NH-753L Boregaon-Shahpur corridor 85% done: ₹944 crore highway to link MP and Maharashtra
Synopsis
A ₹944 crore, 47-km four-lane highway connecting Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra is 85 per cent done — and for the Khandwa-Burhanpur banana belt, which ships over 1.7 million metric tonnes annually on 140 trucks a day, it could be the single biggest logistics upgrade in a generation.
Key Takeaways
The Boregaon–Shahpur section of NH-753L is 85 per cent complete as of 30 May 2025 .
The 47-km four-lane corridor is being built at an estimated cost of ₹944 crore under Bharatmala Pariyojana .
The highway will connect Indore , Khandwa , Burhanpur , Jalgaon , and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar .
Khandwa and Burhanpur produce over 1.7 million metric tonnes of bananas annually, with 140 trucks dispatched daily.
Infrastructure includes 7 major bridges , 98 culverts , and 19 km of service roads for local traffic.
The Boregaon–Shahpur section of National Highway 753L, a 47-km four-lane corridor under construction in central India, is 85 per cent complete, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways said on 30 May 2025. The project, being built at an estimated cost of ₹944 crore under the Bharatmala Pariyojana, will serve as a key inter-state link between Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.
Key Developments
Once operational, the corridor will form a major transport axis connecting Indore, Khandwa, Burhanpur, Jalgaon, and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. The highway's infrastructure includes 1 railway over-bridge, 7 major bridges, 20 minor bridges, 98 culverts, 3 light vehicle underpasses, 5 small vehicle underpasses, and 6 vehicular underpasses.
An additional 19 km of service roads are being developed alongside the main carriageway to ensure safe access for local traffic, connecting rural settlements, agricultural fields, and smaller communities without requiring them to enter the main highway.
Impact on Agriculture and Trade
The corridor passes through one of central India's most productive agricultural belts, known for banana, cotton, soybean, and wheat cultivation. Khandwa and Burhanpur together produce over 1.7 million metric tonnes of bananas annually, with approximately 140 heavily loaded trucks departing daily for domestic markets and international ports.
According to the ministry's statement, these trucks had long depended on 'narrow, damaged roads that slowed this movement, increased their travel time and made transportation a difficult task.' The new highway is expected to ease that burden significantly. Gopal Kadutemkar, a local cold storage operator, noted that the project would make Indore and the Malwa region feel considerably closer once complete.
Bharatmala Pariyojana Context
The NH-753L project is part of Bharatmala Pariyojana Phase I, the Centre's flagship highway development programme launched in 2017 to build economic corridors, inter-corridor routes, and ring roads across India. This comes amid accelerated highway construction targets, with the government pushing to improve connectivity in landlocked agricultural districts that have historically lacked quality road infrastructure.
Notably, the Khandwa–Burhanpur banana belt is one of the largest in the country, and improved road access is expected to reduce post-harvest losses by shortening transit time to cold storage and processing hubs.
What Comes Next
With 85 per cent of work finished, the remaining construction is expected to cover final surfacing, safety infrastructure, and service road completion. Faster travel, reduced logistics costs, and smoother emergency access are among the anticipated benefits for residents and businesses across the corridor once the project reaches full completion.
Point of View
But the real story here is structural: a banana-producing belt shipping 140 trucks a day has been operating on substandard roads for years, quietly bleeding margin on every kilometre of damaged tarmac. The Bharatmala programme has faced criticism for cost overruns and delays elsewhere, and the ministry's statement does not give a firm completion date — a notable omission. Whether this corridor delivers its promised logistics dividend will depend less on the ribbon-cutting and more on whether service roads and underpasses are finished to spec before the next harvest cycle begins.
NationPress
31 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Boregaon–Shahpur NH-753L corridor?
It is a 47-km four-lane highway being built under the Bharatmala Pariyojana at an estimated cost of ₹944 crore, connecting Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. The corridor links key cities including Indore, Khandwa, Burhanpur, Jalgaon, and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.
How much of the NH-753L corridor is complete?
The Boregaon–Shahpur section is approximately 85 per cent complete, according to a statement from the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways issued on 30 May 2025. The remaining work covers final surfacing, safety infrastructure, and service road completion.
Why does this highway matter for farmers and traders?
The corridor passes through a major agricultural zone producing banana, cotton, soybean, and wheat. Khandwa and Burhanpur alone produce over 1.7 million metric tonnes of bananas annually and dispatch around 140 heavily loaded trucks daily — trucks that previously relied on narrow, damaged roads that increased transit time and costs.
What infrastructure is included in the NH-753L project?
The project includes 1 railway over-bridge, 7 major bridges, 20 minor bridges, 98 culverts, 3 light vehicle underpasses, 5 small vehicle underpasses, 6 vehicular underpasses, and 19 km of service roads for local and rural traffic.
What is Bharatmala Pariyojana?
Bharatmala Pariyojana is the Centre's flagship highway development programme, launched in 2017, focused on building economic corridors, inter-corridor routes, and ring roads to improve freight and passenger movement across India. NH-753L is one of the projects under its Phase I.
