Union Science and Technology Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh on Thursday, 16 July 2026 inaugurated the year-long Platinum Jubilee Celebrations of the CSIR-Central Road Research Institute (CSIR-CRRI) in New Delhi, marking 75 years of the country's premier road research body, and simultaneously launched the first phase of a nationwide deployment of indigenous road infrastructure technologies across 16 towns and locations across India.

Context

The minister inaugurated the platinum jubilee event at CSIR-CRRI's New Delhi campus, describing the institute as the country's premier body dedicated to developing and implementing the latest technologies for road construction and infrastructure. The first-phase rollout across 16 locations is designed to demonstrate and scale up innovative, sustainable road construction and maintenance technologies that CSIR-CRRI has developed through strategic collaborations with industry and implementing agencies.

Dr. Jitendra Singh also reviewed a range of indigenous technologies developed by the institute spanning road engineering, pavement technologies, intelligent transportation systems, road safety, and sustainable construction materials.

Policy Backdrop

CSIR — the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research — was established in 1942 as India's largest public research and development network, comprising 37 laboratories including CRRI. The institute has historically served as the technical backbone for India's road and highway planning, providing scientific inputs to both national and state-level infrastructure programmes.

The emphasis on indigenous technology transfer from laboratory to field aligns with the government's sustained push to leverage CSIR institutions for core infrastructure development, reducing dependence on foreign technologies in public works.

Technologies Launched

Three specific technology platforms were unveiled at the event. First, the Automatic Modified Mix Seal Surfacing (MSS+) Smart Mix Pro Mixing Plant — a facility designed for large-scale implementation of CSIR-CRRI's indigenous MSS+ road surfacing technology. Second, the AI-enabled Network Survey Vehicle (NSV), which enables comprehensive, data-driven assessment of road infrastructure condition across networks. Third, the PATCH-FILL pothole repair technology, aimed at faster and more environmentally sustainable pothole remediation on existing roads.

Together, the three platforms address the full lifecycle of road infrastructure — from new surface construction and network monitoring to maintenance — using tools developed domestically by CSIR-CRRI researchers.

Stakeholders and Impact

The primary beneficiaries of the rollout include state highway authorities, national road construction agencies, and the commuting public across the 16 pilot locations. Successful demonstration at these sites is expected to build the evidence base needed for wider adoption through formal integration into national and state highway programmes.

The AI-enabled survey vehicle in particular signals a shift toward data-led road asset management, a domain where India's highway network — one of the world's largest — has historically relied on manual inspection methods.

What's Next

Attention will now turn to the rollout of subsequent phases beyond the initial 16 locations and whether the technologies demonstrated at CSIR-CRRI will be formally embedded into procurement and maintenance standards used by agencies such as the National Highways Authority of India and state public works departments. The year-long Platinum Jubilee programme provides a sustained platform for further technology launches and industry partnerships through 2026-27.