The ministry of rural development is creating a centralized database for rural road infrastructure by establishing a digital roads registry, according to two officials aware of the development. Powered by geographic information system (GIS) mapping, the platform will shift the focus from traditional project-based planning to long-term asset and lifecycle management, these people said.

The proposed registry will capture information at the road, segment, and asset levels, including details on pavements, culverts, bridges, drainage systems, retaining walls, road-safety infrastructure, and other associated assets, they added.

The initiative aims to address gaps in the existing district rural roads plan (DRRP), which mainly supports planning and proposal management. Although more than 750,000 km of rural roads have been geo-tagged, the current data primarily covers road alignments and lacks detailed information on associated infrastructure. By bringing these fragmented datasets onto a single digital platform, the rural roads registry will enable more systematic planning, monitoring, and maintenance of rural road infrastructure across the country, said the first person cited above.

The move is significant as effective asset management has been hobbled by the lack of a structured inventory for bridges, culverts, and drainage systems, alongside limited data on road conditions, maintenance history, and mapped pavement segments. The initiative comes at a critical time, with the Centre allocating ₹18,907 crore for the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) in FY27.

The rollout is planned in phases. During FY27, PMGSY road asset mapping will cover 100% of states and union territories. Between FY28 and FY29, the scope will progressively expand to include rural road networks managed by other agencies, such as state public works departments and rural works departments. This phased execution will allow states, union territories, and implementing agencies to build capacity, standardize workflows, and scale the registry into a nationwide platform, the first person cited above said.

Focus on lifecycle management

India’s rural road network serves as the backbone of last-mile connectivity, linking villages and habitations to markets, schools, healthcare facilities, and essential services. Through PMGSY, the ministry of rural development has made significant progress in expanding rural reach, constructing 798,000 km of roads since the scheme's inception in December 2000. However, as the network grows, the challenge extends beyond just building roads. It is equally vital to systematically manage, monitor, and maintain these assets across their entire lifecycle, said the first person cited above.

According to Rohit Kansal, secretary at the ministry of rural development, the registry represents a fundamental shift in rural infrastructure policy, from a project-based approach to a comprehensive, lifecycle-based asset management framework.

"By creating a unified repository of road, segment and asset-level information, the registry will provide a stronger evidence base for planning public investment, prioritising maintenance and allocating resources. It will enable governments and implementing agencies to make decisions based on the actual condition and requirements of road assets, rather than relying solely on project-level information," Kansal said.

Over time, Kansal added, this approach will strengthen institutional capacity, optimize public expenditure, and help build a more sustainable, resilient, and accountable rural road network.

Dynamic and connected platform

The registry is envisaged as a dynamic platform rather than a static database. Information relating to roads under construction will be updated in real time, while maintenance-related information will be updated twice a year.

A major strength of the rural roads registry will be its integration with existing digital platforms, the officials cited above said. It is also being designed to integrate with systems operated by other departments and agencies, including the public works and rural works departments. "This convergence will ultimately provide a holistic view of rural road connectivity beyond schemes or departments,' said the second official cited above.

At the road level, the registry will track information such as the road name, unique identification code, category, length, year of construction, and executing agency. At the segment level, it will map geo-referenced stretches, pavement type, segment length, construction cost, and current condition, allowing authorities to evaluate infrastructure at a more granular level. At the asset level, the system will record geo-tagged data on culverts, bridges, causeways, drainage structures, retaining and breast walls, and road-safety assets, alongside their technical specifications and maintenance histories.

This approach will allow decision-makers to understand not only where a road exists but also what has been constructed, its condition, assets associated with it, and maintenance interventions that may be required, Kansal said.

The ministry of rural development is creating a centralized database for rural road infrastructure by establishing a digital roads registry, according to two officials aware of the development. Powered by geographic information system (GIS) mapping, the platform will shift the focus from traditional project-based planning to long-term asset and lifecycle management, these people said.

The proposed registry will capture information at the road, segment, and asset levels, including details on pavements, culverts, bridges, drainage systems, retaining walls, road-safety infrastructure, and other associated assets, they added.

The initiative aims to address gaps in the existing district rural roads plan (DRRP), which mainly supports planning and proposal management. Although more than 750,000 km of rural roads have been geo-tagged, the current data primarily covers road alignments and lacks detailed information on associated infrastructure. By bringing these fragmented datasets onto a single digital platform, the rural roads registry will enable more systematic planning, monitoring, and maintenance of rural road infrastructure across the country, said the first person cited above.

The move is significant as effective asset management has been hobbled by the lack of a structured inventory for bridges, culverts, and drainage systems, alongside limited data on road conditions, maintenance history, and mapped pavement segments. The initiative comes at a critical time, with the Centre allocating ₹18,907 crore for the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) in FY27.

The rollout is planned in phases. During FY27, PMGSY road asset mapping will cover 100% of states and union territories. Between FY28 and FY29, the scope will progressively expand to include rural road networks managed by other agencies, such as state public works departments and rural works departments. This phased execution will allow states, union territories, and implementing agencies to build capacity, standardize workflows, and scale the registry into a nationwide platform, the first person cited above said.

Focus on lifecycle management

India’s rural road network serves as the backbone of last-mile connectivity, linking villages and habitations to markets, schools, healthcare facilities, and essential services. Through PMGSY, the ministry of rural development has made significant progress in expanding rural reach, constructing 798,000 km of roads since the scheme's inception in December 2000. However, as the network grows, the challenge extends beyond just building roads. It is equally vital to systematically manage, monitor, and maintain these assets across their entire lifecycle, said the first person cited above.

According to Rohit Kansal, secretary at the ministry of rural development, the registry represents a fundamental shift in rural infrastructure policy, from a project-based approach to a comprehensive, lifecycle-based asset management framework.

"By creating a unified repository of road, segment and asset-level information, the registry will provide a stronger evidence base for planning public investment, prioritising maintenance and allocating resources. It will enable governments and implementing agencies to make decisions based on the actual condition and requirements of road assets, rather than relying solely on project-level information," Kansal said.

Over time, Kansal added, this approach will strengthen institutional capacity, optimize public expenditure, and help build a more sustainable, resilient, and accountable rural road network.

Dynamic and connected platform

The registry is envisaged as a dynamic platform rather than a static database. Information relating to roads under construction will be updated in real time, while maintenance-related information will be updated twice a year.

A major strength of the rural roads registry will be its integration with existing digital platforms, the officials cited above said. It is also being designed to integrate with systems operated by other departments and agencies, including the public works and rural works departments. "This convergence will ultimately provide a holistic view of rural road connectivity beyond schemes or departments,' said the second official cited above.

At the road level, the registry will track information such as the road name, unique identification code, category, length, year of construction, and executing agency. At the segment level, it will map geo-referenced stretches, pavement type, segment length, construction cost, and current condition, allowing authorities to evaluate infrastructure at a more granular level. At the asset level, the system will record geo-tagged data on culverts, bridges, causeways, drainage structures, retaining and breast walls, and road-safety assets, alongside their technical specifications and maintenance histories.

This approach will allow decision-makers to understand not only where a road exists but also what has been constructed, its condition, assets associated with it, and maintenance interventions that may be required, Kansal said.