The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has made 15–20-minute documentary films compulsory for national highway development projects costing more than ₹500 crore. The initiative aims to document the construction process, highlight engineering achievements and give the public a closer look at the work involved in building major road infrastructure.
Under the new directive, contractors and concessionaires responsible for highway projects must engage professional video production agencies to record the construction journey from the initial stages through completion and commissioning. The documentaries will be compiled using footage captured through monthly video recordings during construction.
The films will cover key milestones, including pile foundation work, bridge and flyover construction, viaduct development, tunnelling through difficult terrain and the deployment of specialised construction machinery. Particular attention will be given to technical challenges, the solutions adopted by project teams and the engineering methods used to complete complex structures.
The move builds on existing requirements for contractors and concessionaires to record project progress on video. The new mandate places greater emphasis on professional production and creating a continuous visual record of the entire construction process.
The documentaries are expected to explain the planning, coordination and technical expertise behind major highway projects. They will also help preserve records of construction methods and the challenges encountered during execution, offering a reference for understanding how bridges, tunnels and other complex infrastructure are built.
According to reports, the requirement will apply to upcoming highway projects worth more than ₹500 crore for which the bidding process has not yet begun. For projects already awarded but awaiting the declaration of their appointed date, the provision may be incorporated through a change-of-scope mechanism.
The initiative reflects NHAI’s broader focus on documenting infrastructure development and improving public understanding of national highway construction. By creating professional films of major projects, the authority aims to showcase the scale of work involved in expanding India’s road network and preserve a record of the engineering processes behind these developments.
NHAI mandates 15–20-minute professional documentaries for highway projects costing over ₹500 crore to document engineering achievements and construction milestones.
