Indian officials appear to be ready to implement a plan to eliminate cash collection entirely at the 1,150 toll plazas on National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) highways and expressways. An NHAI social media post dated Monday, March 23, states cash payments “are likely to be discontinued” as of April 1.
On February 20, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways announced it was evaluating a full transition to electronic payment in April, but added that implementation would depend on the outcome of “consultations and system-readiness assessments.” According to that announcement, all toll transactions would start to be processed exclusively through an electronic ecosystem based on NHAI FASTag transponder and Unified Payments Interface (UPI) technologies. (UPI is a contactless payment method based on scanning of a QR code at the tollbooth. It is an option for motorists without a transponder and also serves as a backup payment method for FASTag customers who encounter problems using their transponders.)
The proposed transition is part of a broader government effort to digitize toll collection technology and operations in the interests of enhanced mobility and management transparency. FASTag has become the dominant method of toll payment across the country, having achieved a 98-precent penetration rate among motorists as of early 2026.
Sources: NHAI social media post, “Construction World,” TRN