
Nelamangala–Tumakuru highway update: Service road to open by June 2026, road widening to be completed by March 2027
The widening of the 44.04-km stretch of National Highway 48, from the Nelamangala toll gate to Tumakuru, had come to a halt due to prolonged land acquisition issues. Although work resumed in April this year after a six-month break, commuters remain frustrated as the service roads were originally scheduled for completion by August 2025.
Launched in August 2022, the project involves expanding the existing four-lane carriageway to six lanes, and constructing two-lane service roads on either side to convert the highway into an access-controlled road. The plan was to first complete the service roads and divert traffic, thereby enabling smoother execution of work on the main carriageway.
However, the execution hit major roadblocks due to land acquisition challenges.
According to NHAI officials, there were land gaps at 35 different points. These arose from a combination of reasons — landowners not being compensated, certain properties not being included in official acquisition notifications, and resistance from landowners. These hurdles forced the project contractor to temporarily halt work.
An NHAI official said, 'The delay was primarily due to land acquisition not going as planned. But most of these issues have now been sorted out, and the contractor has resumed work.'
Now, NHAI is moving forward with a revised timeline. Officials aim to finish the service roads by mid-2026, and complete the entire road widening work by March 2027.
The Tumakuru road is a vital corridor linking Bengaluru to central and northern parts of Karnataka, which is why the delays have inconvenienced thousands of daily commuters.
'The ongoing construction has caused severe inconvenience for drivers, particularly those commuting daily. We understand road work takes time, but there should be better planning. It's been more than two years, and we're still struggling on a half-dug-up highway,' said Muniyappa S., a Tumakuru-based businessperson.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)

Business Standard
4 hours ago
- Business Standard
Indo-UK deal to give Indian market access at lower tariff, says JLR
Jaguar Land Rover on Thursday said the India-UK free trade agreement would help the marquee automaker to access lower tariffs in India for its luxury models. Under the India-UK FTA, India will reduce tariffs on automotive imports from about 110 per cent to 10 per cent under quotas on both sides, benefiting companies such as Jaguar Land Rover (JLR). "We welcome this free trade agreement between the UK and India, which over time will deliver reduced tariff access to the Indian car market for JLR's luxury vehicles," a company spokesperson said in a statement. India is an important market for the company's British-built products and represents significant future growth opportunities, the spokesperson added. In a separate query regarding a change in pricing of imported products into the Indian market, a UK-based spokesperson said: "No decisions have been made on pricing." Around 60 per cent of the cars JLR sells in India, including popular models in the Range Rover portfolio Range Rover, Range Rover Sport, Velar and Evoque are already locally produced in India through the CKD (completely knocked down) route, attracting a lower tax. Defender, which is manufactured in Slovakia, falls outside the scope of this FTA and is therefore not impacted. Only a limited number of high-value SV models are currently exported from the UK to India and therefore in scope of the FTA, the spokesperson stated. JLR Chief Commercial Officer Lennard Hoornik had earlier stated that the agreement would help in removing obstacles in doing business and help the automaker to enhance its focus on the Indian market. JLR is owned by Mumbai-headquartered Tata Motors. The world's fifth and sixth-largest economies concluded the trade deal after three years of on-and-off negotiations. The pact lowers tariffs on 99 per cent of Indian goods to zero in the UK market while allowing Indian workers to travel to the UK for work without changing Britain's point-based immigration system. The talks for the pact started in January 2022. Both sides held 14 rounds of talks for the conclusion of the talks. In FTAs, two countries either eliminate or significantly reduce customs duties on the maximum goods traded between them. They also ease norms for promoting trade in services and bilateral investments. India's exports to the UK rose by 12.6 per cent to USD 14.5 billion, while imports grew by 2.3 per cent to USD 8.6 billion in 2024-25. The bilateral trade between India and the UK increased to USD 21.34 billion in 2023-24 from USD 20.36 billion in 2022-23.


