NHAI Revises Inspection Team Composition and Expands Scope of Pre-Takeover Review

National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), vide Policy Circular bearing reference no. 18.114/2026 dated February 10, 2026 (the “Circular”), has issued modifications to the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) governing the takeover of project highways executed under the Build Operate Transfer (BOT) / Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM) / Operate Maintain Transfer (OMT) / Toll Operate Transfer (TOT) / Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) modes upon completion of the concession period or defect liability period.

The Circular supersedes Para 2.1 of NHAI policy circular bearing reference no. 18.103/2025 dated April 5, 2025, and Para 2.2 of NHAI policy circular bearing reference no. 18.83/2022 dated October 1, 2022, which earlier prescribed pre-takeover inspection of project highways by a designated team in addition to verification of project assets, records, as-built drawings, permits, and other documents by the Independent Engineer (IE) or Authority Engineer (AE).

Under the present Circular, the inspection team composition has been prescribed project-mode wise. For EPC projects, the inspection team shall comprise:

1. a Team Leader selected by the concerned Member from the empanelled list for Quality Inspections of the Standards, Research, Development and Quality (SRD&Q) Division, and
2. General Manager (GM) (Technical) / Deputy General Manager (DGM) (Technical) of the Technical Division at Headquarters (HQ),
3. GM (Technical)/DGM (Technical) of the concerned Regional Office (RO), and
4. The technical director of the consultancy firm is acting as AE for the project.

For BOT, HAM, OMT, TOT, and Infrastructure Investment Trust (InvIT) projects, the inspection team shall comprise:

1. a Team Leader selected from the SRD&Q empaneled list, and
2. GM (Technical) / DGM (Technical) of the Technical Division at HQ, and
3. GM (Technical) / DGM (Technical) of the concerned RO, and
4. Adviser (Finance) / GM (Finance) / DGM (Finance) from the Finance Division, and
5. a Financial Consultant, and
6. the technical director of the consultancy firm acting as IE for the project.

Further, in addition to Para 2.2 of the NHAI Policy Circular dated October 1, 2022, the circular includes that the team, as constituted above, shall also examine financing documents, annual audited accounts/statements, and related records in the context of divestment requirements in the case of BOT/HAM projects.

The circular also requires that the inspection team must inspect the project highway and submit a report to the member concerned at least six months before the expected takeover date.