NHAI debt prepayment saves Rs 34,369 crore in interest

The National Highways Authority of India is the group that builds big roads called national highways.

It needed a lot of money to build these roads, so it borrowed money from banks and other lenders.

Borrowed money has to be paid back with extra money called interest.

A few years ago, NHAI had borrowed nearly Rs 3.42 lakh crore, one of its highest amounts ever.

Because its debt was so high, NHAI was not allowed to take new loans.

So the government decided to fully fund its capital costs instead.

NHAI worked hard to pay back its loans early, which is called prepayment.

Because it repaid so much debt, NHAI saved Rs 34,369 crore in interest payments.

It also kept building roads faster than planned, completing 5,313 km of national highways in FY26.