Wishes are pouring in for Union Minister of Road and Highways Nitin Gadkari, as the leader turns 68 today. Widely called as the “Highway Man of India”, Gadkari has been the driving force behind the notable transformation of India’s infrastructure. Under his leadership, road network in India has expanded and modernised, promoting connectivity across regions. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also extended greetings to him. PM Modi wrote on X, “Birthday wishes to Union Minister Shri Nitin Gadkari Ji, who is making notable contributions towards upgrading critical infrastructure in India. May he be blessed with a long and healthy life.”
A Look At His Journey
This birthday, we are honouring the leader, by tracing his journey from Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) worker to the “Highway Man of India.”
Born on May 27, 1957, in a middle-class family in Nagpur district of Maharashtra, Gadkari joined RSS at a very young age. He was passionate and deeply inclined towards social service. He participated in social work while maintaining good academic performance. He holds three degrees: B.Com, LLB, and Diploma in Business Management from Nagpur University. He was also associated with Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) which played significant role in shaping his leadership abilities.
Political Career And Title Of ‘Flyover Man’
Gadkari began his political career with the youth wing of the BJP in the 1980s. He became a member of the Maharashtra Legislative council in 1989, which marked his first political role. He served as Public Works Department Minister in 1995 when Shiv Sena-BJP alliance came to power in Maharashtra.
Before upgrading India’s infrastructure, Gadkari revolutionized Maharashtra’s infrastructure with the Mumbai –Pune Expressway Project, India’s first six-lane expressway. The Bandra-Worli Sea Link was also constructed during his tenure as the PWD minister. He earned the title of “Flyover Man” for constructing over 50 flyovers in Mumbai. He prioritised the construction of all-weather roads during his tenure.
His role in the BJP became prominent with his appointment as the National President in 2009. Under his leadership, several organisational changes took place in BJP. He has won the Lok Sabha seat from Nagpur, which houses the RSS headquarters, three consecutive times.
‘Highway Man Of India’
When BJP came into power in 2014, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Gadkari was entrusted with the portfolio that he mastered and had experience in. He was given the portfolios of Road Transport, Highways and Shipping. He has since become the longest-serving Minister For Road Transport And Highways.
He has been instrumental in spearheading projects like Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (Atal Setu), Delhi–Mumbai Expressway, Bharatmala Pariyojana, Sagarmala, Hyderabad–Indore Expressway etc. Asia’s first solar-powered expressway the Delhi-Meerut Expressway is also built under his leadership. He is a strong advocate of biofuels like ethanol and methanol long before they were trending.
Gadkari is credited with the construction of more than 90,000 km of national highways and 30,000 km of new roads in last one decade. He believes that India can become ‘Vishwaguru’ only after it builds an international-standard infrastructure.
“If we want to develop our country, if we want to make our country a Vishwaguru, if we want to make our country the third largest economy in the world, if we want to make our country a five billion dollar economy which our Prime Minister wants to fulfill, the first requirement is to build international standard infrastructure in the country,” Gadkari said at 78th Vasant Vyakhyanmala organized by Amar Hind Mandal.
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