Mumbai | The highway of the future will not just be a physical road but a digital one, said Shri Nitin Gadkari, Hon'ble Union Minister of Road Transport & Highways, today at the Global Fintech Fest (GFF) 2026, being held from September 8–11 at Jio World Centre, Mumbai. The government is now looking to combine FASTag data with automatic number-plate recognition to strengthen the identification and tracking of vehicles on tolled stretches. "This combined system is expected to add an incremental Rs 10,000 crore to toll revenues annually," Shri Gadkari said.
Addressing a session on the future of mobility finance, he said that India is moving towards fully digital and eventually barrier-free tolling, with a multi-lane free flow (MLFF) system expected to be operational at toll plazas by around February 2027.
"FASTag has already transformed toll collection. Our next step is to ensure that vehicles do not have to stop at toll plazas at all," he said. In 2021, FASTag was made mandatory. “And today, its results are in front of us. Fast tag penetration on National Highway toll plazas is more than 98%, with more than 13 crore FASTags issued so far” Shri Gadkari added.
Shri Gadkari said FASTag was made mandatory in 2021, accelerating the shift from cash-based payments to electronic toll collection across the national highway network.
Waiting times at toll plazas, which once stretched to about 12 minutes, have fallen by 80-90 per cent following FASTag adoption. He added that FASTag-enabled tolling has saved the country an estimated 71 crore hours annually, translating into an economic value of roughly Rs 68,500 crore a year.
He called for FASTag, UPI and Aadhaar-linked mobility data to be brought together into a single connected ecosystem, describing the ambition as moving from digital payments to intelligent mobility. He also flagged road safety as a priority, citing the high annual toll of road accidents in the country.
"I believe in two key principles: building knowledge through innovation, entrepreneurship, science, technology and research, and then converting that knowledge into wealth," Shri Gadkari said, adding that technology, backed by appropriate leadership, has the power to transform resources into wealth.
GFF 2026 is organised by the Payments Council of India (PCI), the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) and the Fintech Convergence Council (FCC). The conference is supported by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY); the Department of Financial Services, Ministry of Finance; the New, Emerging and Strategic Technology (NEST) Division, the Ministry of External Affairs; Niti Aayog; the Reserve Bank of India (RBI); the Securities and Exchanges Board of India (SEBI); the International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA), and the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA).
About Payments Council of India (PCI)
The Payments Council of India (PCI) was formed under the aegis of the Internet and Mobile Association of India (PCI) in the year 2013 catering to the needs of the digital payment industry. The Council was formed inter-alia to represent the various non-banking payment industry players, and to address and help resolve various industry-level issues and barriers that require discussion and action.
The council works with its 220+ members, encompassing over 90% of the industry to promote payments industry growth and to support our national goals of 'Cashless Society' and ‘Growth of Financial Inclusion’ which is also the Vision Shared by the RBI and the Government of India. PCI represents the complete digital payments ecosystem of India through its various committees representing different sectors.
About National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI)
National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) is the umbrella entity responsible for operating retail payments and settlement systems in India. It is established by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the Indian Banks’ Association (IBA). The Company is focused on bringing innovations in the retail payment systems by using technology for achieving greater efficiency in operations and widening the reach of payment systems. NPCI is committed to harnessing the transformative potential of deep tech, creating an ecosystem that fosters collaboration to work on breakthrough technologies. Underlining its commitment to service, NPCI has been incorporated as a “Not for Profit” Company to provide infrastructure to the entire Banking system in India for physical as well as electronic payment and settlement systems.
NPCI has made a profound impact on India's retail payment landscape, focusing on creating robust, efficient, and inclusive payment and settlement solutions. NPCI has been instrumental in introducing a range of products that have revolutionised retail payment systems. These include Unified Payments Interface (UPI), RuPay, National Automated Clearing House (NACH), Immediate Payment Service (IMPS), National Electronic Toll Collection (NETC), Aadhaar Enabled Payment System (AePS), e-RUPI and more. Each of these products has contributed significantly to enhance the efficiency and accessibility of payment systems in India, ultimately propelling financial inclusion.
NPCI has played a fundamental role in establishing the foundation for India’s rapidly growing digital payments ecosystem, projecting the country onto the global stage.
NPCI has four wholly owned subsidiaries – NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL) and NPCI Bharat BillPay Limited (NBBL), NPCI BHIM Services Limited (NBSL) and NPCI Tech Solutions Limited (NTSL), established in pursuance of NPCI Board & RBI approval.
For more information visit: https://www.npci.org.in/
About Fintech Convergence Council (FCC)
Established in 2018, the Fintech Convergence Council (FCC) is an industry body representing the collective voice of fintech companies in India. Since its inception, the FCC has evolved into a leading platform with a diverse membership of over 280 fintech entities across key segments including digital lending, wealth, insurance, RegTech, and credit bureaus. The FCC’s core mission is to address sector-specific challenges and provide a unified platform for dialogue within the broader BFSI (Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance) ecosystem.
The council actively engages with regulators and policymakers to help shape progressive policy frameworks and promote a balanced approach to innovation and compliance. In addition to policy advocacy, the FCC also focuses on knowledge sharing, strengthening consumer education, and promoting responsible finance through awareness-building initiatives on customer protection, digital literacy, and best practices in fintech.
To learn more, please visit https://fintechcouncil.in
