.46 lakh km, the roads are doing much more than connecting places. They are opening doors to new businesses, better services and stronger infrastructure along the corridors. To make it easier to build and access these facilities, Rajmarg Pravesh serves as a one-stop digital platform for access permissions, Right of Way permissions, and NOCs related to National Highways.
Rajmarg Pravesh enables applications for:
• Commercial outlets – Businesses planning to set up petrol pumps, restaurants, dhabas and rest areas along National Highways can apply for the required permissions through the portal.
• Infrastructure access – Industries, residential areas and private landowners can seek approvals for connecting roads that link their properties with nearby National Highways.
• Wayside amenities – The platform supports applications for developing rest centres and specialised logistics facilities that enhance convenience for travellers and freight movement.
• Laying of essential utilities – Permissions can also be obtained for laying underground water pipelines, gas pipelines, optical fibre cables and electricity lines along highway corridors.
Earlier, applicants often had to visit multiple field offices, navigate physical paperwork and wait through long processing cycles. The process often involved:
• Manual paperwork and physical file movement
• Limited tracking visibility to know the status of applications, often leading to delays
• Fragmented jurisdiction handling, where identifying the correct authority sometimes required rework and added to processing time
This made the process time-consuming and less transparent.
The new digital platform brings about significant changes with:
• Real-time tracking, where applicants can check the current status 24×7 online
• Time-bound responses, ensuring approvals or feedback are provided within a defined timeframe, helping reduce unnecessary delays
• Paperless submissions, where documents can be uploaded digitally and processing fees can be paid securely through digital payment gateways
• Full audit trails for every action and document to ensure accountability and faster dispute resolution
• GIS-enabled auto-detection to identify the correct chainage and authority jurisdiction, support data-driven decision-making and reduce chances of manual errors
With its host of benefits, the upgraded Rajmarg Pravesh online portal is now ready to make the road from idea to approval smoother for everyone building along India’s highways.
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