Infrastructure projects worth above ₹150 crore each registered a cumulative cost overrun of around ₹492,752 crore, according to a monthly government report for June 2026. A total of 1,847 ongoing infrastructure projects across 17 Central Ministries/Departments were monitored, with the total revised cost reaching ₹40.54 trillion compared to their original cost of ₹35.61 trillion. The report, however, did not specify the actual number of projects that faced cost overrun. As per The Economic Times, many projects are at advanced stages of development, with a significant number of projects clustered at the initial (0-20%) and advanced (81-100%) stages, indicating a pipeline of newly-started projects alongside many nearing completion. The projects were originally sanctioned at a combined cost of ₹35.62 lakh crore, but the revised estimate has risen to ₹40.54 lakh crore, resulting in an overall cost escalation of ₹4.92 lakh crore.
The cumulative expenditure incurred on these projects stands at ₹21.97 trillion, accounting for approximately 54.18 per cent of the revised project cost, indicating steady progress in project implementation. A significant proportion of projects are at advanced stages, with 709 projects (39 per cent) achieving over 80 per cent physical progress, while 337 (19 per cent) have crossed 80 per cent financial completion. The data showed a balanced pipeline with projects distributed across early and advanced stages of implementation, with physical and financial progress broadly moving in tandem. Physical progress exceeds financial progress in the 81-100 per cent range, while financial progress is relatively higher in early stages, reflecting upfront expenditure patterns in project implementation. The government monitors these projects through its PAIMANA (Project Appraisal, Implementation and Monitoring) portal, enabling regular reviews and helping identify implementation bottlenecks.
The Transport & Logistics sector accounts for the highest number of ongoing projects with 1,341 projects and revised estimates of ₹22.32 trillion, underscoring priority to connectivity-driven infrastructure growth. These include roads, highways, railways, airports, ports, urban public transport and inland waterways. The 1,847 ongoing infrastructure projects include 769 Mega projects (project cost of ₹1,000 crore & above) with an original cost of ₹30.51 trillion, and 1,078 Major projects (project cost below ₹1,000 crore and up to ₹150 crore) amounting to ₹5.10 trillion. The Ministry of Road Transport & Highways accounts for the highest number of projects with 1,022 projects (55%) and a share of total revised project cost of ₹9.89 trillion (24%). The Ministry of Railways is implementing 255 projects (14%) with a total revised project cost of ₹8.69 trillion (21%). The Ministry of Coal is implementing 121 projects (6%) with a revised value of ₹2.22 lakh crore (5%).
Transport & Logistics remains the dominant sector, accounting for 55 per cent of total revised project cost (₹22.32 trillion) across 1,341 projects (73% of the total projects). The Energy sector follows with 26 per cent of aggregated revised cost (₹10.38 trillion) across 207 projects, reflecting sustained emphasis on Oil & Gas infrastructure, electricity generation, transmission and distribution networks, and energy storage systems. Communication infrastructure represents 7 per cent of project cost (₹2.64 trillion) across 15 projects, while Water & Sanitation projects account for 5 per cent (₹2.08 trillion) across 56 projects. Social & Commercial infrastructure comprises 2 per cent (₹0.94 trillion) across 88 projects. Projects classified under 'Others' amounting to ₹2.18 trillion (5%) across 140 projects indicate diversification across sectors such as coal, steel, metals, and mining. Other major contributors include the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Ministry of Power, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, and the Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, which together account for hundreds of projects valued at several lakh crore rupees.
