Question

Describe the role of roads in the economic development of India.

Answer 1

Roads serve as the lifeline of Indian trade. They connect the consumers with producers that are they connect urban and rural centers. Rural centers are producers of agricultural goods which are consumed by them and are transported to urban centers because they do not have production of agricultural commodities. On the other hand, urban centers produce consumer products and supply them to rural areas. Most of the intranational trade of India is carried out through roads. Since roads connect different areas, they help in boosting up trade by joining the industrial areas with raw material producing areas, consumers with producers.

The government has categorized various road types which are headed by different authorities. The largest bulk of transportation and trade is carried out through national highways which connect major cities, ports, and capitals. Following national highways, there are state highways, district roads, and village roads that connect smaller administrative units and facilitate economic activity at the micro-level. Although most of India’s international trade is carried out through airways and seaways construction of border roads has helped in increasing the trade with the neighboring countries thus providing an impetus to international trade.

Increased connectivity of roads has not only increased trade of major industries but also has helped in establishing small scale and medium scale industries by providing them access to the closest markets. Footloose industries which depend largely on roads are able to prosper because of the development of roads. Roads have helped in connecting the interiors of the country to the main parts and thus expanding the economy. It was due to the development of roads that the British were able to penetrate and exploit the interiors of the country. Roads supplement the ports and airways. Ports and airways are major means of India’s international trade, but to connect the interiors to the ports and airports, a good working connection of roads is a must, so that the products which are traded can circulate within the interiors of the country. Therefore roads play a pivoted role in connecting all other means of transportation since it is the only means of transportation that provides door-to-door service.