The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has revised its evaluation framework for Detailed Project Report consultants to fix accountability issues. By strictly differentiating ratings for lead and associate firms, the ministry aims to improve the quality of project blueprints and reduce construction delays. This move is part of a broader push to address the recent slowdown in highway project awards and long-standing project backlogs.
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has implemented stricter performance evaluation rules for consultants who prepare Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) for highway infrastructure. These reports are the foundation of any road project, detailing essential information like engineering designs, traffic surveys, land requirements, and environmental impact assessments. The ministry’s decision to revise rating norms comes as it seeks to address the quality issues that have frequently led to project delays and cost overruns across the highway sector.
Under the previous system, lead consultants and their associate partners often received similar ratings, which obscured the actual contribution of each firm. The new framework changes this by mandating a clearer separation of responsibilities. Associate firms will now be awarded 75% of the rating assigned to the lead consultant or joint venture partner. Furthermore, these ratings will be published separately, ensuring greater transparency and forcing firms to be accountable for their specific portion of the planning work. The government aims to stop the trend of smaller firms relying solely on the reputation of larger lead consultants without developing their own robust technical capabilities.
This policy shift is particularly significant given the recent performance trends in the highway sector. The pace of awarding new projects has slowed considerably, dropping from 12,376 km in fiscal year 2022-23 to approximately 7,538 km in FY25 and roughly 7,000 km in FY26. These figures represent a seven-year low for the sector. Additionally, as of March 2026, about 80 highway projects were still facing delays of more than three years. MoRTH has identified substandard DPRs as a key culprit for these setbacks, as inaccurate planning at the initial stage often results in alignment changes, unexpected land acquisition needs, and design modifications later in the construction phase.
For the broader infrastructure and engineering consulting sector, this move signals a shift toward higher operational standards. While the new norms may increase compliance and selection pressure on firms, the ministry expects that better planning at the DPR stage will ultimately lead to smoother project execution, fewer contractual disputes, and improved financial efficiency for highway projects. Investors and stakeholders in the infrastructure space should watch whether these improved rating norms actually translate into a recovery in project award numbers and a reduction in long-pending construction delays over the coming quarters.