Government infra projects see cost overrun of Rs 5.52L crore in January

New Delhi: Several infrastructure projects worth above Rs 150 crore each registered a cumulative cost overrun of Rs 5.52 lakh crore, according to a monthly government report for January 2026.

The latest ‘Flash Report on Central Sector Infrastructure Projects’ showed that the revised cost of all 1,702 projects, each valued at Rs 150 crore or higher, monitored by the Statistics ministry stood at Rs 39,24,534 crore compared to their original cost of Rs 33,71,816 crore.

The report did not specify the actual number of projects that are facing cost overrun.

The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) stated in a press release on Wednesday that as of January this year, 1,702 ongoing infrastructure projects, with a revised cost of Rs 39.25 lakh crore, are reported on the PAIMANA portal across 17 central ministries/departments. During the month, three projects were commissioned and 203 additional projects were brought under the monitoring of PAIMANA.

The cumulative expenditure incurred on these projects up to January 2026 stands at Rs 20.02 lakh crore.

Out of the total 1,702 projects, 645 (38 per cent) have achieved over 80 per cent progress, while 240 (14 per cent) have crossed 80 per cent completion, reflecting that a substantial portion of projects are at advanced stages of implementation.

The transport & logistics sector accounts for the highest number of ongoing projects at 1,180, with revised estimates of Rs 20.65 lakh crore, underscoring priority to connectivity-driven infrastructure growth.

The total ongoing projects include 695 mega projects (costing Rs 1,000 crore and above) with a revised cost of Rs 29 lakh crore, and 1,007 major projects (worth below Rs 1,000 crore and up to Rs 150 crore) amounting to Rs 4.72 lakh crore.

As of January 2026, the cumulative expenditure incurred on these 1,702 under implementation projects stands at Rs 20.02 lakh crore, accounting for approximately 51.01 per cent of the revised project cost.

Physical and financial progress broadly move in tandem, with a large number of projects being at the initial (0–20 per cent) and advanced (81–100 per cent) stages, indicating a pipeline of newly-started projects alongside many nearing completions.

While physical progress exceeds financial progress in the 81–100 per cent range, financial progress is relatively higher in the early stages, reflecting upfront expenditure patterns in project implementation.

The ministry-wise data showed that the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways accounts for the highest number of 863 projects (50 per cent), having a 20 per cent share of total project cost at Rs 8.1 lakh crore.

The Ministry of Railways is implementing 249 projects (15 per cent), and has the largest share of total project cost at Rs 8.5 lakh crore (22 per cent).