CSIR-CRRI Begins Platinum Jubilee with Nationwide Road Technology Rollout

The CSIR-Central Road Research Institute (CSIR-CRRI) has launched the first phase of a nationwide rollout of its indigenous road infrastructure technologies as it begins its Platinum Jubilee celebrations, marking 75 years of research and innovation. The year-long celebrations, running from 16 July 2026 to 16 July 2027, opened with the deployment of advanced road technologies across 16 towns and locations in India.

Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology Dr. Jitendra Singh inaugurated the celebrations and called for stronger collaboration between scientific institutions, industry and state governments to ensure that Indian technologies are adopted on a much larger scale.

Before the formal launch, the Minister toured a technology exhibition where he reviewed innovations in pavement engineering, intelligent transportation systems, road safety and sustainable construction materials. He also inaugurated the Automatic Modified Mix Seal Surfacing (MSS+) Smart Mix Pro Mixing Plant, launched the AI-enabled Network Survey Vehicle (NSV) for road assessments, and dedicated the PATCH-FILL pothole repair technology, all developed to improve road quality and maintenance.

Focus shifts to large-scale implementation and commercialisation

Addressing scientists, policymakers and industry leaders, Dr. Jitendra Singh said India's rapid expansion of highways, airports, railways and urban infrastructure has created an opportunity for research institutions to contribute practical, cost-effective and environmentally sustainable technologies.

He stressed that scientific research achieves its real value only when innovations are implemented in the field rather than remaining confined to laboratories. The Minister encouraged closer partnerships with industry from the earliest stages of research so that technologies can be commercialised faster and better aligned with practical needs.

He highlighted indigenous innovations such as Steel Slag Roads, Modified Mix Seal Surfacing (MSS+), Bio-Binder, EcoFix and RejuPave, saying they support the government's Waste to Wealth, Circular Economy and Atmanirbhar Bharat initiatives by converting industrial waste into durable infrastructure while reducing environmental impact.

The event also marked the commercialisation of several technologies. LUMETRA, an indigenous glare measurement system, was licensed to Accurate Optics, while Bio-Binder technology was transferred to companies in Assam and Haryana. Agreements were also signed for the MSS+ Smart Mix Pro system and PAVE-SEAL, an air-purifying nano-photocatalytic pavement technology. Additional partnerships with industry and academic institutions were signed to accelerate technology development and deployment.

Institute targets wider adoption across India

Dr. Jitendra Singh said India's National Highway network has expanded from about 91,000 kilometres in 2014 to nearly 1.47 lakh kilometres today, making the role of institutions like CSIR-CRRI increasingly important in delivering sustainable and globally competitive infrastructure solutions. He urged state governments to move beyond pilot projects and adopt proven technologies on a much larger scale, particularly innovations such as steel slag roads that have already demonstrated strong performance.

CSIR Director General Dr. N. Kalaiselvi said the institute's technologies have already been implemented on more than 1,200 kilometres of roads, including around 280 kilometres of steel slag roads, while MSS+ technology has been adopted in several states. She said CSIR-CRRI's long-term vision is to see one-third of India's road network built or maintained using the institute's technologies through stronger collaboration with governments and industry.

During the event, the Platinum Jubilee logo, annual planner and CSIR-CRRI Annual Report 2025-26 were released, reaffirming the institute's commitment to building safer, smarter and climate-resilient transport infrastructure as India advances towards Viksit Bharat 2047.