1.0Global Development Researchhttps://research.reading.ac.uk/global-developmentSophie De Pauwhttps://research.reading.ac.uk/global-development/author/gh811142student-reading-ac-uk/rich600338<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="nviZCdGKcc"><a href="https://research.reading.ac.uk/global-development/794-2/">India’s terrible roads: how to build a world-class network and still reach net zero</a></blockquote><iframe sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" src="https://research.reading.ac.uk/global-development/794-2/embed/#?secret=nviZCdGKcc" width="600" height="338" title="“India’s terrible roads: how to build a world-class network and still reach net zero” — Global Development Research" data-secret="nviZCdGKcc" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" class="wp-embedded-content"></iframe><script type="text/javascript"> /* <![CDATA[ */ /*! This file is auto-generated */ !function(d,l){"use strict";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&"undefined"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!/[^a-zA-Z0-9]/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret="'+t.secret+'"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret="'+t.secret+'"]'),c=new RegExp("^https?:$","i"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display="none";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute("style"),"height"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):"link"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute("src")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener("message",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll("iframe.wp-embedded-content"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute("data-secret"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+="#?secret="+t,e.setAttribute("data-secret",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:"ready",secret:t},"*")},!1)))}(window,document); //# sourceURL=https://research.reading.ac.uk/global-development/wp-includes/js/wp-embed.min.js /* ]]> */ </script> https://research.reading.ac.uk/global-development/wp-content/uploads/sites/161/2021/11/iNDIAN-ROAD.jpg580580n the 8th of November, Division member Uma S Kambhampati and her colleague Subham Kailthya published a piece in The Conversation discussing the importance of developing a more efficient road system across India.India’s highway network faces a number of challenges; roads are poorly maintained, lack connectivity, and are unequally distributed. Although both China and India have tripled the size of their road systems over the last two decades, the capacity of the former greatly outperforms the latter. Indeed, much of China’s exponential economic development is attributed to its superior infrastructure.The article argues that investing in road infrastructure would act as a means of rapidly stimulating the country’s economy with the authors’ research demonstrating that a 1% increase in road density raises productivity by approximately 0.25%. However, the expansion of India’s road network could significantly increase carbon emissions. With President Modi’s recent pledge to carbon neutrality by 2070,  Kailthya and Kambhampati  conclude that ambitions for building a more extensive network must be balanced with investment in green innovations.To read the full article in the Conversation click here