ET Startup Awards: We can build new peripheral roads if Karnataka would bear the cost: Nitin Gadkari to entrepreneurs

Nitin Gadkari, Minister for Road Transport and Highways faced up to a volley of tough questions from over 350 entrepreneurs and venture capitalists and answered them all with honesty, insight and competence. Edited excerpts:


In pic: ​ Nitin Gadkari and former Mandya MP Ramya greet each other

Tarun Mehta: We are building electric scooters, but without charging infrastructure we at Ather will never scale up to a million vehicles. Though there have been many committees there is no central body pushing it in a big way. What is your view on this

Nitin Gadkari: I will not set up any new central body. A new body will mean new obstacles. Whatever your problem is, come to Delhi and meet me, give me the note and I will make a policy and solve your problem.

Sachin Bansal: First, congratulations on the impact you have created so far and thank you for speaking frankly. I know it does not fall in your area but traffic is a big problem in Bengaluru. Could you pass a Central law by which Bengaluru’s traffic woes can be solved by your department?

Gadkari: I am seriously working on it. Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw and Azim Premji met me in Delhi for this.

This is a big problem for both Delhi and Bengaluru. I have taken up Delhi and we are now building a ring road that will reduce traffic and pollution in the city.

On Bengaluru, both the chief minister and MPs have met me. I can’t make any promises publicly. But I have been working on it since Azim Premji and Kiran ji met me.

I told the CM that we can build some new roads if he would help bear the land acquisition cost. Once the work in Delhi is over, I plan to move a note in the PMO for a separate fund for metro cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Bengaluru…

Also, you might not like it when I say this but why should all development be focused on one city? Why aren’t we developing satellite growth
centres? Just like decentralisation of power, people should consider decentralisation of development.



Mohandas Pai: Bengaluru is the only city where you have to pay a toll to leave the airport and there are also huge queues for that-can’t the queues be removed? Secondly, as our chief minister requested, can you release Rs 8,000 crore for the peripheral ring road? It is hardly anything in a budget of Rs 17 lakh crore…

Gadkari: One thing I can do, you can pay the toll electronically so that you don’t have to stop and wait, just like recharging your mobile phone.

For the ring road, I have made a new model of land acquisition, such as the land pooling done for the airport in Navi Mumbai or what Chandrababu Naidu has done in Andhra Pradesh.

Secondly, I have told the chief minister that if the cost is Rs 8,000 core, you give 50 per cent and we will give 50 per cent as well as construct the road. But that proposal is pending with him.

I also suggested that the CM could look at other innovative models of financing because the Centre does not have that much funds either.



Amitabh Kant: Bengaluru is India’s IT capital, it contributes significantly to India’s GDP. I suggest you take up the peripheral ring road as a NH...

Gadkari: We have gone beyond that, I’ve had meetings with the chief minister.

My last offer was that you give 50 per cent, we’ll give the rest. But I am yet to get a response to this.

Kant sahib, being in the planning commission, do consider a separate fund to finance the development of metros like Mumbai, Kolkata and Bengaluru.


In pic: Inside the Human Brain: NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant was also heard grilling Infosys cofounder Kris Gopalakrishnan about his funding of research into the human brain. The conversation, which went on for quite a while, even touched on clinical trials needed for the process.

Avnish Bajaj: I’ll begin with the disclaimer that I am an investor in Ola, but my question is about the whole industry. You said you would frame good policies, but in India implementation is always regressive…

Gadkari: You must remember that we need to maintain a fine balance between popular politics and idealism.

The black-and-yellow taxis have strong unions and they complain about you (online taxi aggregators) every day. You are bringing in a system that is new, that is good.

But people are unsettled that they will lose their business. In politics, the thing is that however idealistic we are, if we lose power, our idealism won’t come to our aid.

Even for us, to understand the issue and take a decision takes time but we will take the right decision. I understand that you have a genuine issue, but please be patient.

We will be introducing a new Motor Vehicle Act in the next session of Parliament. So we will find a way out.

Bajaj: So this will be a model Act?

Gadkari: Around 30 per cent driving licences in India are bogus.

It is the easiest thing to get a driving licence in India. And you know how much corruption and red-tape exists. But we are going to computerise this with the help of e-governance.

I feel things will improve once new Act is passed.

Bajaj: Could there be a partnership with the private sector, for example if those taxi drivers who are worried about losing their income could be brought into the system…

Gadkari: Why aren’t you taking the drivers of the black-and-yellow taxis into your system? So formulate a scheme for them whereby you won’t run into losses but the trouble they are causing you will reduce. You could give them new vehicles, solve their issues.

Bajaj: That is what the industry intends to do.



Amit Chaudhary: When you go abroad, you see how much technology is being used in road transport. But in India, even if technology is there we are not using any of it… traffic light synchronisation for example...

Gadkari: We are bringing in these systems. But I’ll tell you one thing, technology doesn’t get implemented merely because it exists.

There should also be public pressure for its implementation. Also, if something goes wrong, you media people keep highlighting it for that whole day, saying there is corruption. No government employee thus wants to take the risk of innovation because of the charges that might follow.

They are so demoralised that if there is any innovation, I have to write on the file that they will not be held responsible if something goes wrong.

But even then, they are afraid they will be questioned by the CBI or that someone will file a PIL.

People, the media, society need to support innovation or it won’t be implemented.


In pic: (From left): Amisha Sheth with her husband, AgroStar cofounder Shardul Sheth, Matrix Partners MD Tarun Davda, Snapdeal CEO Kuanl Bahl, Urmi Sheth with her husband, AgroStar cofounder Sitanshu Sheth

(Interaction between Gadkari and the entrepreneurs was moderated by Bodhisatva Ganguli)