News18
4 hours ago
- News18
Indo-UK deal to give Indian market access at lower tariff, says JLR
New Delhi, Jul 24 (PTI) Jaguar Land Rover on Thursday said the India-UK free trade agreement would help the marquee automaker to access lower tariffs in India for its luxury models. Under the India-UK FTA, India will reduce tariffs on automotive imports from about 110 per cent to 10 per cent under quotas on both sides, benefiting companies such as Jaguar Land Rover (JLR). 'We welcome this free trade agreement between the UK and India, which over time will deliver reduced tariff access to the Indian car market for JLR's luxury vehicles," a company spokesperson said in a statement. India is an important market for the company's British-built products and represents significant future growth opportunities, the spokesperson added. In a separate query regarding a change in pricing of imported products into the Indian market, a UK-based spokesperson said: 'No decisions have been made on pricing." Around 60 per cent of the cars JLR sells in India, including popular models in the Range Rover portfolio – Range Rover, Range Rover Sport, Velar and Evoque – are already locally produced in India through the CKD (completely knocked down) route, attracting a lower tax. Defender, which is manufactured in Slovakia, falls outside the scope of this FTA and is therefore not impacted. Only a limited number of high-value SV models are currently exported from the UK to India and therefore in scope of the FTA, the spokesperson stated. JLR Chief Commercial Officer Lennard Hoornik had earlier stated that the agreement would help in removing obstacles in doing business and help the automaker to enhance its focus on the Indian market. JLR is owned by Mumbai-headquartered Tata Motors. The world's fifth and sixth-largest economies concluded the trade deal after three years of on-and-off negotiations. The pact lowers tariffs on 99 per cent of Indian goods to zero in the UK market while allowing Indian workers to travel to the UK for work without changing Britain's point-based immigration system. The talks for the pact started in January 2022. Both sides held 14 rounds of talks for the conclusion of the talks. In FTAs, two countries either eliminate or significantly reduce customs duties on the maximum goods traded between them. They also ease norms for promoting trade in services and bilateral investments. India's exports to the UK rose by 12.6 per cent to USD 14.5 billion, while imports grew by 2.3 per cent to USD 8.6 billion in 2024-25. The bilateral trade between India and the UK increased to USD 21.34 billion in 2023-24 from USD 20.36 billion in 2022-23. PTI MSS MSS SHW (This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed - PTI) view comments First Published: July 24, 2025, 17:30 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.


News18
7 hours ago
- News18
Why Amitabh Bachchan And Aamir Khan's Names Are In A Karnataka RTO Tax Case
Two Rolls-Royce cars once owned by Amitabh Bachchan and Aamir Khan are now in trouble over unpaid road taxes in Karnataka. Two luxury Rolls-Royce cars that once belonged to Bollywood stars Amitabh Bachchan and Aamir Khan are now at the centre of a tax controversy in Karnataka. Although the stars no longer own the vehicles, their names have appeared in official notices from the Karnataka Regional Transport Office (RTO) because the cars are still registered under them. The person currently driving these high-end cars is Yusuf Sharif, a Bengaluru-based businessman and politician, popularly known as 'KGF Babu' because of his connection to Kolar Gold Fields, made famous by the movie KGF. As per India Today, Sharif is now facing a hefty fine of Rs 38.26 lakh for using these cars in Karnataka without paying the required local road taxes. The Rolls-Royce Phantom, once owned by Amitabh Bachchan, has been spotted in Bengaluru since 2021. The Rolls-Royce Ghost, earlier owned by Aamir Khan, has been seen on the roads since 2023. As per Karnataka rules, if a vehicle is used in the state for over a year, it must be registered there and the road tax must be paid. Since both cars were driven past the one-year limit without registration, the RTO fined them—Rs 18.53 lakh for the Phantom and Rs 19.73 lakh for the Ghost. Interestingly, the paperwork for both cars still shows Bachchan and Khan as the official owners, as Sharif never completed the formal transfer of ownership, India Today states. Transport officials confirmed that while the vehicles are regularly seen on city roads, they are technically still registered to the Bollywood stars. Sharif's story is equally noteworthy. He once sold scrap for a living but eventually became a successful real estate developer and politician. In 2021, he ran for the Karnataka Legislative Council elections and declared family assets worth over Rs 1,744 crore. This isn't the first time Sharif has had issues with vehicle taxes. In 2021, the Phantom was already under the RTO's radar for similar reasons, but action was not taken then because it had not yet crossed one year in Karnataka. Now, with both luxury cars violating local tax laws, the RTO has taken firm action, shining a spotlight once again on flashy cars and high-profile names. view comments First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.