In a significant move to further strengthen quality assurance and quality control in National Highway development, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the National Test House (NTH), a premier quality testing institution under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Government of India.
The MoU was signed at the NHAI headquarters in New Delhi by Vipensh Sharma, Member (Projects), NHAI, and Dr. Alok Kumar Srivastava, Director General, NTH. The signing ceremony took place in the presence of NHAI Chairman Santosh Kumar Yadav and Bharat Khera, Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, along with senior officials from both organisations.
The agreement aims to reinforce quality assurance and quality control mechanisms in National Highway projects through independent, third-party testing of construction materials, components and systems. This initiative is expected to ensure strict adherence to prescribed standards and technical specifications.
Under the MoU, the National Test House will undertake testing and certification of materials and products used in highway projects in accordance with specifications issued by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) codes and relevant international standards. This will help promote uniformity, standardisation and regulatory compliance across National Highway projects.
The NTH will also provide technical support to NHAI headquarters, regional offices and project implementation units by offering expert testing, evaluation and technical opinions in complex and critical cases during project execution.
In addition, the collaboration will support NHAI’s initiatives to enhance road safety and sustainability. Special emphasis will be placed on assessing the performance, reliability and energy efficiency of safety-critical infrastructure components, including roadway lighting systems.
The MoU further provides for institutional collaboration through capacity building and knowledge sharing. This includes training programmes for NHAI officers and stakeholders, as well as the dissemination of best practices in material testing, quality assurance and infrastructure management.
By partnering with a nationally recognised and technically competent testing institution, NHAI aims to strengthen its quality assurance framework while enhancing transparency and accountability in highway construction. The collaboration underscores NHAI’s commitment to delivering reliable, safe and world-class National Highway infrastructure across the country.
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